AI: Shaping the future of NCR

Shereen Bhan, is the Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18, India’s most respected, most watched business News channel. With over two decades in business journalism, she's been instrumental in breaking news stories that have shaped India's economic and tech landscape. She is the Editor, anchor and author of Young Turks, India’s longest running show on startups & entrepreneurship.

She is also the Editor & Anchor of one of India’s largest campaigns to address gender parity, Future Female Forward.

The recipient of many awards over the years, she has been recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. She was recently named Impact Magazines the Most Influential woman in Media & Marketing.

With a career spanning 15 years across India's leading media houses, Chandra R Srikanth is part of the leadership team at Moneycontrol, India's preeminent business news platform. She leads a team of over 10 reporters who cover technology, start-ups and the new economy. Apart from tracking the new economy closely, Chandra and the team also curated and executed standout events such as Fintech Conclave, Startup Conclave and the Creator economy summit. She has interviewed global business icons such as Jeff Bezos, Steve Wozniak, Vinod Khosla, apart from Indian titans such as NR Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani and the founders of multiple unicorns.

Abhishek Singh, is the dynamic CEO of Digital India Corporation and the National E-Governance Division within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY). With a track record of leading India's digital transformation and fostering e-governance initiatives, his leadership has been instrumental in harnessing the power of technology to empower citizens and enhance government services.

Amitabh Nag, CEO of Digital India's Bhashini Division and Director of Digital India Corporation, directs the National Language Translation Mission. With a 30+ year IT career, he excels in business strategy and has successfully managed transformation programs. Having extensively worked with the government, contributing at a policy level and shaping markets, he has built sustainable businesses and executed digital programs for social good.

Monish is a cloud-technology pioneer and serial entrepreneur with a 30-year track record in the enterprise software space.

As CTO and Co-founder of Icertis, Monish has overseen development of the Icertis Contract Intelligence (ICI) platform, the leading contract management solution in the cloud. ICI is used by innovative companies like Airbus, Daimler, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft and Sanofi to manage 7.5 million contracts worth more than $1 trillion. Monish has also led Icertis’ successful deployment of cutting-edge AI and blockchain technologies, which have earned Icertis numerous industry accolades including recognition on Forbes’ prestigious AI 50 List for two years in a row.

With deep experience in distributed systems and cloud apps, Monish is the co-inventor of two patents in cloud resource management and provisioning. Monish led a string of successful ventures prior to co-founding Icertis, including the launch of BladeLogic’s India R&D. After BladeLogic was acquired by BMC Software, Monish contributed to BMC’s cloud management vision, laying the foundation for some of the early pioneering work in this area.

Monish has a BE in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's degree from Florida Atlantic University.

In his spare time, Monish enjoys playing his PS5—especially Call of Duty: Warzone. His other interests are Formula 1 and reading. He is a sci-fi aficionado and loves Isaac Asimov.

Shailendra Singh, Managing Director, Peak XV Shailendra is a Managing Director at Peak XV which has partnered with over 400 companies in the technology, consumer, and financial space over the last 17 years. He joined the firm in 2006 and spearheads all activities in India and the ASEAN region. Shailendra has advised on several successful investments including Carousell, CRED, Druva, Gojek, Pine Labs, Tokopedia and Unacademy. He was included on the Forbes Midas List of top global VCs in 2018, 2019 and 2020. He has received an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from IIT Bombay.

Dr. Geetha Manjunath, the Founder, CEO, and CTO of NIRAMAI Health Analytix, is a pioneering force in the field of healthcare technology. With a profound commitment to revolutionizing breast cancer detection, Dr. Geetha has led the development of an extraordinary AI solution that detects early-stage breast cancer without the need for invasive procedures or radiation. Armed with a PhD from the esteemed Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and a solid foundation in management from Kellogg's Chicago, she brings over 25 years of invaluable experience in IT innovation to her role. Prior to her remarkable achievements at NIRAMAI, she played a pivotal role in leading and proposing multiple AI projects at Xerox Research and Hewlett Packard India. Driven by a passion for making a difference, her unwavering dedication to improving healthcare outcomes has positioned her as a trailblazer in the industry.

Manu Chopra, the visionary founder and CEO of Karya.ai, whose remarkable journey ranges from managing the Chopra Foundation which touched 1,000 villages in India to his academic achievement with a degree in computer science with his' focused on artificial intelligence including from Stanford University. His relentless interest in using technology to enhance human lives culminated in a growing number of anti-bullying solutions to security concerns role in the development of its landmark patent in India. Recognised and awarded by notables such as Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, his commitment extends to co-founding CS+Social Good at Stanford and launching impactful initiatives around the world.

Sharad Sharma, co-founder of iSPIRT and a distinguished member of the UN Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, is a visionary leader, who contributed significantly to the concept of India Stack, Health Stack, and other digital citizen products. His work on Data Empowerment Protection Architecture (DEPA) reflects a unique approach that differs from Chinese and American models, so that India's approach has greater global relevance. With an impressive career including co-founding Teltier Technologies and holding senior positions at tech giants, he is a driving force in shaping the future of AI and technology.

Sridhar Vembu, a trailblazing Indian billionaire business magnate and the Founder & CEO of Zoho Corporation, has a remarkable journey that places him as the 55th richest person in India according to Forbes, as of 2021. Recognized for his outstanding contributions, he was honoured with India's Padma Shri award in 2021. Sridhar's professional odyssey began as a wireless engineer with Qualcomm in San Diego, eventually bringing him to the San Francisco Bay Area. Under his visionary leadership, Zoho has grown into a SaaS juggernaut, offering customer relationship management services. He has also championed the decentralization of software and product development, establishing offices in rural Indian villages, thus exemplifying a commitment to both technological innovation and rural empowerment.

Sindhu Gangadharan, also known as the Technology Humanist, is a famous figure in the global world. A 24-year career at SAP has seen her rise through the ranks and become the first female leader of SAP Labs India. Serving as the Managing Director & Sr. Vice President, she heads the product development and innovate of SAP’s R&D facilities in India. Furthermore, as the Head of SAP User Enablement, Sindhu leads a global team that provides uniform, intelligent, and personalised user enablement for SAP’s products portfolio. Her technical skills and leadership made this vision of Intelligent Enterprise come alive for SAP. Sindhu sits on the Board of SAP, Siemens India and Titan Company Limited beyond the role of the SAP. She became Vice Chairperson for NASSCOM in 2023, and chaired the NASSCOM GCC council that year. Sindhu also actively participates in promoting Indo–German economic ties serving as a member of the Steering Committee at the Indo–German Chamber of Commerce. She is referred to as the Most Influential AI Leader, Fortune’s Top 50 Most Powerful Women, and Asia’s Most Promising Business Leader. Based in Bengaluru, Sindhu and her family includes herself, her husband, two daughters, and Dexter.

Sriram Raghavan, the distinguished Vice President of IBM Research AI, is a leading figure in the world of artificial intelligence and innovation. With an impressive track record of pioneering AI research technology, he has been pushing the boundaries of what is possible in AI. His expertise and leadership not only advanced artificial intelligence but also influenced its application in the real world. Join him at the Global AI Conclave to gain insights on shaping the future of AI.

Dr. Manish Gupta serves as the Director of Research at Google, leading teams in India, Australia, and the US. His extensive background includes leadership roles at video technology startup VideoKen and Xerox. At IBM, he played a crucial role in developing system software for the Blue Gene/L supercomputer, earning recognition from the then-US President. Manish, a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, has co-authored many papers, holds 19 US patents, and received multiple awards, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Delhi. Recognised as a Fellow of ACM and the Indian National Academy of Engineering, he has contributed to India's research community for over two decades.

Tathagato Rai Dastidar, popularly known as Tatha, is an accomplished and respected individual in the tech industry with an impressive 23-year track record. Holding a BTech and PhD in Computer Science from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Tatha has established himself as a seasoned professional in semiconductor design automation. His career began in 2000 at National Semiconductor, where he specialized in software for semiconductor design automation, making significant contributions to the company. In 2007-08, he embarked on a brief entrepreneurial venture within the same domain, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit and adaptability. Throughout his career, he has achieved numerous accomplishments and milestones, earning him recognition as a notable figure in the field. With his extensive knowledge and expertise, he continues to make significant contributions to the tech industry, consistently propelling innovation and problem-solving.

Umakant Soni, the Founding Partner of ART Venture Fund and Co-Founder of ARTPARK, a Robotics Incubator, is a visionary leader at the forefront of India's AI and robotics landscape. He has been spearheading the development of an AI mothership designed to cater to billions of users in India, and he serves as a nominated expert representing India in the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI). His extensive experience includes chairing AI Foundry, co-founding India's pioneering AI fund, pi Ventures, and supporting top-tier AI companies like Sigtuple and Niramai. With a rich background in technology and innovation strategy, including roles at Wipro and LUNAR, he is a trailblazer in the world of AI and robotics.

A trailblazer in fostering Industry-Academia collaboration in India, Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala comes with a stellar academic background from IIT Kanpur and the University of Maine, USA. Recognized with prestigious awards like Padmashri and Shanti-Swarup Bhatnagar, he is a Dronacharya in entrepreneurship, incubating over 280 companies at IIT Madras. As the driving force behind innovative products in telecom, banking, energy, and electric vehicles, he continues to shape the landscape of research, development, and innovation in India. Currently serving as the Chairman of the CSIR Advisory Board and IIIT Hyderabad, his legacy of leadership and achievement is unparalleled.

Pandu Nayak is a Vice President at Google, where he focuses on various aspects of Search Quality. Having worked at Google for over 18 years, he has led our algorithmic and ranking teams and is particularly interested in language understanding as it applies to Search.

Prior to joining Google, he was the Chief Architect and then CTO of Stratify, Inc. where he helped develop the very successful Stratify Legal Discovery service. Before Stratify, he was a Research Scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center. While at NASA he served as the Deputy Lead of the Remote Agent project. The Remote Agent was the first Artificial Intelligence system to be given primary command of a spacecraft.

Prashanth Prakash, Founding Partner at Accel and Chairman of Vision Group for Startups, Government of Karnataka, is a pioneering figure in India's startup ecosystem. With a profound impact on ventures like Flipkart and Ola, Prakash is not only a venture capitalist but also a catalyst for social change. As Chairman of Sikshana Foundation and United Way Bengaluru, he blends corporate governance with social transformation. Co-founder of ACT Grants, he played a pivotal role in addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prashanth is also a critical force behind The Young Indian Philanthropic Pledge and actively contributes to environmental initiatives, including lake rejuvenation and afforestation.

Anurag Sinha is an alumnus of IIT BHU, Varanasi and IIM Bangalore. He is deeply passionate about Payments and Digital Finance. Before deciding to become an entrepreneur he spent 13 years at ICICI Bank scaling up businesses in areas of Cards & Consumer Credit, Digital Banking, Structured Finance and Stressed Assets.

Anurag co-founded OneCard in 2019, which is on a mission to re-imagine credit and payments from first principles using data & proprietary technology. OneCard has scaled to more than 2 million customers and is backed by marquee investors such as Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners, Temasek, GIC, QED Investors amongst others. Prior to this Anurag started his entrepreneurship journey in 2016 as a co-founder at Walnut app building up its lending business, Walnut Prime. Walnut scaled to more than 10 million users and was acquired in 2018.

Mary Snapp is a distinguished professional with over 35 years at Microsoft. She is the guiding force behind strategic AI initiatives. Her dynamic career includes pivotal roles in legal counsel for Microsoft's engineering and leadership of Global Philanthropies. As we stand at the crossroads where technology and philanthropy are on different paths, her experience will shed light on the profound impact of Artificial Intelligence and show how and where these paths converge.

Kalika Bali is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research Labs India. Her work in speech and language technologies focuses on using language models for building technology that offers natural human-computer interactions. She has been working on technology for low-resource languages and that of marginalised communities for over two decades, building with speech and natural language processing. She believes that local language technology, especially with speech interfaces, can help millions of people enter an almost inaccessible world. Applauded for her work in breaking language barriers in technology, she is championing inclusivity in AI.

Rohan Narayana Murty is the founder and CTO of Soroco, an AI company pioneering new enterprise software that reshapes how organizations get work done. The visionary behind Soroco has contributed extensively to Harvard Business Review, unveiling profound insights extracted from the work graph. Presently, empowers some of the world's largest companies with its cutting-edge AI and work graph technology. Meet him, and together, delve into the future of work dynamics.

Viren Shetty is the Vice Chairman of Narayana Health, a world-renowned healthcare group dedicated towards making healthcare accessible to all. In his prior role as Chief Operating Officer, Viren was responsible for hospital operations, investor relations, business planning, technology transformation, and healthcare policy. He is currently leading a program to transform NH into a fully integrated digital-first healthcare provider. Viren has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from RV College.

Tanuj Bhojwani is currently the head of people+ai, a not-for-profit working on ai for good. Since 2016, he has been working on various technical, legal and policy aspects of digital public infrastructure with Nandan Nilekani. Tanuj has also co-authored a book “The Art of Bitfulness” with Nandan. Tanuj is currently on the Board of the Digital Public Goods Alliance. Tanuj was previously a Fellow at iSPIRT Foundation, where he worked on policy issues related to digital identity, payments, data protection and drones. He holds a chemical engineering degree from IIT Bombay, and attended Ashoka University to study liberal arts at the Young India Fellowship.Prior to iSPIRT, Tanuj has been a VC and an entrepreneur.

Mahesh is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in IT consulting and collaborates closely with technology experts and innovation leaders. He focuses on helping businesses embrace new capabilities, seamlessly integrate emerging technologies, and leverage innovation for unique competitive advantages—Mahesh advocates for adopting emerging technologies and understands them as enablers that drive innovation. With an extensive background in leading major business transformation and IT strategy projects, he is adept at guiding clients through the complexities of their digital transformation journey.

Dr Vivek Raghavan, founder of Sarvam AI, is an entrepreneur, technologist and builder of digital public infrastructure. Dr Vivek has been part of many population-scale initiatives and believes that AI can positively impact people's lives. He played a crucial role in designing, implementing and scaling the technology platform for Aadhaar, the world's most extensive identity program. As an advisor to GSTN, UPI and the Supreme Court has helped them leverage AI in population scale systems. More recently, Vivek was Chief Mentor to AI4Bharat and Bhashini- a tech-enabled platform that will empower vernacular India to access the internet and digital services in Indian languages.

With over 35 years of experience in prime technology MNCs, Anil Valluri currently serves as the MD & RVP for Palo Alto Networks, overseeing India & SAARC operations. Previously, he facilitated digital transformation for enterprise accounts through strategic partnerships. An industry influencer, Anil has held key positions in Nasscom, MAIT, and the CII National Committee on IT and ITeS, showcasing his leadership and collaborative skills in the Indian IT sector.

Swapna, a seasoned professional with over 24 years in the IT industry, holds the position of Vice President of Product Management for Network Security. Her extensive experience spans leadership and versatile expertise. Throughout her career, Swapna has played a pivotal role in conceptualizing products, leading global teams, and navigating diverse technologies, including Optical Networking, Cellular Networks, Data Analytics, and AI. Her journey includes contributions to renowned companies she now serves as the leader of the Network Security Product Management team at Palo Alto Networks in Bangalore.

Huzefa Motiwala, with over 25 years of experience in technical presales and systems engineering, currently serves as the Director of Systems Engineering for India and SAARC at Palo Alto Networks. In this role, he leads the strategy and execution of technical sales engagement, ensuring heightened customer satisfaction. Known for his dynamic leadership, Huzefa excels in building high-performance teams, achieving revenue objectives, and fostering channel development. As a Director at Palo Alto Networks, Huzefa Motiwala focuses on leading technical sales growth and driving excellence in cybersecurity solutions.

Sunil Gupta, Co-Founder, Managing Director & CEO of Yotta Data Services, is a driving force in India's data centre industry, recognised as the 'Data Center Man of India.' With over 30 years of experience and a distinguished education, Sunil has been pivotal in Yotta's transformative journey. His visionary leadership earned him a place in Data Economy's APAC 50 list. Under Sunil's guidance, Yotta introduced 'Yntraa Cloud,' India's first open-source hyperscale Public Cloud platform, emphasising a sovereign digital ecosystem. Sunil collaborates to democratise AI and contributes to shaping India's IT landscape as an active angel investor and industry influencer.

Smt. Monika S Garg, a distinguished IAS officer of the 1989 batch in the Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been a driving force in the education sector for over 14 years. She successfully implemented the National Education Policy 2020 in Uttar Pradesh, setting a model for other states. As the architect of Team UPAI, she launched the "AI Literacy for All" campaign, revolutionising AI education through impactful video lectures. Her vision and commitment shape a more inclusive and technologically advanced future for education.

Dilip Jose serves as the Managing Director and CEO of Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt. Limited, overseeing India's second-largest hospital network, Manipal Hospitals. With a wealth of experience spanning over 33 years across diverse sectors, Dilip has dedicated the last 19 years to healthcare leadership. As Group CEO at CARE Hospitals, he managed a network of tertiary care facilities. Dilip's journey in healthcare leadership follows a foundation built in corporate finance and strategy. Before transitioning to the healthcare sector, he held significant positions in Medical and Para-Medical education and tertiary healthcare delivery. Dilip Jose's multifaceted expertise is advancing integrated healthcare delivery in India.

Arindam serves as the Executive Vice President and Country Head for State Street India, overseeing operations in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Mumbai, along with the joint venture with HCL. With a rich background spanning three decades in the financial services sector, Arindam holds diverse global experience. He manages compliance within the country's regulatory framework, chairs the State Street India Management Committee, and leads the India Risk and Compliance Committee. Arindam is a proponent of cultivating employee engagement, fostering collaboration, and championing diversity and inclusivity. Beyond his corporate role, he actively engages in philanthropy, supporting education for girls and working with street children in India.

Ashu Kakkar, the Chief Information Officer at LTTS, brings over 30 years of industry experience and a wealth of expertise in IT leadership. Having served as CIO and SVP Ashu is a seasoned leader in IT, Blueprinting, Strategy, Digital Transformation, Budgeting, and Large-Scale Delivery Execution. He is recognised for his substantial expertise in enterprise-wide change management, business processes, and technology transformation. Ashu prioritises building long-term relationships with key stakeholders, adopting a consultative approach, and actively engaging teams to maximise their potential. With a master's degree in information technology, Ashu is dedicated to professional excellence, actively participates in CSR initiatives, and seeks continuous learning opportunities.

Kaivalya Vohra, Co-Founder and CTO of Zepto, India’s premier e-grocery platform, is driving tech innovation to revolutionise the online grocery shopping experience. As a Computer Science drop-out from Stanford University, USA, and a Y Combinator alumnus, Kaivalya is committed to solving real-world problems. His leadership role involves shaping business strategy, overseeing app design and development, system architecture, and ensuring operational integrity. Kaivalya's efforts are instrumental in Zepto's success in addressing business challenges and leveraging opportunities through cutting-edge technology solutions.

Kavitha Kadambi, the VP and Chief Information Security Officer at Infosys Limited, spearheads information security strategy. With over two-and-a-half decades of global technology leadership experience, Kavitha drives thought leadership, cultivates a robust security culture, and successfully leads large-scale enterprise transformation programs. Renowned as a leader and mentor for Women in Technology and Women in Business, she is also a speaker at industry forums and global symposiums. Kavitha's strategic expertise extends to innovation and digital service offerings, particularly cloud-led modernisation.

Tushar Vashisht, the Co-founder and CEO of Healthify, is a University of Pennsylvania graduate with a diverse career background, including roles as an investment banker and contributor to Nandan Nilekani's Unique ID project. Motivated by concerns about poverty-driven malnutrition in India, Tushar conducted a 'Rs.100 a day' experiment, creating an exhaustive nutritional information database with the National Institute of Nutrition. This initiative laid the foundation for Healthify in 2012, a platform empowering users to track their daily food and workout routines for a healthy lifestyle. As a Healthcare and AI panel speaker, Tushar shares entrepreneurial insights and a passion for addressing nutritional challenges.