On 11 September 2025, TeamLease RegTech hosted a compliance roundtable at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai. The event brought together compliance leaders, governance professionals, and industry experts to discuss how organisations are navigating today’s regulatory challenges, the role of technology and the growing impact of artificial intelligence. The session created an open platform where participants shared experiences, exchanged ideas, and explored practical approaches to strengthen governance and compliance.
Challenges in Technology Adoption
The discussions began with an honest look at why many organisations still face challenges in adopting compliance technology. Several participants explained that most companies operate with multiple legacy systems and siloed data, which makes integration difficult. There was also an agreement on how employees often resist new platforms due to familiarity with existing processes or concerns about added transparency. For many mid-sized companies, the cost of new technology and the need to demonstrate return on investment remain significant barriers. Constant regulatory change adds another layer of uncertainty because compliance platforms need continuous updates to remain effective. Finally, the need to ensure that any solution is secure, auditable and compliant with data privacy rules increases the complexity of adoption. While these challenges are real, the consensus was that technology is now essential and the way forward is to plan adoption in a phased manner with strong leadership support.
Tone from the Top
Another important theme of the roundtable was the role of tone from the top. Technology can simplify processes, but the culture of compliance depends on leadership. Many participants noted that when boards and senior management demonstrate visible commitment, compliance becomes an integral part of the business strategy rather than just an operational function. Leaders must lead by example, follow the same protocols they expect from employees, and create forums where compliance is regularly reviewed. One participant shared that their organisation saw compliance performance improve significantly after the board began reviewing compliance scorecards in every monthly meeting. The consensus was that when leaders show commitment and recognise good practices, employees across departments begin to take compliance more seriously.
AI in Compliance
The discussion then moved to the role of artificial intelligence in compliance. Three practical use cases were highlighted. The first was monitoring regulatory changes, where AI systems can scan government portals and legal updates, classify what is relevant, and map updates to internal requirements. This reduces manual tracking and ensures that organisations respond quickly to regulatory changes. The second was risk scoring and predictive alerts. AI can identify high-risk areas and generate early warnings for business units or processes that may be prone to lapses by analysing past compliance data. This allows compliance teams to focus resources on the areas that matter most. The third use case was contract and document review. AI tools can quickly review large volumes of contracts to identify missing clauses, risky terms, or deviations from templates. This saves time, improves accuracy, and reduces human error in legal reviews. Participants agreed that while AI is still evolving, these applications are already delivering value. At the same time, they emphasised the need for transparency and explainability so that management and regulators can trust the results.
Felicitations
The evening also included a moment of pride when the compliance teams from Life Cell Group and Jacobi Carbons India Pvt. Limited were felicitated for their strong contributions to governance and compliance. The recognition was received on behalf of the companies by Sudha Venkataraman and Daniel R. These organisations were praised for building structured governance frameworks, conducting regular audits and training, introducing digital tools for reporting, and promoting a culture of accountability. Their achievements demonstrated that compliance excellence is not only possible but can also become a source of strength for the organisation. Recognising these achievements in a public forum served as motivation for others to aim higher in their own compliance journeys.
Complexity in Compliance
A recurring theme during the discussions was the growing complexity of compliance. Participants spoke about how organisations must deal with overlapping state and central regulations, as well as sector-specific requirements. The pace of regulatory change adds further pressure, while the high volume of compliance tasks across HR, environmental laws, corporate governance and data protection makes it difficult to track everything effectively. Many noted that compliance is not always a matter of right or wrong but often involves interpretation and judgment. This makes it important to document decisions carefully. To deal with complexity, participants recommended taking a phased approach to technology adoption, building central dashboards to create a unified view, and embedding compliance into processes rather than treating it as an add-on. Regular cross-functional reviews and the use of compliance maturity models were also seen as useful ways to manage increasing complexity.
Conclusion
The Chennai roundtable at ITC Grand Chola brought out a strong message: compliance today requires much more than checklists. It requires leadership commitment, the intelligent use of technology, and a culture where everyone takes ownership. Through recognising excellence, sharing challenges openly and discussing future trends like AI, the roundtable created a valuable platform for collaboration among compliance professionals. The evening combined learning with recognition and established that while the regulatory landscape is complex, progress is possible when leadership, culture and technology come together.