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SAMACHAR JANUARY 2025: INDIA DIGITAL SUMMIT |
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Over 500 Speakers Address 19th India Digital Summit Drawing Footfall of More Than 12000
Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, MIB, addressing IDS 2025 virtually
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The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) hosted the 19th edition of its annual flagship conference, the India Digital Summit (IDS), on January 16-17, 2025, at Hotel Pulman and Hotel Andaz, in Aerocity, New Delhi. It was oorganized in collaboration the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, and was Supported by Digital India, Skill India and Make in India. The theme of IDS 2025 was “Bharat’s Digital Path: Empowering Future Innovators”
More than 500 speakers, including the Government of India’s senior bureaucrats and industry captains, addressed the conference over 200 sessions in 17 parallel tracks, covering India’s digital ecosystem 360 degrees. IDS 2025 drew more than 12,000 footfalls. Key speakers of the conference included Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting; Shri Dipesh Shah, Executive Director, International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA); Shri Nand Kumarum, President & CEO, National e-Governance Division (NeGD); Shri Sanket Bhondve, Joint Secretary, MeitY, Shri G V L Satya Kumar, Managing Director, Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS); Mr. Harsh Jain, Chairman, IAMAI and Co-Founder & CEO, Dream Sports; Mr. Rajesh Magow, Vice-Chairman, IAMAI, and Co-founder & Group CEO, Makemytrip; Mr. Madhusudanan R, Co-founder, M2P; Mr. Mohit Bhatnagar, Managing Director, Peak XV Partners, and Mr. Hitesh Oberoi, Co-Promoter, MD & CEO, Info Edge.
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Startup Street
A ‘Startup Street’, and ‘Startup Pitching Sessions’ were designed to provide emerging startups with a dedicated space and sessions. IDS 2025 also included an expansive exhibition with 100 stalls where more than 50 leading digital brands showcased their latest innovations. Ancillary activities such as roundtables, workshops, industry meet-ups, masterclasses, hackathons, breakfast meetings and sundowners, are set to galvanize the conference into a unique mix of insights, networking and exposure to cutting-edge digitech. |
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Reports
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Among the highlights of the conference was the release of the 18th edition of the annual Internet in India report, produced by IAMAI in collaboration with KANTAR. Another report, titled ‘Impact Study of EdTech in India: Driving Innovation & Creating Opportunities’, produced jointly by IAMAI and Grant Thornton (GT), and a whitepaper titled ‘AI-Driven Customer Experience: Balancing Personalisation, Privacy, and Automation’ produced jointly by GT, IAMAI and Exotel were also launched at the conference. |
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Roundtables
The Digital Advertising Committee of the IAMAI, in collaboration with Scatter, organized a roundtable on “Making Marketing a Profit Centre”. The roundtable brought together marketing leaders to discuss strategies for transforming marketing into a revenue-generating function. Participants explored the role of organic marketing, the shift from paid to owned channels, and the importance of aligning marketing with business growth.
Experts who addressed the roundtable included Mr. Akash Goel, Marketing Head, Novigo Solutions; Mr. Amit Thapliyal, Sr. VP Marketing, PeopleStrong; Mr. Deepak Bakshi, Managing Director and Song India Lead, Accenture; Mr. Girish Singh, Head of Marketing (& Growth) India, Revolut; Mr. Kumar Abinash, VP Marketing & Alliances, Ship Global Express; Ms. Monica Pachori, VP Marketing & Growth, Blu-Smart; Mr. Navien Ramesh, Head of Marketing & Growth, HyperVerge; Mr. Prasant Agarwal, CMO, Uneecops Business Solutions; Mr. Prateek Verma, Senior Vice President, TATA 1mg; Mr. Rahul Manglik, Director of Product Marketing, Pine Labs; Mr. Subhamoy Das, Vice President Marketing & Communication, Accenture, and Mr. dit Agarwal, VP and Global Head of Marketing, Exotel.

Speakers of the roundtable on “Making Marketing a Profit Centre”
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Masterclass
A masterclass was organised on “Bridging the Gap: How AI and Humans can Redefine Accounting and Financial Management for the Future.” The masterclass explored key issues such as streamlining financial operations, enhancing global compliance, empowering innovation in accounting, and driving efficiency across ecosystems. Mr. Vithal Valluri, CEO, FinACEverse, and Mr. Shorupan Pirakaspathy, CTO, FinACEverse conducted the masterclass.

Masterclass on “Bridging the Gap: How AI and Humans can Redefine Accounting and Financial Management for the Future.”
Several important one-one-one meetings were held during the IDS 2025. These included meetings by The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), IDA Ireland, and Epsilon. More than 11 such meetings were held over two days. |
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Mixers
A number of mixers were also organised as part of the IDS 2025, targeting specific audiences. The “Tech and Toast: AI-Infused Connections” was an exclusive mixer, uniting industry leaders over cocktails and gourmet delights. The evening fostered insightful discussions, idea exchanges, and potential collaborations in the AI space. The "Fuelling Dreams, Building Futures: Startups & VCs Mixer" brought together startup founders and venture capitalists for an exclusive evening of networking, collaboration, and investment discussions. The “CTO & CIO Mixer” provided a platform for technology leaders to exchange insights on innovation, digital transformation, and emerging tech trends. The “Publisher and Agency Networking Mixer” provided a dynamic space for media publishers, agency leaders, and creative innovators to connect, collaborate, and forge lasting partnerships. |
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India Digital Awards

Mr. Harsh Jain, Chairman, IAMAI and Co-Founder & CEO, Dream Sports, presenting the IDA trophy for the Best Digital Person of the Year: Impact Legend to Mr. Dilip Asbe, Managing Director & CEO, NPCI
The results of the 15th India Digital Awards and the 2nd Digital Responsibility Awards were also announced at IDS 2025.
The India Digital Awards were given in four categories, divided into 47 subcategories, recognizing, honouring and celebrating digital excellence.
Mr. Dilip Asbe, Managing Director & CEO at the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) was adjudicated the Best Digital Person of the Year: Impact Legend. Mr. Alakh Pandey, Founder & CEO, PhysicsWallah was given the award for the Best Digital Person of the Year: Growth Catalyst. Mr. Aadit Palicha, Co-Founder & CEO, Zepto, received the award of the Best Digital Person of the Year: Digital Trailblazer. Jar was selected for the award as the Best Digital Start-Up of the Year.
Mr. Asbe was selected for the Best Digital Person of the Year: Impact Legend award in recognition of his being one of the architects of lasting influence in the digital domain. The award underlines his sustained excellence, unparalleled contributions, and visionary leadership that has redefined industries.
Mr. Pandey was adjudicated the Best Digital Person of the Year: Growth Catalyst in honour of his being one of the driving forces behind ventures that accelerate growth and impact. The award recognizes his role in the digital sector as a change-maker, who bridges the gap between innovation and sustained success, shaping the evolution of their industries.
Mr. Palicha’s award for being the Best Digital Person of the Year: Digital Trailblazer celebrates his role in the industry as a pioneer, known for his innovative approach, challenging traditional norms and setting new benchmarks. His lasting contribution to the digital domain is in carving out niche solutions and building strong foundations for future success.

Mr. Sanjay Sindhwani, CEO, The Indian Express Digital presenting the trophy for the Best Digital Start-Up of the Year to Mr. Akashdeep Singal, Head of Marketing, Jar
Jar became the Best Digital Start-Up of the Year as a company pertaining to the arena of Internet or Mobile that was started or incorporated on or after 01 January 2020 and has demonstrated commendable growth in its operations at a brisk pace and promises to make it big in the industry in near future.
The award for the Best Digital Agency of the Year – Gold went to Interactive Avenues, and the one for the Best Digital Agency of the Year – Silver was won by PivotRoots.
For a complete list of the IDA 2025 categories and winners please visit: India Digital Awards 2025 | About IDA
The bouquet of the Digital Responsibility Awards (DRA) has been instituted by IAMAI with a focused view to address the issue of digital divide in India by encouraging digital enterprises and entrepreneurs to walk the extra mile in this regard. DRA recognise and celebrate companies who have displayed exceptional initiatives to bridge the digital disparities through various activities. The DRA 2025 was given away in eight categories. Below is the full list of the winners:

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Partners of India Digital Summit
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