News Broadcasting
Times Network is all geared up for its second digital India summit & awards 2016
MUMBAI: Times Network, the leading English broadcast network in the country, has unveiled the agenda and list of power-packed speakers for its upcoming Second Digital India Summit & Awards 2016, which are to be held on 22 March in New Delhi.
The Second Digital India Summit will see some of the most important architects of India’s digital revolution congregate for the all-day event. Times Network has organized the significant initiative to take a closer look at India’s progress in the digital world. Union Minister of communications and information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, chief guest of the second digital India summit will deliver the keynote address at the conclave.
The Sessions and Speakers:
Delivering on Digital India Dream: The Story So Far
This session will have panelists like Arvind Gupta (National Head-BJP-IT Cell) Amit Midha (President Dell Asia Pacific & Japan; Chairman, Dell Emerging Markets-) Noshir Kaka (MD – McKinsey India ) Amit Jain (CEO, Uber India), Satyan Gajwani (Managing Director, Times Internet Ltd), R Chandrasekhar (President- NASSCOM);, Karl Mehta (Founder,CEO Edcast) Joe So (Global CTO Enterprise Business Group-Huawei).
This power packed panel will discuss topics like Digital India: Where Do We Stand and Government’s Key Initiatives under Digital India Program which includes Digital Locker, Twitter Samvad, Swach Bharat Mission Mobile App and Jeevan Pramaan.
Building A Digital Economy
The speakers at this session include Arun Tiwari (Chairman & MD – Union Bank of India) Ravinder Pal Singh (Director Solutions Strategy & Biz Development – Dell) Sandeep Aurora (Director, Marketing and Market Development – Intel South Asia), , Milind Bengali (Chief Operating Officer, Business Operations – GTL Infrastructure Ltd), Chandan Kumar (Director, Marketing and Integrated Solutions – Huawei Telecommunications India Pvt.Ltd) Jagdish Mitra (Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer, Head Growth Factories – Tech Mahindra). They will discuss Roadmap To Change India’s Future and throw light on India’s Digital Population that is transforming economy, business landscape, governance and society alike.
Digital India – Developing Digital Entrepreneurs
This important topic will be explored by eminent speakers like Ravi Gururaj (Chairman – Founder & CEO QikPod & NASSCOM Product Council), Sharad Sharma (Co-Founder – iSpirt) Saurabh Srivastava (Entrepreneur & Co-Founder – Indian Angel Network), Kavin Bharti Mittal,Founder & CEO,Hike Messenger, Sanjeev Aggarwal (Founder– Helion Ventures), Sanjay Sethi (Founder & CEO – ShopClues), Mahesh Murthy (Founder & Co-Founder – Pinstorm & Seedfund). The panelists of the third session will discuss about how the internet is enabling entrepreneurs to tap the big Indian e-commerce opportunity. They will also talk about the entrepreneurial opportunities at the intersection of Make in India and Digital India.
Making India an Electronics Manufacturing Hub
The panelists on this session include thought leaders like Ajai Chowdhry (Chairman-Electronics Sector Skills Council of India), Sudhir Hasija (Chairman – Karbonn) , Nitin Kunkolienkar (VP & Director-MAIT & Smartlink) , Sunil Vachani (CMD – Dixon Technologies) and Murali Arikara (Executive Director – Essential Energy India Pvt Ltd). They will discuss subjects like Recent Developments and Incentives for Electronics Industry along with the challenges involved.
Developing Digital Workforce
The discussion on this crucial area will have eminent experts like Rahul Patwardhan (CEO – NIIT), Shrikant Sinha (CEO-NASSCOM Foundation), Raj Raghavan (HR Head – Amazon India) , Prithvi Shergill (Global HR – HCL Tech), Raja Sekhar Reddy (Director & Chief Operating Officer – Innovsource Private Limited), Ashok Reddy (Co-Founder – Teamlease), Vivek Madhukar – Chief Operating Officer (Times Business Solutions)and discuss how critical the skilled workforce digital India mission is, and will examine the Government’s measures to enhance digital literacy in the country. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will give a special address on the occasion.
The Digital India Summit will conclude with an award function in the evening, the Digital India Awards, which will continue the objective of showcasing and honoring the most inspirational digital work in the country. Guest of Honour R S Sharma, Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India will give away the awards.
Award categories:
* Good For India’ has Smart City solutions in seven categories – E-governance solutions, E-education learning solutions, E-healthcare delivery solutions, Skills & employment solutions, Energy solutions, Environment solutions and Agricultural Solutions
* Good For Organizations’ has four categories under Digital Enterprise, which are Manufacturing, Services, Digital Start-up Innovators and Digital Social Innovation
The awards have received an overwhelming participation from corporates and individuals. An eminent jury comprising of Aruna Jayanthi, CEO, Capgemini, R Chandrasekhar, President NASSCOM, Kiran Karnik, Chairman, CII, National Committee Telecom & Broadband, & Shinjini Kumar, CEO, Payments Bank, Paytm, Joy Chakraborty – COO – P D Hinduja Hospital, Ashutosh Jain, Chief Information Security Officer, Axis Bank judged the award entries in a daylong session. E&Y is the process partner for the awards.
PARTNERS:
Supporting the Event is the Lead Partner for the Summit and Award Partner for the Awards- Huawei, Our Lead Partners- GTL Infrastructure and Union Bank of India, Recruitment Partner-Times Job, Digital Partner Tech Mahindra, Digital Storage Partner Western Digital, Knowledge Partner MAIT and Tech 4 Good Partner NASSCOM Foundation, Exclusive Chamber Partner FICCI.
News Broadcasting
News18 hosts Tamil Nadu town hall ahead of 2026 polls
MK Stalin headlines ‘Next Big Leap’ event from 10am on 23 February in Chennai with leaders and icons.
MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu’s political pot is simmering and News18’s town hall is stirring it up just in time for the 2026 assembly elections boilover. Set for 23 February from 10am onwards in Chennai, the News18 Network Town Hall gathers heavyweights under the banner ‘The Next Big Leap for Tamil Nadu’ to dissect the state’s political pulse, economic edge, and cultural clout. With the 234-seat assembly contest looming as a fiercely competitive showdown, the event spotlights how Tamil Nadu’s identity-driven politics and engaged voters continue to ripple across national debates.
Chief minister MK Stalin leads the charge with a keynote on the theme, sketching his government’s blueprint for governance, development, and staying power pre-polls. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin chimes in on ‘Voices, Vision & Way Forward’, unpacking generational shifts and fresh narratives. From the opposition corner, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami tackles ‘Baton Change at the Ballot?’, floating alternatives to the status quo.
Economic vibes get a nudge from industries minister TRB Rajaa on ‘Investment Story Intact?’, probing the state’s draw for big bucks. BJP’s K Annamalai dives into ‘People, Trust & Political Ideology’, positioning his party in the Dravidian-dominated turf. IT Minister Palanivel ThiagaRajan explores ‘Code, Capacity & Citizenship’, on tech’s role in citizen-focused services. TVK’s KG Arunraj questions if ‘Winds of Change are Possible’ in this pattern-prone state.
A panel on innovation features IIT Madras director Prof V Kamakoti, M&M’s Velusamy R, and Electronic Industries Association’s Dr Sasikumar Gendham, musing how AI and knowledge hubs are remaking opportunities. Culture gets its due with composer Anirudh Ravichander on ‘Tamil Music for the World’.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar noted, “The News18 Network Tamil Nadu Town Hall… reflects our core editorial focus, to capture the political mood of the state and spotlight the ideas that will shape the next phase of governance and growth.”
Network18, CEO of English & business news Smriti Mehra added, “As Tamil Nadu moves closer to a defining electoral moment… we see it as our responsibility to drive informed and meaningful conversations.”
Network18 managing editor for South, Vivek Narayan said, “The News18 Network Townhall in Tamil Nadu is designed as a platform where policy, politics and public interest intersect.”
Backed by associate partners Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles and Reliance Industries, the live event streams on CNN-News18, News18 Tamil, CTV, and Youtube from 10am on 23 February perfect for catching the sparks, even if you’re not knee-deep in Dravidian drama.
