In the wake of India’s imminent entry into a new era of digital transformation, the Digital Acceleration and Transformation Expo (DATE) marked a significant milestone at the recently inaugurated Yashobhoomi (IICC Dwarka) on November 23rd-24th, 2023. This event served as a global platform for tech leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs to gauge India’s vision of becoming a global innovation hub.
The inauguration of DATE, celebrated as India’s most impactful Digital Acceleration and Transformation Expo, was led by the Honourable Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. Notable figures such as Honourable MP Shri Tejasvi Surya, Shri Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, a strategic partner of DATE Maharaja of Mysore & Chairman of Cyberverse Foundation, Shri Maharaj Saheb Mandhatasinh Jadeja of Rajkot, along with Trescon’s Founder & Chairman Mr. Mohammed Saleem, Vice Chairman Mr. Mithun Shetty, and Group CEO Mr. Naveen Bharadwaj, also graced the occasion.
Addressing various topics like financial inclusion, fintech opportunities, data aggregation, and cyber safety, Smt. Sitharaman set the tone for the event and said “DATE stands as the need of the hour, offering Indian youth a vital platform for information, networking, and talent showcasing. The organizers’ understanding and collaboration with diverse partners have brought this expo to Delhi, ensuring two impactful days for those keen in this field. This event, a testament to India’s lead in nurturing young talent, beckons passionate individuals to benefit from its extensive networking opportunities.”
Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, highlighted India’s rapid ascent as the fastest-growing digital economy, emphasizing the significance of AI as one of the key recent inventions and mentioned “While we envision AI to become a kinetic enabler and accelerant for our digital economy and innovation economy, safety and trust in these platforms remain paramount.”
Celebrating the success of DATE, Mr. Saleem said, “DATE is Trescon’s commitment to host a global standard event that truly fosters a secure and inclusive digital environment in India. With 8,000+ registrations from across India including Government Officials, Founders, CEOs, CIOs and Investors, Tech leaders & Startup Founders, and 100+ exhibitors & partners showcasing innovation across various domains like artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity, drones, data analytics, digital marketing, electric mobility, e-gaming, fintech, generative ai, hyper computing, IoT, metaverse, robotics, web3 and quantum computing, DATE’s outcome has been unprecedented and a talk of the nation”.
With three dynamic conference stages featuring over 100 speakers engaged in thought-provoking panel discussions, tech talks, keynote presentations, and fireside chats, DATE’s inaugural edition underscored a robust demand for transformative technology.
One notable session was the fireside chat on ‘Digital India: Accelerating Economic Growth and Sustainability’ between Shri Sanjeev Sanyal, Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), Government of India and Ranganath M.D. Chairman, Catamaran Ventures, providing insights into India Stack 2.0, AI regulations, alternative energy, and more.
A departure from the norm, the fireside chat on ‘Confessions of a Startup Founder’ between Swati Bhargava, Co-Founder, CashKaro and EarnKaro,and Reshma Budhia, Director & Co-Founder, Toss The Coin, offered candid insights into the challenges and triumphs of their entrepreneurial journey.
Mr. Bharadwaj emphasized DATE’s impact on social innovation and said “At DATE, in addition to sparking transformative business discussions, social impact, youth empowerment & real investments were prioritized as we launched the Women in Media Council (a consortium for global female media professionals to collaborate); Smart 1,000 (a partnership initiative between Trescon Foundation & Yuva Unstoppable to transform 1,000 schools in rural areas of India); Cyber Safe Girl (a security awareness book in its 6th version by Dr. Ananth Prabhu); Future of Tech (a book authored by a 14 year child prodigy Karthik Jakhar) and more. Regional pitch competitions for prestigious Fintech World Cup (finals during Dubai Fintech Summit 2024) & Startup World Cup (finals in San Francisco) were held. Multiple startups received investment commitments and 2 were publicly disclosed.”
Shri Wadiyar highlighted the event’s huge success and said “We extend our gratitude & sincere appreciation to Honourable Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, and Honourable Minister of State, Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar for gracing DATE with their presence and invaluable insights. We thank Trescon for launching such an impactful, inspiring and fun event in India. The success of the launch edition makes the industry even more eager for the next edition of DATE India which is expected to be held in September 2024”.
Along with robots on stage, the attendees also experienced capture boards, a cosplay competition, and a live gaming competition with India’s prominent gamer Mavi and a host of onsite activites which proved to be a nouvelle experience and stood out compared to the other run of the mill tech events.
Anticipation is high for the next edition of DATE. For further details, visit www.datewithtech.com.
DATE India is supported by a diverse array of sponsors and partners, including:
- Powered by BSV Blockchain,
- Lead Sponsor: Demandify Media, Karix,
- Platinum Sponsor: New Relic, Kaleyra, ai,
- Gold Sponsor: KonfHub, BattleXo, B Live EV Store, Torsecure Cyber LLP,
- Silver Sponsor: Truecaller Business, Haptik, Talkk.ai, Northern Arc, XLNC Academy,
- Premium Bronze Sponsor: Toss the coin,
- Bronze Sponsor: GeoPITS, NeoSOFT, Infiflex, TeleCMI, Spine Korea, SimpleCRM, Zoho, Signzy, OneLogin, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tally, Qodequay Technologies,
- Mobility Partner: EVeium Smart Mobility,
- Strategic Partner: Cyberverse Foundation,
- Supporting Partners: STPI and FICCI,
- Innovation Partner: DIFC Innovation Hub,
- Entrepreneurship Partner: TiE Delhi-NCR,
- Woman Empowerment Partner: WICCI,
- MSME Development Partner: MSME Promotion Council,
- Strategic Fintech Partner: MENA Fintech Association,
- Energy Neutrality Partner: Tokere,
- Association Partners: Federation of All India IT Association, Goa Technology Association, Data Security Council of India, Gujarat Electronics and Software Industries Association, Federation of IT Associations of Gujarati, Fintech Association of Japan, ACIC Rise Association, Hashtagweb3.org, International Federation of Investors’ Association, India Small Businesses & Franchise Association, The London Institute of Banking and Finance,
- Ecosystem Partner: IVCA Association,
- Official Media Partner: Press Trust of India,
- Official Print Media Partner: Business Standard,
- Online News Partner: Business Wire India,
- Official Digital News Partner: TV9 Network,
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