KOLKATA'S PREMIER ICT GATHERING MARKED ITS 15TH EDITION WITH A SHARP FOCUS ON DATA PRIVACY COMPLIANCE, AI-DRIVEN CYBERCRIME AND HOMEGROWN SECURITY INNOVATION, WITH FACEOFF TECHNOLOGIES UNVEILING ITS ON-PREMISE DPDP IN A BOX.
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The city of Kolkata came alive on the evening of 11th September as the 15th edition of Eastern India Information Technology Fair (EIITF) 2026 brought together the region’s technology community under one roof. Hosted by VARINDIA at Hotel The Park, the event brought together government officials, CXOs, policymakers, academics, OEMs, and value-added resellers (VARs) under the central theme, “Alliances for Growth in a DPDP-Ready India.” Over the years, EIITF has established itself as an important platform for collaboration, networking, and knowledge-sharing across Eastern India’s ICT ecosystem. This year’s edition carried an even sharper focus, with discussions spanning the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, AI-driven cybercrime, deepfake fraud, indigenous cybersecurity innovation, and the need for stronger alliances as India moves towards a more privacy-conscious digital economy. The evening witnessed the delegates representing COMPASS, FAIITA, the Philanthropic Technical Association (PTA), and value-added resellers from across Eastern India. The opening remarks by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu set the tone for the discussions ahead, highlighting the reported 3,000 percent surge in deepfake fraud and the growing challenge of AI-driven social engineering, while also reflecting on VARINDIA’s 27-year journey as a strong voice for India’s ICT ecosystem.
The distinguished dignitaries whose presence made the evening more elated were Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Editor-in-Chief, VARINDIA; Manjit Nayak, Director, STPI Kolkata, MeitY, Government of India; Dr. Sandip Pradhan, VP & CIO, Century Plyboards Ltd.; Sourav Das, Group Chief of Digital & IT, Rupa & Co.; Dr. Arindam Sarkar, HoD, CS & Electronics, RKMV, Belur Math, Kolkata; Sandeep Sengupta, MD, ISOAH Data Securities Pvt. Ltd.; Sandeep Jain, Secretary, COMPASS; Jagannath Patnaik, Head, Sales & Marketing Strategy, Net Protector Antivirus; Subhamoy Chakraborty, Group CTO, ABP Group; Dr. Pallab Ganguly, Vice Chairman, IEEE TEMS-Kolkata; Rishikesh Kumar Singh, VP, IT & Digital, Grasim Industries; Prakash Mani Tripathi, Senior Vice President IT, Shyam Steel Industries; Abhijit Chatterjee, Sr. Director, IT & CISO, TCG Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd.; Prakash Sharma, Group CIO, Kredent Group; and Gargi Bhattacharya, Head IT, ITC Ltd.
Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Editor-in-Chief, VARINDIA, delivered the inaugural address, setting the context for the evening around the need for stronger alliances in a DPDP-ready India. He called on the channel ecosystem to move beyond co-building and co-selling towards “co-governing,” with partners taking on a more strategic role in consent management, data protection and compliance. Highlighting the growing urgency around AI-driven threats, he noted that Indians reportedly encounter around four deepfakes every day, while India recorded more than 28 lakh cyber-fraud complaints involving losses of Rs. 22,495 crore in 2025.
WEST BENGAL'S GROWING CONTRIBUTION TO INDIA'S DIGITAL ECONOMY
Manjit Nayak, Director, STPI, MeitY, opened the speaker sessions with an insightful address on IT exports, startups and emerging technologies, drawing from his experience of supporting West Bengal’s growth as an important contributor to India’s evolving digital economy. He highlighted the opportunities emerging from the state’s expanding technology ecosystem and the role of innovation-led businesses in shaping the next phase of digital growth.
Dr. Sandip Pradhan, CDIO, Century Plyboards, captured the audience’s attention with a provocative question: “Is Your Career Over?” His session explored how AI is reshaping business strategies as well as the responsibilities of enterprise technology leaders. He highlighted the evolving role of the CIO, suggesting that technology leaders may increasingly take on the responsibility of managing AI agents while also ensuring that their organisations remain aligned with DPDP compliance requirements under the MeitY regulatory framework.
DPDP IN A BOX: A HOMEGROWN PRIVACY SOLUTION UNVEILED
Dr. Arindam Sarkar, Head of the Department of Computer Science and Electronics, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur Math, took the stage with a presentation closely aligned with the evening’s central theme, “Alliances for Growth in a DPDPReady India.” His session explored the intersection of AI, deepfake-related risks and the growing need for regulatory readiness as organisations navigate an increasingly complex digital environment. His presentation set up a high point of the evening: the unveiling of "DPDP in a BOX," an on-premise data privacy solution from FaceOff Technologies, built on
