ObserveNow Media announces the successful conclusion of the 2nd edition of the Super 40 Digital Native Summit & Awards, held in Bangalore this year. The summit centered around “AI-Powered Transformation: The Digital Native Imperative,” served as a critical forum for examining the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on digital transformation processes.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed partners, whose unwavering support contributed to the resounding success of 2nd edition of the Super 40 Digital Native Summit & Awards. Our sponsors included Tech Giants like – Niveus Solutions, Google Cloud, Hitachi Vantara, Ctrl S, ZScaler, MongoDB,  Imperva, A Thales Company, Truecaller Business, MeitY Start Up Hub, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, T- Hub, Pleasin Strides Foundation.

The summit commenced with a Welcome Address by Riya Adlakha, Assistant Editor at ObserveNow Media. She articulated the rapid expansion of Digital Native (DN) accounts and their integral role in facilitating Digital Transformation (DX) initiatives.

In the Keynote Address, Saurabh K. Mehta, Head of Growth Startups, India South at Google Cloud, delivered a compelling presentation that set the stage for the day’s discussions on the transformative potential of AI and its implications for digital strategies.

The dynamic Panel Discussions served as the heart of Super 40 Digital Native Summit & Awards:

The first-panel discussion, “Decoding the Tech-Enthused Mind: Investigating the Mindset of Brands Building for the Modern Indian Consumer,” brought together industry leaders to explore:

• How brands can effectively adopt digital first strategies to engage with today’s tech-savvy Indian audience.

• Embracing technological advancements and adapting to cultural contexts

• Ethical considerations for brands to be able to  forge stronger connections and drive meaningful engagement with their target audiences.

Our esteemed panellists:

– Moderator: Amit Tenglikar, Director, Cyber, Grant Thornton Bharat LLP

–Vaibhav Tewari, Co-founder & CEO, Portea Medical

–Abhishek Kumar, Co-founder & CTO, Xoxoday

–Yash Dayal, CTO, Wakefit

–Vivek Garg, AVP, Swiggy

–Adarsh Prabhu, Associate Director,  Technology Application Modernization, Niveus

–Sachin Kamaladharan, Field Sales Manager, Google Cloud

Vaibhav Tewari, Co-founder & CEO, Portea emphasised, “Technology, data analytics, AI, and digitalization are transforming consumer brands by personalizing approaches that consider cultural nuances in a diverse country like India. Navigating the ethical and regulatory aspects of data use and detailed consumer engagement is crucial.”

The second panel discussion, “Embracing Zero Trust Security for Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape,” provided a comprehensive exploration around:

• Zero Trust model &  and its critical role in how organizations are increasingly turning to innovative security models to protect their digital assets.

• Organizations uplifting behavioral analytics and AI to enhance Zero Trust security measures

• Best Practices for organisations to ensure compliance while maintaining robust security?

Our esteemed panellists:

• Moderator: Piyush Bajpai, Director – Cyber | Technology & Transformation, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP

–Suresh Sharma, CISO, PayU

–Yashraaj Balaga, Co-Founder & CTO, Ashield

–Satyajeet Kumar, Director, Trust & Safety, PhonePe

–Sashank Dara, CTO , CISO & Cofounder, Seconize

–Bimal Bhattacharya, President – Engineering, Mirafra Technologies

–Sreejith Vijayendran, Director of Engineering – Infrastructure, Meesho

–Krishnamurthy Rajesh, Global Director & Head -IT, GreyOrange

–Chanchal Kaur, Technical Evangelist, Digital Native Business, Zscaler India

Satyajeet Kumar, Director, Trust & Safety, PhonePe highlighted “ZTA is a fundamental shift in the mindset towards cybersecurity and ensures that a proactive and robust mindset is applied to identity verification procedures. The panel brought out perspectives on what it means for different types of businesses to adopt and deal with the nuances of cybersecurity via ZTA, especially the aspects of regulatory compliance and balancing cost vs addressing the evolving threat landscape.”

“In the present security environment, Zero Trust has become essential as Identity and Access Management (IAM) has expanded beyond traditional organizational limits to a more interconnected global framework. As the first line of defense , Zero Trust is no longer a choice but a mandatory approach for organizations. Adopting Zero Trust principles enables organizations to effectively identify and monitor User Behavior Analysis (UBA), which is crucial for detecting and responding to potential security incidents. Furthermore, integrating Zero Trust with advanced security technologies such as XDR and SOC enhances overall protection in an increasingly complex threat landscape.” said Krishnamurthy Rajesh, Global Director & Head -IT, GreyOrange

The third panel discussion, “Cloud Migration and Digital Transformation: The Digital Native Approach,” emphasized on:

• For digital natives, cloud migration isn’t just about technology—it’s about agility and scalability.

• The strategies for incorporating legacy systems into a cloud-first strategy.

• Best practices offering a roadmap for organizations to leverage cloud solutions for businesses to pivot quickly, respond to market demands, and innovate without traditional constraints.

Our esteemed panellists:

– Moderator:  Jithendran C K, CTO, Blubirch

–Ishaan Bansal, CTO, Bolt.Earth

–Navneet Kumar, CTO, CARD91

–Sandesh Gs, CTO, Bureau

–Sudheer Kumar, Director Engineering, Jupiter Money

–Ankush Bansal, Vice President, CtrlS

“Cloud migration plays a crucial role in enhancing customer experiences and delivering personalized services by providing scalability, flexibility, and advanced data management Cloud platforms enable centralized data storage and real-time analytics, allowing companies to gain valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviors, which can be used to tailor personalized services and recommendations. Additionally, cloud-based solutions support omni-channel customer interactions, creating consistent and seamless experiences across different platforms, such as web and mobile. They also enable faster deployment of new features and updates, allowing businesses to respond quickly to market changes and customer feedback,” said Navneet Kumar, CTO, CARD91.

Sudheer Kumar, Director Engineering, Jupiter Money highlighted, “Building Fintech products/services on cloud enables auto-scaling with high reliability. It is important that digital natives implement disaster recovery strategy within/across cloud providers.”

The fourth panel discussion, “Generative AI & the Future of Innovation for Digital Natives: Navigating Opportunities and Challenges,” took center stage to discover:

• AI enabling digital natives to innovate faster and more creatively than ever before.

• The challenges of implementing Generative AI—such as ensuring transparency and managing AI-driven disruptions.

• Analyzing the potential economic impact of Generative AI on job markets and its role in driving industry innovation.

• Ethical challenges of Generative AI and how policy frameworks and technological safeguards can address them.

Our esteemed panellists: 

• Moderator: Aditya Nanda, Regional VP-DNB & Mid Market, MongoDB

–Rajamohan, CTO, Bonito Designs

–Ashish Sharma, CBO, PhysicsWallah

–Tanin Chakraborty, Sr. Director & Global DPO, Biocon Biologics Ltd

–Rithish Saralaya, Sr. VP Engineering, Redbus

–Vishal Ramrakhyani, SVP, Head of Engineering, Zoomcar

–Biru Kumar, VP Engineering, Betterhalf

–Abhishek Dutta, Director – Data Science, AI & Digital, Affine

–Kumar Rangarajan, Co-Founder, Slang Labs

–Chetan B R, Cloud Sales, Google Cloud

–Yash Gupta, Co-Founder, Nova Benefits

“Zoomcar has introduced its new GenAI-based multi-lingual assistant, designed to support new hosts with instant, accurate answers to all their queries—no need to wait for customer support. This is just the beginning, as we’re also exploring how GenAI can further enrich our product details page, making the experience even more seamless for our guests”, said Vishal Ramrakhyani, SVP, Head of Engineering, Zoomcar.

Yash Gupta, Co-Founder, Nova Benefits emphasised, “Nova is leveraging GenAI by converting unstructured hospitalization documents into structured data, making the claims process smoother and more efficient. We’re also using AI to decode complex business insurance policies, empowering our team to provide clearer, more informed guidance to our clients. These innovations underscore our commitment to harnessing AI for better customer experiences and operational excellence.”

The summit concluded with a powerful keynote address by Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation, on “The Transformational Journey of Digi Yatra.” He highlighted Digi Yatra’s commitment to revolutionizing the travel experience through seamless, contactless, and secure digital solutions, reflecting broader initiatives aimed at fostering innovation and digital transformation across sectors. The address underscored the importance of embracing technology to drive efficiency, enhance user experiences, and propel India into a new era of digital leadership.

The evening brimmed with the Super 40 Award Ceremony, celebrating the remarkable achievements within the digital native community and recognizing excellence across various domains.

The list of winners is as below:

1. Founder with Exceptional Leadership: Abhishek Kumar, Group CTO, Xoxoday by Giift

2. Data Privacy Officer of the Year: Tanin Chakraborty, Sr. Director & Global DPO, Biocon Biologics Ltd.

3. Young Entrepreneur with Outstanding Vision: Sameer Shashank Gattupalli, Co-Founder & CEO ,MoneyPlanned

4. Digital Transformation Trailblazer Award: Priya, CTO, Happiest Minds Technologies Ltd

5. Best Use of AI: Abhishek Dutta, Global Director – Data Science & Consulting, Affine

6. Changemakers in Social Entrepreneurship: Sandesh GS, CTO, Bureau

7. Founder with Exceptional Leadership: Akhil Gupta, Co-Founder and Chief Product & Technology Officer, NoBroker Technologies

8. Changemakers in Social Entrepreneurship: Sashank Dara, CTO, CISO & Co-Founder, Seconize

9. Best use of AI: Varun Kumar Modi, CTO, Brightmoney

10. Top Travel Startup: Vishal Ramrakhyani, SVP & Head of Engineering, Zoomcar

11. Startup with Exceptional Innovation: Vaibhav Tewari, Co-Founder & CEO, Portea Medical

12. Cybersecurity and Risk Management in B2B Environments: Suresh Sharma, CISO, PayU

13. Best Technology Startup of the Year: Jharna Saha, Co-Founder, EPVI New Technological Epoch

14. Best B2B Startup: Shivakumar Kuppannan, CEO, Star Systems India

15. Best Technology Startup of the Year: Kamalaakar Devaki, Founder & CEO, SandLogic Technologies

16. Leading Blockchain Startup: Wilson Bright, CEO, BlockSurvey

17. Cybersecurity and Risk Management in B2B Environments: Yashraaj Balaga, Co-Founder & Head Of Product Engineering, AShield Technologies

18. Best Technology Startup of the Year: Jithendran C K, CTO, Blubirch

19. Startup with Exceptional Innovation: Ashish Dokania, CEO, Green Tiger Mobility

20. Best use of AI: Manish Pandya, Founder & MD, NileForge Technology

21. Best Social Impact Startup: Sachin Nandwana, Co-Founder & Director, BigHaat

22. Cybersecurity and Risk Management in B2B Environments: Bipin Sadashiv Lokegaonkar, Head Cloud & OT security, Tata Communications

23. Most Innovative Concept: Yash Gupta, Co-Founder & CTO, Nova Benefits

24. Best use of AI: Krishnamurthy Rajesh, Global Director & Head – Information Technology, GreyOrange

25. Startup with Exceptional Innovation: Biru Kumar, VP Engineering, Betterhalf

26. Most Promising Fintech Company of the Year: Rajamohan, CTO, Bonito Designs

27. Best use of AI: Yash Dayal, CTO, Wakefit

28. Best Social Impact Startup: Richa Singh, Founder & CEO, YourDOST

29. Most Promising Fintech Company of the Year: Navneet Kumar, CTO, CARD91

30. B2B Entrepreneur of the Year: Ajay Tiwari, CEO & Co-Founder, HappyLocate Relocation Services

31. Young Entrepreneur with Outstanding Vision: Kiran Poojary, CTO, Simple Energy

32. Best Use of AI: Siddharth Tripathi, CEO, Desi Vocal

33. B2B Entrepreneur of the Year: Gautam Pillai, Co Founder & CRO, CloudDBTech

34. Best Use of AI: Kumar Ranaranjan, Co-Founder, Slang Labs

35. Best Use of AI: Anoop Kumar Mishra, Sr. Director & Head of Data Platform, Ace Turtle

36. Changemakers in Social Entrepreneurship: Hilal Ahmad Lone, CISO, Razorpay

ObserveNow Media extends its deepest gratitude to all speakers, panellists, partners, and attendees for their invaluable contributions, which made this summit a resounding success. The insights and discussions will undoubtedly continue to influence the trajectory of AI-driven digital transformation.