Divya Agarwal
Surat (Gujarat) [India], March 20: Surat emerged as the meeting point of India’s entrepreneurial leadership as CorporateConnections®️ India hosted BHAF 2026 – The Big Hairy Audacious Forum, bringing together over 250 prominent entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the country.
The two-day flagship forum took place on 13–14 March 2026 at the Surat Marriott Hotel, creating a powerful platform for collaboration, insight sharing, and relationship building among some of India’s most dynamic business owners.
Built around three core ideas — Learn. Network. Celebrate. — BHAF continues to be the most anticipated annual gathering of the CorporateConnections India community.
The 2026 edition marked the largest BHAF event so far, reflecting the rapid growth of the network, which now spans 24 cities across India with more than 850 members representing diverse industries.
The event was also graced by Shri C. R. Patil, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Government of India, who addressed the gathering and highlighted Surat’s remarkable development journey and Gujarat’s progressive vision for economic growth and entrepreneurship, reinforcing the city’s position as an ideal host for such a national business forum.
BHAF has evolved significantly since its inception. The first edition was held online, followed by BHAF 2023 in Delhi, BHAF 2024 aboard the Cordelia Cruise, and BHAF 2025 in Kolkata, with the 2026 edition in Surat setting a new benchmark in scale, participation, and impact.
A Power-Packed Speaker Line-Up
The forum featured an inspiring lineup of business leaders and industry experts who shared their journeys, leadership lessons, and insights into scaling businesses in India’s evolving economy.
Notable speakers included:
- Hitesh Chimanlal Doshi, Chairman & Managing Director, Waaree Group, one of India’s largest solar energy companies
- Amit Jain, Co-Founder & CEO, CarDekho Group, and a leading voice in India’s startup ecosystem
- Ravi Kant, Former CEO & Managing Director, Tata Motors, who delivered a growth-focused leadership session
- Vaishali Wagle, Founder & CEO, Zenesse, who shared perspectives on leadership and organisational transformation
A major highlight of the forum was a panel discussion titled “Scaling from ₹100 Cr to ₹1000 Cr,” featuring leading entrepreneurs including:
- Vikas Nahar, Founder & CEO, Happilo
- Ramesh Agarwal, Founder, Agarwal Packers & Movers
- Rishikesh SR, Co-Founder, Rapido
The panel explored strategies, leadership mindset, and operational discipline required to build large-scale enterprises in India’s competitive business landscape.
Building Meaningful Entrepreneurial Relationships
Beyond the stage, BHAF created numerous opportunities for members to engage through structured one-to-one networking sessions, industry roundtables, and collaborative discussions, reinforcing CorporateConnections’ philosophy of building meaningful and trusted relationships among business leaders.
The forum concluded with a grand Gala Night and Awards ceremony, celebrating the achievements and contributions of members across the CorporateConnections India community.
Leadership Perspective
BHAF 2026 was hosted under the leadership of CorporateConnections India National Directors, Yash Vasant and Gaurav VK Singhvi, who have played a key role in building one of the most dynamic regions within the global CorporateConnections network.
Gaurav VK Singhvi, National Director, CorporateConnections India, said:
“The strength of CorporateConnections lies in the depth of trust among its members. Seeing more than 250 entrepreneurs from across India come together in Surat for BHAF 2026 demonstrates how powerful a community of like-minded leaders can be when they gather with the intention to grow together.”
Yash Vasant, National Director, CorporateConnections India, added:
“BHAF is where the spirit of our community truly comes alive. It is a space where entrepreneurs step away from the pressures of daily business to learn from each other, exchange perspectives, and build relationships that often evolve into long-term collaborations.”
Looking Ahead
As CorporateConnections India continues to expand across industries and cities, BHAF remains a cornerstone event where ideas evolve into partnerships and connections transform into meaningful opportunities for growth.
With its scale, participation, and high-impact conversations, BHAF 2026 in Surat has set a new benchmark for leadership-driven business forums in India.
