INFOTECH FORUM 2025: POWERING INDIA’S DIGITAL LEAP INTO THE FUTURE

Once again, the VARINDIA 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.

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.

(Pictures from L-R): Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Publisher & Editor-in-chief-VARINDIA, Mr. Sridhar S- Executive V.P- SSG, Redington Limited, Mr. Ronald Fernandes - Country Manager-Context World, Mr. Pranab Mohanty, Chief Business Officer- Data Safeguard India, Lt. Col. Sarthak Bhuyan, Director- Catalytx technologies, Mr. Varun Garg, Co-Founder & CEO- Quantun Technology Systems, Mr. Sandeep Sengupta, Founder & Director- ISOAH Data Securities, Dr. Arindam Sarkar, HoD & Asst Prof. Computer Science & Electronics at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur Math, Dr. Sandip Chatterjee, Sr. Advisor, SERI(USA) and Ex-Scientist G & Group Coordinator, Meity, Govt. of India, Dr. Sanjay Kumar Das, Addl. Sec. (Science & Technology & Bio Technology Dept.) & State CISO- Government Of West Bengal, Mr. Mylaraiah J N, V.P.- Enterprise Sales, India & SAARC- Commscope, Adv (Dr.) Prashant Mali, Ph.D. in Cyber Law, Practicing Lawyer Bombay High Court, Ms. S Mohini Ratna, Editor-VARINDIA

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 that includes names of Mr. Varun Garg, Co-Founder & CEO of Quantum Technology Systems, who shared insights on AI and data center acceleration. Mr. Sridhar S., Executive Vice President of the Software & Security Business Group at Redington Limited, spoke about leveraging technology to build a digital future. Mr. Ashwani Narang, Vice President & Head of Finance & Spend Management at SAP Indian Subcontinent, discussed intelligent enterprise solutions powered by cloud and AI. Meanwhile, Mr. Gaurav V. Saxena, Director of Channels & Alliances for India & SAARC at Veeam Software, presented his views on AI ethics and responsible innovation.

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 Mr. Ashis Rout, Sr. Vice President (IT), Ex-HDFC Bank, Mr. Vijay Sethi, Chairman, Mentorkart and Crafsol Technologies, Mr. Bharat B Anand, Group CIO & CTO, Contec Global, Mr. Anil Nama, CIO, CtrlS Datacenters & Cloud4C and Mr. 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. 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, Mr. Deepak Kumar, Global Head - Cyber Defense- Infogain India, Mr. Dhananjay Rokde, CISO & Director- iMan-edge Services, Dr. Rakshit Tandon, Cyber Security Evangelist, Mr. Jaspreet Singh (Partner) - Grant Thornton Bharat, Mr. Pradipta Patro, Head of cyber security & IT Platform- KEC International Ltd., and Mr. Nabendu Misra, Sr. AI Architech- EY, 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.

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 the IT industry along with Shri Prashant Kumar, Deputy Director General, Telecom Engineering Centre, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, joined him 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, 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.

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India must scale tech investment to lead the AI Era

DR. DEEPAK KUMAR SAHU
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, VARINDIA

“The INFOTECH FORUM has firmly established itself as a cornerstone event for technologists, OEMs, and select strategic partners. This year’s forum is designed to be a transformative experience—fostering collaboration, inspiring innovation, and driving impactful discourse. India’s $250 billion IT industry commands global attention, largely due to software service exports, but domestic IT spending accounts for just 1% of the global total—a critical shortfall. Global compute spending, currently at $250 billion annually, presents a $1 trillion opportunity over four years. By investing in this space, India has the potential to unlock innovation in healthcare, education, agriculture, and climate resilience, while also supporting its renewable energy ambitions.

We are entering an era defined by AI, hybrid cloud, and purpose-driven technology. This transformation is not only about digital tools— it’s about elevating human potential. AI is not here to replace us; it’s here to elevate us. This is not just digital transformation—it is human transformation. AI-powered operations are already transforming enterprises today. We are moving from product-centric models to immersive “Storyworlds,” from rigid funnels to dynamic ecosystems, and from mere metrics to meaningful outcomes. At the heart of this shift lies a truth: while technology is reshaping our world, it’s the stories we create with it that build trust and deliver lasting impact. As the demand for AI workloads grows, so does the need for high-density compute environments—straining existing data center infrastructure, especially in cooling. This presents a timely opportunity for VARs and partners.

Amid this transformation, we are proud to launch the 14th edition of the Brand Book, a celebration of the remarkable growth of India’s technology sector. This edition showcases how leading tech companies are redefining innovation and driving the country’s digital transformation. AI is also reshaping cybersecurity—delivering faster threat detection (60%), quicker incident resolution (70%), and improved phishing detection accuracy (up to 98%). But with opportunity comes risk, as attackers also harness AI to scale sophisticated threats. In this rapidly evolving landscape, AI is no longer optional—it is essential. Let us build a secure, borderless digital future and protect the data powering our interconnected world.”

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From 64Kbps to 6G: The Quantum Leap in India’s Tech Journey

DR. GULSHAN RAI
FORMER NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY COORDINATOR AND DIRECTOR GENERAL, CERT-IN

“It is a privilege to stand before this distinguished gathering of veterans and visionaries who have shaped the very foundations of our digital and security ecosystems. Tonight isn’t about my personal journey—it’s about our collective one. The recognition I receive is a tribute to the shared work, planning, and resilience of all of us who’ve brought this ecosystem to where it stands today.

As Atul highlighted earlier, our journey began in simpler times. And today, we find ourselves navigating an era of unprecedented complexity. These aren’t futuristic challenges— they’re here. Just last month, data traffic between two of the world’s most advanced nations was hijacked for hours every day over a full week. Post-quantum cryptography, state-level actors, and sophisticated hijacks are not on the horizon—they’re happening now.

Think about how far we’ve come. In 2000, we were building backbones with 64K lines, planning 565 Mbps copper networks—numbers that now feel quaint. Today, homes enjoy gigabit speeds; 5G is here; 6G is emerging. With that explosion in connectivity, our security challenges have multiplied exponentially.

To face this reality, we need more than tools—we need smart solutions for smart problems. Adaptive, integrated systems that protect economies, businesses, and citizens while keeping pace with forces like AI, deepfakes, and quantum threats.

But solving this requires four essentials:

• Comprehensive systems tailored to real business needs and emerging threat vectors.

• Skilled talent to design, scale, and evolve these solutions.

• Regulatory harmony—because today, conflicting rules slow us more than they protect us.

Collaboration, where government transitions from driver to facilitator, empowering the industry that holds the expertise to lead.

Technology’s acceleration cannot be stopped. AI, deepfakes, post-quantum computing—they’re inevitable. Our task isn’t to resist but to harness them—securely, responsibly, and innovatively.

I extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Sahu for this honor and to everyone who has built the platforms, partnerships, and resilience we stand

on today. Let’s continue working together—not just to keep up with the future, but to secure it.”

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Privacy enhancing technologies are a means to protect individual privacy and personal data

DR. SANJAY KUMAR DAS
ADDITIONAL SECRETARY (S&T AND BIOTECHNOLOGY) WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL

“Secure Multi Party Computation (SMPC) is one of the privacy enhancing technologies (PET). So why does PET matter? So we understand that the basic features extracted out of the data from the data sets are being computed. And these computations are being done in a competent, collective and a collaborative format in a completely neutral location. So this secure multi party computation is actually leading us specifically to a point where we are looking at zero knowledge proof and homomorphic encryption. We are today looking at computing on encrypted data. The GAFAM members namely Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft were hit hard by GDPR, and they collectively paid hundreds of billions of dollars over the years as a privacy driven non-compliance penalty. Then they realized that even if they want everyone to come to a SAS model or a subscription-based model, they cannot use one's data without their consent. Most of us are paying Google today for our mail storage space. But even if we are paying Google,

As a CISO, you should understand the core PET concept, because ultimately, you cannot be a data zero organization but have to be a data minimized organization. So when you allow somebody to fill up a form, remember to take only those data that you require, then give back the data which you don't require. Next, PET actually tells us to create noise around the data, so that somebody who is creeping into the data sometimes falters to identify the sensitive data lying before. So Secure Multi Party Computation actually makes Faceoff a beautiful product that it is today and is a good ambassador of PET.

Ultimately, even if you have all the data and information, you may not possess all the knowledge. Because information percolates laterally, while knowledge is generated vertically. So you have all the data, but you don't have the connectors, and so you don't have the knowledge.”

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CISOs must tackle AI risks beyond compliance and controls

ADV (DR.) PRASHANT MALI
PH.D. IN CYBER LAW, PRACTICING LAWYER, BOMBAY HIGH COURT

“AI has no feelings, and that’s precisely what makes it both powerful and dangerous. It no longer just supports cybersecurity—it has become a weapon. From deepfake frauds and AI-generated malware to autonomous phishing and synthetic identities, AI is now automating the entire attack chain. Earlier, a human actor had to deploy and negotiate ransomware attacks, but today AI handles everything—from multilingual phishing emails to morphing digital signatures. CISOs are facing a battlefield that has evolved from compliance to combat. If you don’t understand the legal framework—DPDPA, Section 66 of the IT Act, or the emerging concept of 'liar’s dividend' where truth itself can be denied as AI-generated—you’re not just at risk, you’re exposed.

The challenge now is that AI-generated threats are not just technological—they're legal, evidentiary, and organizational. Courts struggle to verify deepfake videos or AI-generated documents because the chain of custody is easily broken, and forensic reports are often inadmissible. AI responses are dynamic and person-specific—what an AI chatbot tells one user could differ for another. So when evidence varies by user or time, how can it stand in court? We still lack table-screen setups, SOPs for AI evidence verification, or proper electronic evidence management frameworks. Even in major breaches, like the Cosmos Bank heist, evidence gets contaminated because there's no clear policy on who collects it first. Without formal AI audit trails, signed forensic reports, or awareness in lower judiciary, we risk undermining justice in AI-fuelled cybercrimes.

CISOs must now prioritize AI-specific clauses in vendor contracts, employee conduct codes, and incident response plans. Boardrooms must wake up—not just to AI’s investment hype but to its governance risk. Deepfake detection should be an annual IT budget mandate, and AI threat modelling must become part of security drills. Embed AI in IS audits, mandate vendor AI declarations, and preserve the chain of custody for all AI evidence. Because in a world where AI can impersonate voices, spoof identities, and even manipulate truth, organizations must move beyond slogans like ‘zero trust’ and prove their cybersecurity maturity with real, defensible documentation. AI is not just a tool—it’s a force. Use it wisely or risk being outmanoeuvred by it.”

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Secure IT disposal crucial to prevent data breaches and legal risks

DR. SANDIP CHATTERJEE
SR. ADVISOR - SERI, USA, AND FORMER SR. DIRECTOR & GROUP COORDINATOR - MEITY, GOI

"After my MeitY tenure, I joined SERI USA, focusing on sustainable electronics and the critical issue of IT asset disposition. Over the past decade, India’s digital push—driven by infrastructure like DigiLocker, BharatNet, and UPI—has propelled our economy to $4 trillion, with 25% of that growth powered by digital innovation. But this growth comes with responsibility. We’ve created a data-driven economy, yet we must ensure that our progress remains inclusive, affordable, and sustainable. As we shift from an IT-based to an AI-driven economy, our electronics are becoming more resource-intensive—phones now use up to 69 elements from the periodic table. But even the best refineries can recover only a fraction of those. This material limitation, coupled with increasing e-waste, demands that we prioritize refurbishment before recycling and promote circular use of electronics.

The real danger lies in data: we wrongly assume that formatting or deleting removes it, but 60% of global devices still leak sensitive information after disposal. In India, 71% of tested devices retained recoverable data—banking info, Aadhaar details, even passports. I helped draft the DPDP Act, which will hold companies accountable with penalties up to ₹250 crore, but until its rules are finalized, we rely on moral obligation. That’s not enough. From Morgan Stanley’s $60 million fine to India’s local vulnerabilities, it’s clear—improper data disposal is a massive threat. Techniques like degaussing, overwriting, or cryptographic erasure must be applied based on device type, especially since many physical destruction methods are ineffective or outdated. Simply hammering a hard drive won’t protect you anymore.

What we need is adherence to global best practices—standards like R2 certification that ensure traceability, compliance, and proper sanitization. This isn't just about protecting privacy—data loss is business loss. Studies show 94% of companies suffering severe data loss never fully recover. We must make secure IT disposal the norm, not the exception. France already mandates refurbishment before recycling—we should, too. Our goal should be sustainability with accountability: maximize the life and value of devices, follow global regulations like GDPR and NIST, and ensure secure, eco-friendly IT practices. If we care about how we use technology, we must care just as much about how we retire it."

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In case of synthetic fraud, the victim remains oblivious of the deceit unless made aware

DR. ARINDAM SARKAR
HOD AND ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE & ELECTRONICS-RAMAKRISHNA MISSION VIDYAMANDIRA, BELUR MATH

“Talking about synthetic fraud, we understand that forces are trying to create fictitious identities and are trying to fabricate the data. They are trying to blend real and fake personal information. The problem is that no real person is affected directly. That is why victims stay unaware, and we do not have the technology to check whether a video is real or fake. All of us are aware that we have used our VID (Virtual ID) to save our Aadhaar information. I can break the VID and can gather all your information. This information is actually being taken for data connection purposes. After collecting the data, I can fabricate the identity and then apply for the loan. I can build credibility and then after taking the loan, I will default.

So what are the different types of synthetic frauds? It starts with credit card fraud, where the fraudster will build the credit history and then default on a large amount. Then there is employment fraud, where the fraudster will create fake identities for jobs and trick a person looking for a job into believing it. Likewise, there are several different frauds which includes government benefit frauds for pension account holders insurance or healthcare frauds, or the SIM card fraud in the telecom industry where fake identities are created for issuing dubious SIM cards. The challenge behind these frauds is the inability to detect the real fraudster or the victim. There is also the problem of data silos which means we are not able to gather all the data together. Suppose you know the machine learning and deep learning algorithm and the fuel for this is the data. So if you collaborate all the data together, only then you will be able to proceed to train your machine or deep learning algorithm. But the problem is– Naqli Chehra, Asli Khel, Suraksha ka ho gaya Fail!

So how can we tackle this whole problem of deep fake? The first is to detect the Identification Method; second is doing Psychological or Physiological Liveness check; and the third is Audio Analysis. So presenting before you the Faceoff – a Revolutionary AI Platform for Digital Authenticity and Deepfake Detection. Under this platform we have eight different modules. Faceoff addresses the challenges of deepfake attacks, digital fraud, and authenticity challenges through advanced multimodal AI capabilities that analyze multiple behavioral and biometric indicators simultaneously, delivering unprecedented accuracy in digital authenticity verification.”

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AI, Digital Vulnerabilities, and Policy Gaps Are Fueling a New Era of Cybercrime!

ATUL KUMAR
DIRECTOR - DSCI

In a compelling talk on the evolution and future of cybersecurity, he offered a broad perspective on how emerging technologies are reshaping the cyber landscape. He shared that while discussing emerging technologies, we often focus on IoT, AI, and cloud, but I believe we also need to look at adjacent fields like material sciences, which are quietly but significantly shaping cyber innovation. For instance, Microsoft’s Majorana quantum chip was celebrated as a quantum breakthrough, but behind it was a major material science innovation—supported in its final phase by generative AI models, which expedited the 20-year research.

This illustrates how interdisciplinary advancements are pushing cybersecurity forward, and also widening the scope of threats. With the digital economy expanding, we’re facing increased vulnerabilities, attack surfaces, and sophisticated threat actors exploiting gaps in systems and processes—financial or otherwise. The disparity in cyber awareness across individuals, SMBs, and large enterprises adds to this complexity. Adversaries are now using the same tech—AI, crypto, cross-platform tools, even the dark web—to launch polymorphic malware and adaptive threats like those from Salt Typhoon or Lazarus groups. These attacks evolve during deployment, making them harder to detect. The crimes born from this tech misuse span personal, societal, and even geopolitical dimensions, touching on terrorism, separatism, and extremism. A major challenge lies in the gap between fast-moving tech and slow-moving policy. Legal frameworks, infrastructure readiness, and cyber skills are often outdated. With AI, quantum computing, media, the risks to electoral systems, diplomacy, and biosecurity are real and growing.

Even export controls are no longer foolproof, as open-source models like China’s DeepSeek enter global supply chains unnoticed. This raises the importance of a resilient and innovative cybersecurity ecosystem. Fortunately, India is emerging as a global hub, with over 450 cybersecurity product firms. Our architecture, policies, and awareness strategies must evolve in sync with the pace of both innovation and adoption.

In conclusion, while the landscape is daunting, the answer lies in responsible innovation, cross-disciplinary thinking, and collective vigilance. The more we nurture this ecosystem, the stronger and safer our digital future will be.

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VARINDIA Driving ICT Innovation through collaboration

MS. S. MOHINI RATNA
EDITOR, VARINDIA

“Welcoming the esteemed dignitaries and distinguished guests, and passionate technology evangelists, she thanked for their presence making this annual gathering truly special. I take this opportunity to reflect on the enduring legacy of VARINDIA and the Brand Book, both proud flagships of Kalinga Digital Media. For over 26 years, VARINDIA has remained India’s most trusted and influential source for technology news, offering credible insights and consistent value to the ICT ecosystem.

Equally significant is the Brand Book, which highlights the strategic vision and leadership of India’s top technology brands. Today, I am proud to unveil the 14th edition, a tribute to both legacy and innovation, celebrating brands that continue to shape the future of Indian IT.

This morning, during the Infotech Forum, we witnessed enriching conversations among policymakers, industry thought leaders, and tech professionals. CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and CMOs engaged across three thought-provoking panel tracks centered on the theme “Balancing Innovation and Sustainability.”

Our survey findings from the Eminent CIOs of India project reveal the changing priorities of digital leaders. Their focus is now firmly on cybersecurity, AI integration, data analytics, and talent management in response to the ongoing digital transformation. Emphasis is being placed on Zero Trust models, proactive threat intelligence, and compliance with evolving data protection laws. At the same time, responsible AI adoption, automation, and legacy modernization are shaping more secure and efficient enterprises.

I'm delighted to share that we would be in few minutes officially unveiling the Brand Book 2025—a beautifully designed coffee table book that showcases the excellence of India’s leading tech brands. This edition also includes inspiring profiles of 100 Eminent CIOs, spotlighting the leaders who are driving transformation with vision and resilience.

We are also celebrating the achievements of the Most Trusted Companies and Most Admired Brands of 2025–26, who play a vital role in India’s digital progress.

Thank you all for your vibrant participation, thoughtful questions, and insightful discussions. Your presence and engagement have been the true highlights of today’s event. She concluded by saying, “Let’s continue to collaborate, innovate, and shape the future of India’s tech landscape together. I wish you all meaningful interactions and fruitful new business opportunities.”

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Veeam delivers unified, AI-powered data resilience for enterprises

GAURAV V SAXENA
DIRECTOR, CHANNELS & ALLIANCES - INDIA & SAARC, VEEAM SOFTWARE

“At Veeam, we are proud to serve as the first line of defense for organizations navigating the complex challenges of modern data protection. With over $1.8 billion in ARR and a presence in more than 155 countries, Veeam delivers enterprise-grade, software-defined, and hardware- agnostic solutions that support over 550,000 customers globally—including 8,000 in India alone.

Our comprehensive platform protects workloads across on-premises, cloud, SaaS, and hybrid environments, while our partnerships with hyperscalers like Microsoft ensure seamless backup and data recovery through offerings like Veeam Data Cloud. As threats become more advanced, we are embedding AI and cybersecurity into the core of our platform to help detect, respond to, and recover from ransomware and other malicious attacks. Our acquisition of Coveware further strengthens our cyber resiliency offerings with support across pre-, during-, and post-incident scenarios.

The path forward demands more than just technology—it requires a mature, strategic approach. That’s why we’ve introduced the Data Resilience Maturity Model, built in collaboration with McKinsey and MIT experts, to guide organizations in aligning people, process, and platforms for smarter data protection. With cyber threats increasingly targeting backup repositories and 74% of enterprises still relying on manual recovery processes, our mission is clear: to empower businesses with a unified, intelligent, and agile data resilience strategy that keeps them secure and future-ready.”

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The growing adoption of AI is driving up infrastructure workloads

KAPIL RANA
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE – ARCHITECTURE – CISCO INDIA & SAARC

“Cisco has created a complete ecosystem by partnering with Pure Storage, where the infrastructure – essentially the AI compute, the storage and the networking stack – everything is integrated. That helps our customers get a deep visibility and network observability into what is happening inside the infrastructure or how the entire AI workload is running. The good part is the entire ecosystem is well documented in a Cisco validated design.

AI today is changing everything in the industry and the world around us. This acceleration for AI adoption is also happening very fast. So we need a system which can respond to that speed and that requirement. Irrespective of the vertical and the size, every organization today is adopting AI in their day to day job and identifying new revenue streams. We have use cases with almost every vertical, be it health care, education, government, defense, and financial services, of using AI. This creates a lot of pressure as data centers today are not only catering to the traditional workload but they need to cater to your AI workload as well. The data centers, which were running traditionally on a seven or eight kW per rack power provisioning is not sufficient today. While we need to provision everything, we also have an opposing force in terms of the cost pressure from every organization and the business demand. Today's demands require AI to deploy and scale rapidly. At the same time, it's essential to address the evolving threat landscape, which expands alongside the growing use of AI. So, the design philosophy at Cisco is to cater to your secure AI data center needs through a unified approach which is secured and also scalable.”

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Legacy data storage platforms have now reached the stage of a breaking point

JITHESH CHEMBIL
HEAD CHANNELS, INDIA - PURE STORAGE

“Today everybody wants to build a data cloud in order to have all these high end performing applications working really well. If you look at the manually driven data centers, they need a lot of manual intervention and also have a lot of complexities. They are very similar to your cars, which if you don't maintain can break down anytime. Similarly, if you don't maintain the manual data center or any legacy data storage for that matter, there are high chances of getting into cyber-attacks. These legacy data storages are a breaking point, where you will find the data in silos. You have separate silos because years back, you had an application for which you had a storage, and now a new application came in for which you bought a separate storage. So there are a lot of data silos piling up, resulting in operations becoming very complex with multiple systems, multiple operating systems, and multiple applications. And adding more to that are the cyber-attacks which are happening. You need to build an architecture which has to be cyber resilient. It is also leading to escalating costs because of having to maintain so many different applications and OS and the forklift upgrades that need to be done every three years. The other thing is forced migration because of constant change in platforms and operating systems. The exponential growth in data is adding another level of complexity. All these problems are arising with the current, old legacy systems. Almost 80% of the budget is spent to manage these outdated systems. So what can be the solution? The answer to this is the automated future - an Intelligent enterprise data platform designed for the AI era.”

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India must rethink data centers to lead global AI race

VARUN GARG
CO-FOUNDER & CEO - QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

“Globally, the AI industry is expected to reach nearly $10 trillion by 2030—more than twice India’s current GDP of $4.22 trillion. With over 8,000 data centers and 55,000 AI companies operating worldwide, it’s clear the future belongs to intelligent infrastructure. India’s momentum in AI and data centers is accelerating, but to truly lead, we must shift from outdated models to advanced architectures—1 MW GPU racks, direct-to-chip and immersive cooling, high-speed interconnects, and modular, AI-managed systems that support scalability and sustainability. Data centers need to be designed not for the past, but for the AI-powered demands of tomorrow. As workloads increase, ultra-low latency, containerized edge computing, and self-healing operations will be essential, especially as cyber threats escalate and resource constraints persist.

India accounts for less than 3% of global AI penetration despite holding 20% of the world’s data. This gap signals enormous potential. The Indian government’s efforts—from Digital India and the AI Mission to PLI schemes and AI-centric SEZs—are commendable, especially with growing focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. But realizing this opportunity will require building a cohesive national ecosystem, not isolated state-level silos. At Quantum Technology Systems, we’re committed to supporting this growth by bringing in advanced cooling, robotics, and infrastructure innovations to power India’s AI journey and make it a global AI powerhouse.”

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Redington curates AI evolution from enablement to ecosystem orchestration

SRIDHAR S
EXECUTIVE VP, SOFTWARE & SECURITY BUSINESS GROUP, REDINGTON LIMITED

“We’re witnessing a relentless evolution in technology—from AI to GenAI, and now agentic AI—and cybersecurity is a prime example of this shift. Traditional perimeters have dissolved, identity has become the new boundary, and now AI is battling AI in real-time, with humans merely orchestrating responses. The urgency to build cyber intelligence dashboards, automate ESG reporting, and leverage personalized AI-driven content is redefining how organizations operate. Every sector—from retail to healthcare to manufacturing—is seeing tangible gains through predictive AI, automation, and real-time data processing, from reducing wastage to enhancing treatment to lowering maintenance costs. The integration of AI across verticals like R&D, procurement, CRM, and HR demonstrates how AI is no longer a futuristic concept but an operational necessity.

At Redington, we’re not just watching this transformation—we’re curating it. As a distributor, our role is shifting from mere technology enabler to ecosystem orchestrator. Through our AI Practice, we are aggregating real-world use cases—from deepfake detection and WhatsApp- based digital journeys to legal and HR automation—and connecting them with the right ISV solutions. Our goal is to overcome technology, implementation, and access frictions by delivering availability, accessibility, and usability of AI for every customer. Technology has always existed; what matters now is pairing it with the right intelligence—human or artificial—to drive outcomes, not just functionality.”

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Building intelligent enterprises amid disruption with SAP, cloud and AI

ASHWANI NARANG
VP & HEAD, FINANCE & SPEND MANAGEMENT, SAP INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

“In today’s volatile global landscape, disruption is the only constant—from the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain shocks to trade wars, AI breakthroughs, and geopolitical conflicts. These events are no longer isolated; they are interconnected and constant. To survive and grow in this environment, organizations must evolve into intelligent enterprises powered by cloud and AI. It’s no longer enough to collect data—we need actionable insights. Whether it's predicting supplier risks, automating tax compliance, enabling AI-driven cash flow forecasting, or tracking workforce costs beyond payroll, the message is clear: we can’t run businesses based on outdated models or manual processes. AI and automation must become core to operations, not just experimental add-ons.

What SAP is enabling is the shift through an integrated business technology stack—combining ERP, data clouds, and Business AI. Our AI assistant, Joule, empowers enterprises to interact with their systems conversationally and contextually, delivering instant insights and executing tasks from invoice generation to contract validation. CXOs across functions—finance, HR, procurement, and supply chain—now recognize that technology-led transformation is central to profitability, sustainability, compliance, and employee experience. This isn’t about the future; it’s already happening. With 77% of global GDP touching SAP systems, chances are your day has already intersected with our platform. Intelligent enterprises are not aspirational—they’re operational, today.”

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From Buzzword to Backbone: Acronis’ Cyber Protection Vision for the MSP Era

RAJESH CHHABRA
GM (INDIA & SOUTH ASIA)- ACRONIS

“Let me introduce you to Acronis—a global leader redefining how we protect the digital world. Born in Singapore in 2003, later established in Switzerland, we now span 45 countries with 2,000 professionals, speaking 26 languages, and powering over 750,000 customers through 20,000 trusted service providers.

But we don’t just talk about security—we pioneered CyberProtection. Years ago, we saw the future: businesses needed more than just cybersecurity or backup. They needed a unified approach. That’s why we built Acronis CyberProtect Cloud—a single platform where data protection, cybersecurity, and remote monitoring work seamlessly together, not as separate tools but as one intelligent system. Imagine backing up anything—your on-prem systems, your cloud workloads, your Microsoft 365 mailboxes, or even critical databases like Oracle and SAP—and at the same time, safeguarding them with AI-driven defenses like EDR, XDR, MDR, and DLP. Picture this: during recovery, your data is automatically patched and secured, so you’re up and running—safe and compliant—in moments.

And we’re not just fighting threats; we’re simplifying everything. With near-zero RPO through continuous protection, integrated SaaS and email security, and real-time threat intelligence, we take the complexity out of cybersecurity so businesses can focus on growth, not gaps.

Acronis isn’t just a vendor. We’re your partner in resilience—empowering organizations to thrive in an unpredictable, hyper-connected world.”

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'Listening Customer First Approach' helps SonicWall Redefine Product Innovation

SANJEEV KUMAR
REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR, INDIA & SAARC- SONICWALL

“SonicWall’s evolution is much beyond than a firewall company. While many associate us with firewalls, we have grown into a comprehensive cybersecurity provider with a presence across government, corporate, mid-enterprise, and enterprise sectors. With 33 years of expertise, SonicWall has transitioned from focusing primarily on SMBs to offering a full portfolio, including managed security services, MDR, EDR, and SASE solutions.

Originally acquired by Dell in 2011 and later becoming independent, SonicWall now operates globally with its headquarters in Milpitas, California, and its India operations based in Bangalore, where R&D and technical support serve several English-speaking countries. We hold nearly a third of the SMB firewall market and have strengthened our offerings through three recent acquisitions, expanding into advanced endpoint detection, MDR, and SASE capabilities. Our strategy focuses on customer and partner feedback, ensuring products meet real-world needs before launch. We emphasize customer retention, simplified licensing, flexible cloud- aligned subscriptions, and enhanced support, including comprehensive cyber warranties of up to $1 million for eligible deployments.

SonicWall continues to innovate with Generation 8 firewalls, the MPSS license for proactive protection, and an integrated platform to simplify management and address alert fatigue. We serve diverse industries—healthcare, education, manufacturing, retail, and smart cities— through a 100% channel-driven model supported by strong partner networks.” I would like to reiterate that SonicWall remains committed to delivering robust, scalable, and innovative security solutions worldwide.”

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"Upar Wala Sab Dekh Raha Hai": India’s CCTV Revolution Built on Trust and Tech

M.A. JOHAR
PRESIDENT- CP PLUS

“We’ve spent the day immersed in cybersecurity—firewalls, data, threats. But let’s shift gears. Let’s talk about something just as vital: physical security. Because true protection doesn’t stop at the cloud or the network—it extends to every space we walk through. And in today’s world, “smart” isn’t just a buzzword. Smart means technology that learns, adapts, and responds—whether online or on the ground. That’s where CP PLUS, from Aditya Infotech, comes in. We didn’t just bring CCTV to India—we brought it to everyone. From homes and corner shops to large enterprises, we made security accessible. You might even remember our now-iconic line, from BigBoss ‘Uparwala sab dekh raha hai.’ It became a household phrase—because we made surveillance a part of everyday life, not just a luxury.

From launching India’s first domestic CCTV brand in 2005 to building the nation’s first camera manufacturing facility in 2017, we’ve been pioneers. Today, we produce over 200,000 cameras a month—India’s largest and the world’s third-largest capacity.

But this isn’t just about cameras—it’s about intelligence. Security today means real-time analytics, detecting threats, recognizing faces, managing traffic, even automating decisions. Whether it’s schools, smart cities, railways, or retail—our AI-driven systems are shaping safer environments everywhere. With STQC and BIS certifications, trusted-core technology, and 850+ models tailored for India, CP PLUS is redefining security—homegrown, intelligent, and built for the future. Because physical security isn’t a luxury anymore—it’s a lifeline. And we’re here to protect not just spaces, but data, lives, and trust.”

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VARINDIA’s research entity echoes the spirit of the Make in India initiative

GYANA RANJAN SWAIN
CONSULTING EDITOR, VARINDIA

“During our previous year event, VARINDIA had committed to coming out with an India-based research organization to conduct an impartial, in-depth demand-supply analysis of products. This initiative proudly complements the "Make in India" endeavour. We are now delighted to present the "Made in India Research Report," meticulously crafted from the core of our robust 30,000-partner business ecosystem across the country.

Talking about the Indian IT industry scenario at present, the market is poised for a huge growth. And what is driving that – the Make in India initiative launched by the government a few years back. Almost every manufacturing company or every hardware company that is present in the country today has started manufacturing, although all of

them are at a different scale at present. Now that every global company has begun manufacturing in the country, we felt that India lacked a dedicated, unbiased IT service research unit in India to specifically cater to the Indian customers. There are big global research organization brands present in the country today, and they have been doing a fantastic job for the last many years. But the current research being done is global centric and overlooks India's unique opportunities. There are also local complexities like the MNCs getting overly prioritized at times without giving much priority to Indian organizations at the domestic level. Indian partners and the channel do need local insights and intelligence, and global agencies often miss these in their reports.

The Indian market presents some important and unique features like, it is a price sensitive market, almost every region has a different kind of purchasing power and the demands are usually festival driven. Another aspect is the Mobile first approach, where we see a lot of sales and purchasing happening on our mobile phones. So this is again very typical of our domestic market. So by coming together with the channel community of resellers, distributors and system integrators, we are bringing forward this dedicated India specific survey that we believe will help them immensely. We want to be the most trusted source of information for our Indian partners by equipping them with local insights and strategic intelligence. The areas that we will cover include cyber security, the electronics & telecom channel ecosystem, enterprise business, custom research and consulting, to mention a few. Our research methodology will be based on primary research by talking to customers, taking surveys, and interviews. We will also ensure to conduct workshops and webinars, and provide consulting and advisory to our customers.”

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