Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant frontier—it is the driving force behind transformative change across industries worldwide. From enhancing decision-making processes to unlocking unprecedented efficiencies, AI is reshaping how businesses operate and innovate. But as this technology advances, the focus shifts from mere adoption to leveraging AI with purpose and impact.
LeaderNext is a premier platform for India's most promising technology leaders. It is a dynamic space where top IT and digital executives immerse themselves in continuous learning, share insights, and participate in discussions around the latest trends in the ICT landscape.
This year, a series of insightful sessions on the theme ‘Leading the AI Revolution with Impact’ provided invaluable perspectives to navigate the business landscape in the age of AI. The event celebrated emerging leaders in the ICT and digital ecosystem actively innovating and shaping the future of technology. Over 100 top tech executives from across industry verticals joined us for the second edition of LeaderNext.
Conversations ranged from ‘The Future of Work and IT Leadership’, ‘Redefining Customer Experience with Intelligent Systems’, ‘AI-Powered Productivity for IT Leaders’, ‘Cybersecurity and Digital Trust in a Quantum-Enabled World’, ‘ The Leadership Playbook’, and ‘Emerging Trends in Cyber Attacks and Mitigation Strategies.’
Speakers from diverse industries included Pratiksha Doshi, Partner, KPMG; Rajkumar Ayyella, CIO, RPG Group (KEC International); Vinod Kumar, Sr. EVP, CIO, FINO Payments Bank; Kiran Komatla, Group CTO, Restaurant Brand Asia; Dr. Nitin Paranjape, Productivity Maverick; Kiran Belsekar, Executive Vice President - CISO & IT Governance, Bandhan Life; Prashant Ahire, VP IT, Head-Technology PMO, SDM & IT Operation, IIFL; and Narrottam Sharma, CIO, Jubilant FoodWorks.
Sessions addressed the transformative role of IT in shaping hybrid and remote work environments and elaborated leadership strategies for managing distributed teams. They highlighted the importance of fostering agility and innovation to meet evolving business demands.
Another key focus was the redefinition of customer experience through intelligent systems that personalize interactions, predict customer needs, and automate service delivery. This segment provided actionable strategies for aligning technological initiatives with evolving customer expectations.
With quantum advancements on the horizon, esteemed speakers discussed how cybersecurity strategies centered around resilience and digital trust are becoming vital for organizational longevity.
Leadership in the AI era demands a strategic balance between technological innovation and human-centric approaches. During this knowledge exchange discussion, we explored how business leaders are adapting artificial intelligence. The dialogue unpacked strategies to harness AI's potential, foster innovation, and drive sustainable growth—ultimately creating a strategic playbook for success in a rapidly transforming business landscape.
LeaderNext 2024 concluded with a grand evening celebrating the accomplishments of future ICT leaders, felicitated with the LeaderNext 2024.
LeaderNext Awards 2024 honored ICT and digital executives for their transformative initiatives and potential to lead their organizations. These professionals have demonstrated exceptional innovation, strategic thinking, and ability to drive meaningful impact across their enterprise and broader industry ecosystems.
By adopting technological advancements and pioneering digital strategies, these emerging leaders are reshaping business paradigms. Their profound understanding of complex digital landscapes and strategic approaches position them as critical architects of future enterprise success.
Winners were selected by an independent jury of distinguished leaders industry leaders and CXOs – Ananth Subramanian, EVP, Head IT, Kotak Mutual Fund; Anjani Kumar, CTO, EVP, Tata AIG General Insurance; Mani Mulki, Sr. Operating Director, Technology, Kedaara Capital; Narrottam Sharma, CIO, Jubilant FoodWorks; and Rucha Nanavati, CIO, Mahindra Group, through a rigorous evaluation of nominations, received from you and your peers across India.
The key decisive factors for the selection process were the career achievements of nominated applicants, their professional expertise, and leadership potential to join the C-Suite.
LeaderNext 2024 winners:
- Rishabh Chhajer, VP - IT & Cybersecurity, ALLEN
- Navratan Bohra, VP, Anand Rathi Shares & Stock Brokers
- Dhaval Modi, VP - IT, Avendus Spark
- Jay Govani, Cloud Architect, Axis Mutual Fund
- Nitin Bansod, Sr. VP Technology, Bajaj Allianz Life
- Sharad Sharma, Program Director, BARC India
- Gajanan Devare, Sr. Manager, IT, Black Box - Essar Group
- Sachinkumar Patel, Group Head IT, CISO, Cactus Communications
- Vamshi Bathini, Chief Architect & Head - Technology, CallHealth
- Udaya Tendulkar, Head - IT Infrastructure, CEAT
- Nandkumar M Patil, AGM - System, DR BATRAS
- Sanjay Singh, Delivery Leader, DXC Technology
- Sathish Eathuraj, Head - Information Security, GAIN Credit
- Raj Upadhyay, VP - IT, Genpact
- Devang Badiyani, VP - IT Head Delivery, HDFC Bank
- Sonu Pawar, Deputy VP, HDFC Bank
- Vivek Zakarde, Head - AI, Data Operations, IndiaFirst Life Insurance
- Manoj Garg, Sr. Innovation Lead, Jio Platform
- Abhijit Chakravarty, EVP - Networks & Cybersecurity, Kotak Mahindra Bank
- Saurabh Oberoi, Information Technology Business Partner, KPMG India
- Sandip Sonar, Head - IT Applications and SAP, Raymond Lifestyle
- Dr. Sriranga Narasimha Gandhi Aryavalli, VP, Head - Information Security, Reliance Jio
- Nitin Talwar, VP - IT, Reliance Nippon Life Insurance
- Pragnesh Mistry, Head - IT, Cybersecurity, RPG Enterprises
- Rushikant Shastri, President Technology, SBI
- Viral Kagathara, Director, Walker Chandiok & Co
- Tarang Parikh, Sr. Director - Cybersecurity, WNS Global Services
- Santosh Patil, Head IT, Wockhardt Hospitals
