New Delhi, 4 April 2026:
The Delhi NCR Charter Chapter of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) hosted the second edition of its flagship event, RAGA Returns | CoachFest 2026, at India Habitat Centre, bringing together over 250 attendees, including CXOs, business leaders, internal and external coaches, ecosystem partners, and coaching enthusiasts.
The event opened with Deepika Bhattacharya, Secretary of the chapter, followed by a “Welcome Home” address by Debeshi Chakraborty, President. A Commonwealth Scholar and former Smart City Designer, Chakraborty positioned coaching as a catalyst for nation-building—enabling clearer thinking, conscious leadership, and systemic impact in an increasingly complex world.
A video message from Magdalena Mook, CEO of the International Coaching Federation, highlighted India’s growing momentum in coaching, citing increased organisational adoption, expansion of providers, and universities embracing coaching as a credible career pathway. She also acknowledged ICF’s collaboration with the Government of India and recognised India as a community rich in purpose and possibility.
Susan Caesar, Director of AI at ICF, announced the launch of the AI Cell—a chapter-led initiative enabling coaches and professionals to move from curiosity to capability through responsible, hands-on application of AI.
In her inaugural address, Vijayalakshmi S, Award winning Master Coach, Secretary & Treasurer of the ICF Global Enterprise Board, remarked:
“Clarity is not found after chaos ends; it is created within it, through conscious choice, courage, and compassion in an interconnected world.”
The event also marked a milestone, with ICF Global leaders congratulating the Delhi NCR Chapter on completing 10 years of impact and being recognised as a 2025 ICF Chapter Recognition Award winner among 140 global chapters.
A part of ICF’s global network of chapters, it has grown its local membership 1.8x to 200+, powered by 50+ volunteers, impact projects, peer coaching circles, and inclusive leadership with 50 per cent women on the board with the first woman president.www.icfdelhincrchapter.in/
The keynote by legendary leadership thinker Anil Sachdev, Founder and Chairman of SOIL, introduced by Krishnan V, former CHRO of Dabur, positioned coaching as a strategic capability for navigating complexity. He shared principles such as “Be Just and Just Be” and the GPS of life, Learn, Earn, Return, Yearn, while emphasising inner calm as the foundation of leadership.
Adding a global perspective, Satoshi Yamamoto, Guest of Honour and President of the ICF Japan Charter Chapter, shared reflections interwoven with music, noting:
“In a world of constant change, coaching enables leaders to pause, reflect, and respond with intention rather than reaction.”
Anchored in the theme “Clarity in Chaos: The Coaching Impact,” the one-day experience unfolded across four leadership lenses-Leading Self, Leading Team, Leading Enterprise, and Leading Tech & AI-through masterclasses, dialogues, and experiential studios.
The Self-Realisation track featured Kaushik Mitra, CFO, PepsiCo and author of The Career Edge, and Sundeep Singh, Managing Director, Accenture and author of The Long Run, exploring identity and evolving success. As Kaushik noted, “Growth begins when we detach ego from outcomes.” The track also included Rashmi Datt’s Psychodrama session in presence and Karan Kumar in dialogue.
In the Leading Enterprise & Culture track, Rupika Singh, Coaching Head, TCS, presented “Coaching as Organisational Culture – The TCS Story,” emphasising value creation through patterns. Sandip Ghose, MD & CEO, MP Birla, PCC Coach, and Dr Prajjal Saha, Editor, HRKATHA, explored alignment between individual and organisational success. Team-building studio by Aloke Verma (Success Tea) energised the participants.
The Leading Teams segment included a masterclass by Shalini Rao, CMO, BIAL, who challenged leaders to reflect on whether capability gaps stem from lack of space for thinking. A dialogue with Sumit Tandon, Internal Coaching Lead,EY, and Nishith Upadhyaya, Executive Director Advisory – India, APAC & MENA, SHRM, explored team coaching across cultures, while Sukhangshu Chatterjee brought teamwork dynamics to life through drama.
The AI & Future of Coaching track featured Subhamoy Chakraborti, CTO, ABP Group, who noted, “What AI lacks is soul and stake-something only a coach brings to the conversation.” A dialogue with Amit Kasliwal (Dehurdle) and Payal Koul Mirakhur (uExcelerate) explored how AI can democratise coaching while preserving its human essence. Richa Hansraj’s live AI lab added interest.
The event was supported by leading coaching industry sponsors—including coach educators and assessment providers-and featured an ICF Hub for information sharing on coaching.
The evening closed with a musical expression by Piloo Vidyarthi, Self Expression Coach, Actor, and Singer. This was followed by a vote of thanks by Koushik Chatterjee, Vice President, and an invitation to the upcoming ICF India Conclave by Dr Varundeep Sachi, President-ICF Bengaluru Chapter.
With growing engagement from leaders and organisations, RAGA continues to position coaching as a powerful and accessible leadership capability in times of complexity.
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the world’s largest organisation advancing the coaching profession, with 60,000+ members across 160+ countries—www.coachingfederation.org.
