Speaker:

Himanshu Joshi – Research Group Member, MIT FutureTech & Center for AI and Digital Policy, Washington DC, United States

Kanchi Shah – Chief Editor – ET Edge (The Times Group Initiative)

Synopsis – Enter the boardroom for an unvarnished dialogue where CEOs and founders navigate the high-stakes decisions surrounding AI. From balancing innovation with accountability to aligning disruptive technologies with long-term goals, this conversation unpacks the strategic, ethical, and operational dilemmas faced at the highest level of enterprise leadership. Real-world insights and provocative debates will reveal how leaders can shape AI-driven futures while managing risks and expectations.

Speakers:
Sumit Rai – Managing Director & CEO – Edelweiss Life Insurance
Alok Rungta – Managing Director & CEO – Generali Central Life Insurance Company
Mayank Kumar – Co-Founder & CEO – BorderPlus & upGrad
Praveen Mokkapati – Director, AI – NASSCOM

Session Chair:
Kanchi Shah – Chief Editor – ET Edge (The Times Group Initiative)

Speaker:
Akhilesh Tuteja, Partner & National Leader, Clients and Markets and Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT), KPMG in India

Synopsis – As AI systems become increasingly autonomous, questions of accountability, bias, and decision-making authority arise. Enterprises must grapple with who – or what is in control, and the implications for governance and compliance. This panel explores the fine line between human oversight and machine autonomy.

Speakers:
Ankur Dhawan – Chief Product and Technology Officer – upGrad
Nishant Pradhan – Chief AI Officer – Mirae Asset Mutual Fund (India)
Abhishek Farkade – SVP – Product & Engineering, GenAI & AI Platforms – Jio Platforms Limited

Session Chair:
Purushothaman KG Partner and Head Technology Transformation, KPMG in India

Speaker:
Sauvik Banerjjee – Chief Digital Officer & President – Professional Services – Rezolve AI

Speaker:

Shaji Varghese – Chief Executive Officer – Society for Innovation & Entrepreneurship – SINE (IIT Bombay)

Session Chair:

Kanchi Shah – Chief Editor – ET Edge (The Times Group Initiative)

Speaker:
Mr. Suresh Kumar Rathod, President, CtrlS Datacenters

Synopsis – Can machines truly replicate human creativity? As generative AI encroaches on domains once reserved for poets, designers, and storytellers, this panel questions whether AI augments or eclipses human ingenuity. Grounded in the latest empirical studies – such as a 2025 meta-analysis showing that humans collaborating with GenAI outperform both solo humans and GenAI alone (though with less idea diversity) – The discussion will unpack the implications for art, enterprise innovation, and cultural identity in the AI era.

Speakers:
Ruma Kishore – Director – Global Digital Transformation Customer Experience – Unilever
Rangarajan Vijayaraghavan – Chief Digital Officer – Adani Defence and Aerospace
Siddharth Sureka – Chief AI Officer – Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited
Dr. Alpan Raval – Chief Scientist AI/ML – Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence

Session Chair:
Yogesh Sharma, Partner, KPMG in India

Speaker:
Rahul Agarwalla Managing Partner, SenseAI Partners

Session Chair:
Kanchi Shah – Chief Editor – ET Edge (The Times Group Initiative)

Speaker:
Mr. Nimesh C Thakur – Vice President of Hyperscale Sales and India Head – NTT Global Data Centres

Synopsis – AI’s most profound effects on business may not show up in traditional metrics at least not immediately. This unconventional fireside chat explores the hidden ways AI is altering value creation, from decision-making speed and customer intuition to invisible efficiencies and market dynamics. Leaders will dissect the subtle but seismic shifts AI triggers in business paradigms and how to prepare for value that defies measurement today but defines success tomorrow.

Speakers:
Rakesh Bhardwaj – Global CIO – Lupin
Gaurav Chaudhri – Chief Technology Officer – Reliance General Insurance
Shrikant Kejriwal – Head of Analytics – Bharat banking and MSMSE – Axis Bank

Session Chair:
Sushant Rabra – Partner and Lead, Digital Strategy G Insights, KPMG in India

AI is rewriting the business playbook – but its rapid adoption brings explosive security risks. Today, prompt-injection attacks, shadow AI and unauthorized data sharing have emerged as the corporate world’s greatest blind spots. At this session, we bring together enterprise CISOs, AI architects and security innovators for a boardroom-style debate on four brutal truths.

Speakers:
Sanjay Jaiswal – CISO – Nuvama Group
Urvish Acharya – Head – IT Governance & Risk, CISO, Information Technology – Birla Carbon (Aditya Birla Group)

Session Chair:
Rohan Padhi, Partner, KPMG in India

Synopsis – As AI-native businesses emerge, traditional enterprises must adapt to compete. This panel explores the disruptive potential of AI in reshaping industries, commerce, and the global economy.

Speakers:
Viral Mody – Chief Technology Officer – National Stock Exchange of India
Sharad Jambukar – Chief Information Technology Officer – Aadhar Housing Finance
Mohit Agarwal – Global Digital Transformation Head – Wockhardt Pharma
Yogesh Bhalla – Chief Technology Officer – DSP Mutual Fund

Session Chair:
Ram Seshadri, Partner, KPMG in India

Speaker:
Shri Arvind Kumar, Director General, Software Technology Parks of India (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India)