VARINDIA InfoTech Forum 2025: Powering India’s Digital Leap into the Future

Held in a hybrid format, the event successfully merged in-person and virtual participation, making it inclusive and dynamic for attendees from across the country. 

The 23rd edition of the VARINDIA InfoTech Forum Leadership Summit 2025 unfolded with remarkable energy and enthusiasm, cementing its status as a premier platform for insight, innovation, and recognition within India’s dynamic ICT ecosystem. Organized by Kalinga Digital Media Private Limited, the summit convened an elite assembly of technology leaders—including CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, policymakers, industry veterans, marketing heads, and senior executives spanning the entire ICT value chain.

Centered around the theme “Balancing Innovation and Sustainability,” the summit focused on the vital convergence of digital acceleration, responsible technology adoption, and the ethical imperatives of innovation in building a future-ready digital economy.

The day-long event was thoughtfully curated into morning, afternoon, and evening sessions, featuring keynote addresses, thought-provoking panel discussions, exclusive research launches, the grand unveiling of the annual coffee table book ‘Brand Book’, and distinguished award ceremonies honoring the most trusted companies and eminent CIOs.

The event also saw enthusiastic virtual participation, with attendees sharing their insights on social media using the #ITForum2025.

The proceedings began with a ceremonial welcome, marked by the traditional lighting of the lamp—symbolizing the start of a day dedicated to knowledge-sharing, inspiration, and collective growth.

The opening address was delivered by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Editor-in-Chief of VARINDIA. He emphasized the need for India’s $250 billion IT industry to increase domestic investment to truly lead in the AI era. As AI continues to revolutionize industries and cybersecurity, he highlighted how the Brand Book celebrates the spirit of technological innovation that is propelling India’s digital growth, resilience, and the creation of a secure, sustainable, and borderless future.

The welcome address was delivered by Adv. (Dr.) Prashant Mali, a distinguished Cyber Law expert, offered valuable insights into the rise of AI-enabled cybercrimes and their far-reaching implications for both businesses and individuals in India. His session effectively set the tone for a deeper exploration of cybersecurity challenges in the digital era.

Following this, the keynote address by Dr. Sandip Chatterjee focused on critical aspects of IT Asset Disposal (ITAD), data vulnerability, and the legal consequences tied to data management. These opening sessions laid a strong and insightful foundation for the day’s deliberations.

The event continued with a series of compelling corporate presentations, featuring thought-provoking sessions by industry leaders:

Mr. Varun Garg (Quantum Technology Systems) – on AI and data center acceleration.

Mr. Sridhar S (Redington) – on leveraging technology for a digital future.

Mr. Ashwani Narang (SAP) – on intelligent enterprise solutions using cloud and AI.

Mr. Gaurav Saxena (Veeam Software) – on AI ethics and responsible innovation.

These sessions were characterized by powerful storytelling, real-world examples, and practical insights for industry stakeholders.

The morning session concluded with a vibrant panel discussion moderated by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Editor-in-Chief, VARINDIA. Titled "AI and the Future of Work," the panel included esteemed CIOs namely Ashis Rout, Sr. Vice President (IT), Ex-HDFC Bank, Vijay Sethi, Chairman, Mentorkart and Crafsol Technologies, Bharat B Anand, Group CIO & CTO, Contec Global, Anil Nama, CIO, CtrlS and Sandeep Sengupta, Founder & Director, ISOAH Data Securities who explored how AI and cloud are redefining the workplace, enhancing human capabilities, and demanding new skill sets across sectors.

The afternoon session kicked off by honoring 25 exceptional Value-Added Resellers (VARs) and technology partners with the "Most Promising Partner of the Year 2025" award. These organizations were recognized for their excellence across five distinct categories. The winners included names ACMA Computers Ltd., Agmatel India Pvt. Ltd.,

BM Infotrade Pvt. Ltd., Diamond Infotech Pvt. Ltd., E-Soft Online, Ensonic Computech Pvt. Ltd., E-Square System & Technologies Pvt Ltd., Fortune Marketing Pvt. Ltd., Frux Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Inflow Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Ivalue Infosolutions, Iris Global Services Pvt. Ltd. LDS Infotech Pvt. Ltd., Netpoleon Solutions India Pvt. Ltd., Niveshan Technologies India Pvt. Ltd., Pentagon System and Services Pvt. Ltd., RAH Infotech Pvt. Ltd., Rashi Peripherals Ltd., Redington Ltd., Sanghvi Infotech Pvt. Ltd., Savex Technologies Pvt Ltd., Shivaami Cloud Services Pvt. Ltd., Supertron Electronics (SEPL), TDM Group, Tech Data Advanced Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. and Ingram Micro India. These partners were applauded for their consistent efforts in enhancing customer experience and driving digital adoption at scale.

The event then witnessed the unveiling of the "Made in India Research Report" by Mr. Gyana Ranjan Swain, Consulting Editor, VARINDIA. Based on insights from over 30,000 Indian VARs, the report captured the dynamism, challenges, and immense opportunities within the indigenous tech product ecosystem. Strongly aligned with the "Make in India" initiative, the report reaffirmed India’s emergence as a global hub for technology manufacturing and innovation.

Following this, the forum continued its deep dive into pressing technology themes. Dr. Arindam Sarkar, HOD and Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science & Electronics, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur Math, delivered a powerful session on combating synthetic fraud through AI-powered solutions like FaceOff AI. His insights into neural and GAN cryptography provided a fresh and timely perspective on the evolving threat landscape. The session also marked the official unveiling of FaceOff AI (FO AI)—a significant step forward in the fight against deepfake and identity-based fraud.

Dr. Sanjay Kumar Das, Additional Secretary (S&T and Biotechnology) with the Government of West Bengal, then took the stage to discuss Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) and their strategic value in enabling secure data innovations. He emphasized the need for secure-by-design architecture in public digital infrastructures.

A standout panel discussion on "Accelerating the Future: 5G, AI & IoT Advancements" was moderated by Ms. S. Mohini Ratna, Editor- VARINDIA. Thought leaders including President- Cyber Security Corporation, Dr. Harold D'Costa, President- Cyber Security Corportion, Mr. Deepak Kumar, Global Head - Cyber Defense- Infogain India, Mr. Dhananjay Rokde, CISO & Director- iManEdge Services, Mr. Jaspreet Singh, Partner - Grant Thornton Bharat, Mr. Nabendu Misra, Sr. AI Architech- EY, and Mr. Venkat Patnaik, CEO, Bonsai Enterprises shared how these converging technologies are transforming infrastructure, enhancing citizen services, and opening new business models.

The panel discussion was followed by two impactful corporate presentations one from

Mr. Jithesh Chembil, Head Channels-India, Pure Storage who spoke on the concept of an autonomous Enterprise Data Cloud and how organizations can manage data intelligently in the AI era. Second presentation was from Mr. Kapil Rana, Account Executive – Architecture- Cisco India & SAARC who shared insights on building AI-ready data centers to support scalable and resilient digital transformation.

The third and the last panel discussion of the day tackled a timely and vital issue: "Safeguarding Brand Trust in the Deepfake Era." Moderated by Mr. Gyana Ranjan Swain, the session brought together marketing and cybersecurity experts to address the growing risks of misinformation, manipulated media, and privacy violations. The panelists included, Mr. Sanjay Chaudhary, Head of Enterprise Marketing- SAP, Mr. Ritesh Dhawan, Marketing Head (India)- Redington Ltd., Ms. Vinny Sharma, Marketing Director for APJ & MEA- Securonix, Mr. Arvind Saxena CMO- NEC India.They emphasized the need for AI-powered detection tools, clear privacy policies, ethical marketing practices, and public awareness campaigns to safeguard brand integrity in an era of rising digital manipulation.

The much awaited evening session had the presence of Shri KC Tyagi, former Member of Parliament along with Dr. Pavan Duggal, Chairman International Commission on Cyber Security Law, Shri Prashant Kumar, Deputy Director General, Telecom Engineering Centre, Ministry of Communications
Government of India along with many other dignitaries from the industry. It kick-started with a welcome address by Ms. Mohini Ratna, Editor- VARINDIA. She highlighted VARINDIA’s 26-year legacy as India’s leading ICT publication and introduced the 14th edition of the Brand Book, which showcases the strategic journeys of top technology brands. She acknowledged that the morning session of the InfoTech Forum saw active participation from policymakers, thought leaders, and technology leaders. CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and CMOs took part in three insightful panel discussions focused on sharing concerns, solutions, and best practices. The central theme guiding these discussions was “Balancing Innovation and Sustainability. 

A key highlight of the evening session at the VARINDIA Infotech Forum 2025 was the grand launch of the 14th edition of the Brand Book 2025, now live on www.mybrandbook.co.in. The prestigious unveiling was graced by former Member of Parliament, Shri KC Tyagi, adding gravitas to the event.

Many dignitaries from IT industry along with Prof. NK Goyal, President ,CMAI and Chairman ,Emeritus, TEAM joined Shri KC Tyagi to launch this  widely regarded book. As a trusted industry resource, the Brand Book offers in-depth white papers, CXO interviews, and expert analysis of evolving market dynamics. This edition provides valuable insights into emerging technology trends, strategic leadership, and brand innovations that are transforming the enterprise landscape—making it an essential guide for VARs, corporate leaders, and CXO decision-makers.

This was followed by the last round of engaging corporate presentations from Mr. Sanjeev Kumar, Regional Sales Director, India & SAARC- SonicWall who shared the perspective on cyber resilience strategies for the Digital India vision. He was followed by Mr. Rajesh Chhabra, GM (India & South Asia)- Acronis who discussed an integrated approach to cybersecurity. Mr. M.A. Johar, President- CP Plus focused on the safe and intelligent infrastructure for security and surveillance. Last but not the least, Mr. Atul Kumar, Director-DSCI elaborated on the evolving cybersecurity narratives amid rapid tech advancements.

The final segment of the awards ceremony commenced with the prestigious presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Gulshan Rai, Former National Cyber Security Coordinator and Director General, CERT-IN. The forum reached a defining moment as it celebrated Dr. Rai’s remarkable career spanning over 48 years. His pioneering contributions include the development of ERNET, the establishment of key e-Governance frameworks, and the formulation of India’s foundational cybersecurity policies and legislation.

Thanking VARINDIA, he talked about India’s cybersecurity priorities in the context of a rapidly digitizing economy.

This was followed by the recognition of the Top 11 Most Influential CMOs in India 2025, highlighting marketers who are redefining brand engagement and customer experience in the digital age. This was followed by the felicitation of 102 Eminent CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs from across industries for their role in driving enterprise transformation and digital excellence.

Next VARINDIA recognized the 25 Most Trusted Companies followed by 50 Most Admired Brands in India’s ICT ecosystem. These organizations were selected through rigorous evaluation of brand performance, market reputation, and customer trust. This recognition serves as a testament to their resilience, innovation, and dedication to excellence in serving India's digital economy. These awards, grounded in both qualitative feedback and industry benchmarks, reinforce VARINDIA’s commitment to recognizing merit and integrity in the tech world.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Ms. S. Mohini Ratna, Editor, VARINDIA who expressed gratitude to all speakers, partners, attendees, and supporters for making the 23rd Infotech Forum a resounding success. She highlighted VARINDIA’s ongoing mission to catalyze meaningful discussions and to spotlight those leading India’s digital journey.

Once again, the InfoTech Forum 2025 set a new benchmark in industry engagement, combining deep insights, strategic foresight, and unmatched networking opportunities, solidifying its stature as a premier thought leadership platform for India's ICT community.