Hyderabad emerged as a vibrant hub for technological dialogue on January 28, 2026, as the MeitY–Nasscom Centre of Excellence for IoT & AI successfully organized the second edition of the Digital Innovation Conclave. Held at The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, the full-day event drew more than 300 participants—including senior industry executives, startup founders, government representatives, and technology experts—to examine how artificial intelligence and next-generation digital tools are reshaping enterprise operations across India.
The conclave, themed “Accelerating Digital-First Industries,” served as a timely platform for candid conversations on moving beyond traditional automation toward truly autonomous and intelligent systems. It underscored Hyderabad’s rising stature as a preferred destination for high-quality innovation, supported by proactive state policies and a growing ecosystem of talent and investment.
The program opened with a warm welcome from Sanjeev Malhotra, CEO of the MeitY–Nasscom CoE – IoT & AI, who set an optimistic tone for collaboration across sectors. This was followed by a keynote from Ashish Jain of Lloyds Technology Centre on building a “Digital First AI-Enabled Bank,” illustrating practical pathways financial institutions are taking to integrate AI at the core of their operations.
Shri Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Principal Secretary of the Government of Telangana’s Information Technology, Electronics & Communications Department, delivered a strong message of support. He reaffirmed the state’s dedication to creating an environment that nurtures emerging technologies, positioning Telangana—and by extension India—as a global leader capable of solving real-world challenges through innovation.
Other notable leadership sessions included Ravi Kappagantu, Head of Architecture and Innovation at Lloyds Technology Centre, who traced the “Evolution of Digital Assets in Banking” and the need for new governance and scalability frameworks in a digital-first world. Sanjay Shetty, Chief Business Officer at Quess Corp, shifted focus to global capability centers (GCCs) with his talk “Beyond Volume: India’s GCC Transformation,” emphasizing the move from sheer scale to high-value, capability-driven contributions.
A major draw was the showcase of nine deep-tech startups—Technicious, Turiya Softech, Logic Ladder, Senda, Indus Vision, Botminds AI, MonkDB, TraceRT, and Datakriti. Spread across dedicated sessions, these emerging companies presented solutions spanning AI-driven automation, data intelligence, visual processing, and sustainable technologies, offering attendees a direct window into the next wave of enterprise-ready innovation.
Three high-impact panel discussions formed the intellectual core of the day. The first, moderated by Gaurav Vasu, explored how AI and data platforms are powering the evolution of GCCs into genuine innovation engines. Leaders from Lloyds Technology Centre, HSBC, Franklin Templeton, and Amgen India shared frontline experiences of this transition.
The second panel, led by Puneet Agarwal, Founder of AI Lifebot, delved into the “Agentic AI Mindshift.” Executives from Matrix Pharma, Rainbow Hospitals, Ramoji Group, and Cigna Healthcare examined the implications of moving from rule-based automation to autonomous decision-making systems that enhance resilience and service models.
The final panel, moderated by Divya Sharma of Salesforce, brought together voices from Google India, Qnity Electronics (DuPont), S&P Global, and Coromandel International to discuss accelerating digital adoption in both legacy and modern industries through converged infrastructure and intelligent data use.
Complementing the main agenda were specialized sessions. A fireside chat titled “Beyond the Firewall: Leading with Intelligence in 2026” featured Vijay Banda, Executive Chairman & CSO at Synradar, in discussion with Naman Kothari, Head of Innovation & Partnerships at the CoE. They addressed the shifting cybersecurity landscape and the leadership qualities needed to navigate it.
Lokesh Venkataswamy, CEO & MD of Innomantra, conducted an engaging masterclass on leveraging Generative AI to fuel innovation-led growth, providing practical frameworks attendees could apply immediately. Separately, Nitin Dhavate, Head of Data Privacy at Novartis, offered a clear-eyed look at overcoming implementation hurdles under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, sharing enterprise-level lessons on achieving compliance without stifling progress.
The event closed on a forward-looking note with remarks from Senthil Kumar, Head of Industry & Corporate at the MeitY Nasscom CoE, who stressed the necessity of ongoing partnerships to convert India’s digital ambitions into tangible, widespread outcomes.
Reflecting on the day’s momentum, Sanjeev Malhotra remarked: “The Digital Innovation Conclave brings together the best of India’s innovation ecosystem, industry, startups and government to drive meaningful impact with new technologies and AI. Hyderabad continues to grow as a high-quality innovation hub and today’s conversations reaffirm the role of collaborative innovation in accelerating India’s digital leadership.”
The MeitY–Nasscom Centre of Excellence remains a cornerstone initiative for advancing India’s digital transformation agenda. By focusing on scalable advancements in AI, IoT, cybersecurity, Industry 4.0, and allied domains, it continues to bridge enterprises, startups, and government efforts toward building a more innovative and competitive economy.
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