Shri Babul Supriyo, Hon'ble Minister-in-Charge, Department of Information Technology, Government of West Bengal, delivered an inspiring speech focused on the region's potential to become a major IT hub in India.

He emphasized the government's strategic vision to make Kolkata the next significant IT hub, capable of rivalling cities like Bangalore and Gurgaon. He shared details about the Bengal Silicon Valley, where 38 companies have already committed, with investments totalling around 25,000 crores and the potential to create 40,000 IT jobs. Highlighting the presence of industry giants such as Reliance, TCS, Infosys and L&T, he assured that Kolkata is already attracting the best in business.

He also mentioned the extensive infrastructure development, including 22 government IT parks and 60 private IT parks, aiming to make the region more user and employee-friendly. He cited the government's stability and its impact on business confidence, ensuring that decisions are made swiftly to support enterprises.

Encouraging entrepreneurs to consider Kolkata, he pointed out the advantages of the planned smart city, New Town, which offers a conducive environment for business with ample space and modern amenities. He invited attendees to visit the Bengal Silicon Valley to witness the rapid development and the beautiful infrastructure firsthand.

His vision is to alleviate the overcrowding in traditional IT hubs by promoting Kolkata as an attractive alternative. He highlighted the city's potential to stop the brain drain and provide high-quality jobs for IT professionals. With a commitment to a 24-hour operational ministry, he assured unwavering support for businesses looking to invest in West Bengal. He concluded by expressing optimism about the future of Kolkata in the IT sector, urging attendees to believe in the city's potential and collaborate with the government to achieve shared aspirations. His speech was a call to action for investors and entrepreneurs to contribute to making Kolkata the next big thing in India's IT industry.

Shri Rajeev Kumar, IPS Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Information Technology & Electronics, Government of West Bengal, emphasized the importance of not only focusing on technology but also on goodness.. The Prisoner's Dilemma from game theory was introduced to illustrate the significance of cooperation. It was noted that while intelligence and smartness are often valued, cooperation plays a crucial role in human success.

The discussion extended to the realm of AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), with differing opinions on their potential to surpass human intelligence. 

The current demographic advantage of India was acknowledged, with a call to leverage it effectively. The unique challenges faced by the Indian tech industry were discussed, including the need for improved logistics and aggregation systems. 

Mr. Gopala Ramanan, Vice President & JAPAC Controller, Oracle India, addressed the role of finance in the IT industry, starting with an introduction to his background and experience. He explained how he worked with customers, primarily CFOs and CIOs, to understand their requirements and implement best practices into the Fusion system.

He highlighted the challenges of the ever-changing business world, noting that businesses need systems that can sustain long-term and do more with less. He elaborated on how Oracle Fusion addresses these challenges with its comprehensive systems and innovative solutions. Over the past 20 years, Oracle has acquired over 150 companies, integrating their best-in-class industry verticals into the Fusion system. Mr. Ramanan mentioned notable acquisitions like PeopleSoft and described how these integrations have strengthened Oracle's ERP, supply chain management, human capital management, and customer experience applications.

Mr. Ramanan discussed the advancements in automation within Oracle's financial operations, such as global journal entries and cash predictiveness tools. He explained how automation has reduced manual intervention, improved efficiency, and enabled faster financial closing processes. He also highlighted the role of AI and machine learning in enhancing Oracle's systems, particularly in areas like digital assistants and predictive analysis.

He shared examples of how Oracle has streamlined processes, such as auto-reconciliation of bank statements and automated order processing, to reduce errors and improve efficiency. Mr. Ramanan emphasized Oracle's commitment to innovation and continuous improvement, noting the integration of acquired technologies into the Fusion system to benefit all customers.

Mr. Sudeep Das, addressed the role of cyber security in Environmental Social Governance (ESG) initiatives, starting with an introduction to ESG basics and their importance to businesses. He highlighted examples of ESG practices, such as shifting to renewable energy and using reusable materials, and emphasized how these efforts contribute to environmental preservation and societal improvement. He underscored the need for businesses to understand their environmental impact to implement effective ESG programs. He connected ESG with business success, noting that ESG initiatives often lead to increased profitability and efficiency. He then transitioned to the role of cyber security, arguing that data and technology are crucial for any ESG program's success, and thus, cyber security becomes imperative. He stressed on the need for visibility, risk understanding and communication in cyber security to protect digital assets and ensure the smooth operation of ESG programs. Mr. Das concluded by asserting that cyber security should be integral to any business initiative involving technology and data, reinforcing that secure, well-governed systems are foundational to the success of ESG and other business programs.

Mr. Kasturirangan highlighted that the network industry is undergoing significant changes due to the growing adoption of artificial intelligence and the shift towards diverse network conditions post-COVID.

He noted three major trends: enhanced customer experience, integrated security and automation. Customer experience now emphasizes seamless network access and intelligent issue resolution, while security has shifted to a zero-trust model. Automation and orchestration are becoming critical as networks grow in complexity, enabling rapid deployment and reducing error rates.

Mr. Sengupta elaborated on the evolving landscape, where data is increasingly scattered across multiple data centers due to cloud and SaaS adoption, leading to a reliance on internet access over traditional MPLS networks. He pointed out the significance of 5G in revolutionizing connectivity, although its adoption in corporate segments remains limited due to cost and endpoint support issues.

The discussion then turned to the role of generative AI in network management. Mr. Kasturirangan explained how AI is being used to automate troubleshooting, providing network administrators with real-time insights and diagnostics to quickly resolve issues.

Mr. Rajesh Goel, delivered a comprehensive overview of the challenges posed by disparate systems within organizations and the transformative potential of Oracle ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Cloud. He highlighted how fragmented applications across HR, finance and procurement often lead to operational inefficiencies and hinder growth. These inefficiencies include complex processes for reconciliation and reporting due to data scattered across multiple platforms. Such challenges not only impede agility but also pose barriers to scaling operations effectively.

Mr.Goel mentioned Oracle ERP Cloud as a solution that integrates these disparate systems into a unified platform. This integration allows for streamlined processes such as procure-to-pay and hire-to-retire, facilitating smoother operations and faster decision-making. Moreover, Oracle's ERP Cloud offers real-time insights and analytics, enabling organizations to make informed decisions promptly. 

He highlighted Oracle's commitment to innovation, with regular updates and enhancements delivered through Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), ensuring that businesses can stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

In this session the importance of linking digital and sustainable transformation for future business success was highlighted. The challenges technology leaders face in this process and emphasized the need for strategic questions about maintaining innovation and building a sustainable future was also acknowledged. HP offers sustainable IT solutions from Edge to Cloud, aiding organizations in modernizing their IT strategies through pathways like HP Green Lake. These solutions focus on enhancing operational efficiency, reducing energy consumption and costs, and ensuring full asset life cycle management. HP’s long history in sustainability was emphasized, including their early adoption of CSR and commitment to environmental responsibility since the 1940s. Mr. Dasgupta detailed HP's multiple solutions for sustainability tailored to the Indian market, such as frameworks for climate disclosure and reporting. He underscored HP's unique selling proposition (USP) of providing comprehensive ESG solutions, including training, tools for identifying sustainable partners and achieving Net Zero targets. Additionally, HP’s commitment to sustainability extends across their product lifecycle, from manufacturing with sustainable energy to recycling and upcycling. The HP Green Lake platform was highlighted as a key solution for reducing over-provisioning and lowering operational costs, making sustainability both achievable and profitable. Finally, Mr. Dasgupta addressed the needs of MSMEs, explaining that HP offers affordable ESG solutions tailored to different sectors, ensuring even small and medium-sized enterprises can benefit from sustainable practices.

The session focused on the main drivers behind the current wave of digital disruption and highlighted changes in consumer behaviour. People now prefer the convenience of online shopping, personalized experiences, and digital-first services. The younger, digitally native generation also demands digital experiences. Additionally, growing concerns about sustainability are forcing companies to adopt eco-friendly solutions.

These trends are transforming industries across the board. For example, over 20% of global retail sales now happen online through platforms like Amazon, which has a $2.1 trillion market capitalization. Similarly, over 40% of TV consumption is now through streaming services like Netflix. The rise of ride-sharing apps like Uber, which does 28 million trips per day, is another example of digital disruption.

To succeed in this era of digital disruption, companies need to focus on several key areas. First, they must design digital experiences that cater to diverse user preferences, rather than just digitizing existing processes. Second, they need to leverage data and analytics to personalize offerings. Third, they should leverage cloud and micro services architectures to rapidly innovate. Finally, driving enterprise-wide digital transformation, with buy-in from all departments, is critical for success.

The focus of the discussion was on the transformative era of technological innovation, where AI and generative models are reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace. This discussion aimed to offer valuable insights on leveraging these technologies to enhance efficiency and drive innovation in organizations.

The discussion delved into the rapid integration of generative AI into various sectors, highlighting both excitement and ethical concerns. Panellists provide insights into real-world applications and responsible usage.

Mr. Kalra discussed how AI and the 4D methodology are revolutionizing the banking sector.

Mr. Majumder talked about how AI is driving the digital and content creation revolution, particularly in Bengali media.

Mr. Guha explained how embedding generative AI into products enhances business processes, emphasizing built-in AI capabilities.

Mr. Nama, highlighted the importance of digital infrastructure and AI operations in democratizing AI initiatives.

Mr. Raj He emphasized the importance of understanding both the "what" and "how" of democratization. He highlighted that large issues like supply chain and ESG involve vast unstructured data, which generative AI now combines with structured data, offering new perspectives. The rapid success of Chat GPT, with 100 million users in two months, exemplifies democratization—no longer do users need to be data scientists to leverage technology. Generative AI compresses global information into one accessible file, empowering everyone to build their models and businesses, marking unprecedented democratization.

Mr.Kalra discussed how banks have adopted AI for financial intelligence and process automation. Generative AI promises improvements in productivity and customer experience, but data confidentiality and compliance are critical. Internally, banks create data lakes for easy access and processing, while externally, they partner with service providers to help clients leverage AI for business insights, all while maintaining data privacy.

During the audience Q&A, Mr. Guha addressed data security with generative AI, ensuring that Oracle does not access or use customer data for training or inferencing, keeping data private and secure. On the issue of hallucinations in AI models, prompt engineering was recommended to make questions more specific and contextual, with human oversight being crucial. Another point raised was the use of other AI techniques beyond large language models (LLMs), such as smaller, more targeted models tailored to specific business needs, to minimize computational and environmental costs.

The panellists closed by emphasizing the importance of balancing democratization with data governance, security, and human-centric adoption processes. They stressed starting small, ensuring data privacy, and gradually scaling up AI initiatives across the organization.

In the session, it was conveyed that businesses today face increasing challenges due to digital transformation and economic volatility. AeroD, a global professional services organization, was introduced as a solution, offering 360° IT and management solutions through various products to help businesses improve their operations.

Mr. Roy provided an overview of MSTC, a central government PSU under the Ministry of Steel, which specializes in e-commerce services like e-auction, e-procurement, and custom software development. It was highlighted that MSTC has been involved in various sectors, including mining, telecom, power, and agriculture.

Mr.Sohel explained BASIS's role as the apex body for software and information services in Bangladesh, focusing on policy making, market development, and capacity building. He emphasized the collaboration opportunities with MSTC and the benefits of leveraging existing solutions rather than redeveloping them.

The discussion concluded with a focus on the future steps for collaboration. It was mentioned that MSTC and BASIS are exploring opportunities to work together, with expectations for formal outcomes and progress to be made within the year. The session ended with an invitation for questions from the audience, indicating ongoing optimism for successful collaboration.

In the session, it was shared that Tally Solutions, established 40 years ago, had significantly transformed operations for small and medium enterprises by moving from manual to computerized systems. The narrative focused on how Tally had evolved to address challenges faced by businesses, including financial and inventory management. About six years ago, Tally had expanded into the government sector and enterprise solutions, aiming to assist large enterprises and their channel partners with stock and sales visibility.

The benefits of Tally’s solutions, such as automated order processing and price control, were discussed. Tally had been instrumental in helping various industries, including cement, tire, and fast-moving consumer goods. Emphasis was placed on the integration of Tally with other systems through APIs and its recent transition to a cloud-based platform with AWS for improved efficiency.

The session highlighted Tally’s role in enabling data accessibility and real-time insights for both channel partners and principal companies. It was mentioned that Tally was involved in pilot projects exploring new solutions and would soon introduce its first AI product to further enhance business insights. The founder’s quote was shared, stating that there are businesses using Tally and those that will use Tally in the future.

Mr. Charly Graf, emphasized the importance of data privacy and governance, noting that smaller organizations often overlook these aspects, assuming they are only relevant for larger entities or regulated industries. Mr. Graf advocated for proactive measures in cyber security, highlighting that any action is better than inaction.

He discussed key compliance obligations under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023, which includes requirements for explicit consent, data breach notifications, and data localization. He also compared these with European standards and emphasized the importance of integrating privacy and security into organizational design.

A Q&A session followed, during which Mr. Graf addressed questions on sustainability solutions and the availability of open-source software for corporate responsibility. He acknowledged the challenges and commercial aspects of such tools and advocated for a conceptual shift towards valuing and protecting data as a critical asset. The session concluded with a formal acknowledgment of Mr. Graf's contributions.

The session's focus was on enhancing opportunities in Kolkata, emphasizing the city's potential as a major IT hub. Despite some clichés, the discussion highlighted Kolkata's strengths: a vibrant talent pool, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and a favorable cost of living. The optimism for Kolkata as the next big IT destination was palpable, with predictions of significant growth in the coming decade.

Mr. Shantanu Ghosh, provided an overview of Kolkata's real estate market. He noted a growth from 1 billion square feet to an anticipated 1.67 million square feet by the end of 2024. Despite comparing favorably with other cities like Pune and Chennai, Kolkata still faces challenges, including perception issues and a shortage of Global Capability Centers (GCCs). He emphasized the need to change perceptions and leverage the city's strengths.

Mr. Chandrakirti Roy highlighted the company's significant presence in Kolkata with over 7,000 employees. He discussed the challenges of overcoming negative perceptions and emphasized that Kolkata remains an attractive location due to its talent pool and supportive government initiatives. Tele performance plans to continue its expansion, reflecting confidence in the city's growth.

Mr. Amit Srivastava discussed the company's growth in Kolkata from 3,000 to 4,000 employees. He noted Kolkata's competitive advantages, including talent, cost efficiency, and property costs. However, he called for more proactive efforts from both corporate and government to improve the city's image and capitalize on the growth potential. Amit emphasized the need for policy development and enhanced outreach to attract more GCCs.

The discussion also touched upon the exit of major companies like Tata from Kolkata, which has left a significant impact. The need for an image makeover and collaboration between the Chamber of Commerce and real estate sectors was highlighted as essential to address these challenges.

The session concluded with a call for collaboration and continued efforts to showcase Kolkata’s strengths and potential.