15th WIITF unleashes new possibilities for the Digital Future

VARINDIA once again reinforced its position as a leading platform for knowledge sharing, innovation, and networking within the IT ecosystem of Western India by recently organizing the 15th edition of the Western India Information Technology Fair (WIITF). The summit served as a powerful platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and inspiration, fostering motivation within the tech industry and driving growth.

The evening commenced with a heartfelt welcome of the guests and attendees, further emphasizing the significance of collaboration and partnership in the tech industry. Centered around the theme - "Trailblazing the Future with Emerging Technologies," the summit sought to offer a platform for exploring the newest trends and innovations in the IT sector. It essentially paid homage to all the VARs in the Indian ICT industry, highlighting their crucial role in shaping the future of technology.

The distinguished guests who graced the event included senior industry leaders and technology pioneers like Sandeep Mathur, Managing Director (APAC) – Firebolt; Namit Sinha, Country Head - Devices Partner Solution Sales, Microsoft India; Pankaj Dessai, Country Manager - Channel & SMB at AMD India; Dr. Sourabh Khemani, Founder Chairman- CyberCorp Ltd.; Dr. Chander Purswami, MD - Connectstar and Nadeem Ahmed, Senior Technology Evangelist, ManageEngine.

The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Editor-in-chief, VARINDIA, who gave a glimpse of how India’s digital transformation is accelerating with strategic investments and advanced technologies. He further supported his views with important data points and shared how Microsoft’s $3B AI and cloud investment is expanding digital infrastructure, strengthening India’s global tech presence. AI is reshaping the $254B IT sector, with EY India projecting a 43-45% productivity boost over five years. Generative AI is revolutionizing software, BPO, and consulting, enhancing efficiency.

The lighting of the ceremonial lamp preceded the corporate presentations, symbolizing the auspicious beginning of the summit.

Guest of Honour, Sandeep Mathur, Managing Director (APAC)- Firebolt presented his views while also sharing some feedback on what businesses adopting AI in today’s world should do and eventually move forward.

Namit Sinha, Country Head (Devices) - Devices Partner Solution Sales, Microsoft India through his presentation shared valuable perspectives on technology, innovation, and market growth.

Nadeem Ahmed, Senior Technology Evangelist at ManageEngine, a division of Zoho Corp. shared his expertise and valuable insights on IT operations and emerging trends, while Shilpesh Shah, Sr. Solution Architect, AMD India presented his perspectives on high-performance computing and enterprise solutions.

The Fire-side chat session was moderated by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Editor-in-chief-VARINDIA and he was joined by Dr. Sourabh Khemani, Founder Chairman- CyberCorp Ltd. The discussion delved into the burning topic of how businesses are defending against the rising cyber threats and if in case of an attack, how are cybersecurity firms tackling rising cybercrime losses.

The event featured an insightful Panel Discussion Session moderated by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Editor-in-chief-VARINDIA and the panelists who joined the session were Advocate Dr. Prashant Mali - Practicing Lawyer Bombay High Court; Dr. Pawan Chawla, CISO & DPPO-TATA AIA LIFE Insurance; Samir Shah, Partner -Consulting- Ernst & Young LLP; Bhaskar Rao, CISO- Bharat Co-operative Bank; Ritesh Bhatia, Founder- V4 WEB Cybersecurity. The topic for discussion was Navigating the Frontiers of Emerging Technologies, and the five subject matter experts representing the Banking, Insurance, Tech Consulting, Legal, and Cybersecurity industries were asked to analyze five individual real-world case studies.

The summit concluded with a vote of thanks to express gratitude to all the participants, sponsors, and attendees for their valuable contributions.