Bharat Network Group (BNG) has successfully concluded the second edition of CIO Horizon 2026 – Where Vision Becomes Direction, held from 3–5 July 2026 at Ramada by Wyndham Hotel & Convention Center, Lucknow, bringing together an influential gathering of CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, CDOs, technology leaders, industry experts, and technology partners from across India.
Over three days, the summit served as a premier platform for strategic dialogue, knowledge sharing, collaboration, and business networking, focusing on Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud, data, enterprise transformation, leadership, and innovation.
The event commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Ashish Srivastava, Founder & Director, Bharat Network Group, followed by the ceremonial lamp-lighting by Dr. Ashish Srivastava, Dr. Anupam Gupta, Atul Pandey, Rajnish Gupta, MD & Country Manager – India Region, Tenable, and Prarthana Gupta, Founder & CMD, Cache Digitech | Vyuhai.ai. The opening ceremony also featured the official launch of the latest edition of Tech Disruptor Media Magazine, celebrating thought leadership and technological innovation, followed by an introduction to the myBNG App by Atul Pandey, showcasing the platform’s capabilities for networking and delegate engagement.
The summit featured a series of insightful industry presentations from leading technology organizations. Trisha Sinha Roy, Regional SE – India West, Tenable, presented “Beyond Discovery – Navigating Cyber Exposure in the Age of AI,” while Achin Aggarwal, Director – Enterprise & Mid Market – North & East India, Arista Networks, discussed “AI for Campus Networks.” Chetan Malhotra, Solutions Director, Rapyder, and Meghal Asrani, Regional Director-West, Rapyder Cloud Solutions, shared perspectives on Cloud, Security & Business Transformation, followed by Vivek Thomas, CEO, Quantarra, who spoke on “The Trust Advantage: Simplifying Compliance, Strengthening Resilience.” Rohit Sawhney, Manager, Systems Engineering – Enterprise, Fortinet, explored “Securing and Optimizing in the AI Era.”
One of the most anticipated sessions, “How AI is Redefining Business, Leadership, and Competitive Advantage in the Intelligent Enterprise,” was moderated by Upkar Singh, CIO, Paradeep Phosphates, and featured an esteemed panel comprising Anand Deodhar, Group CIO, Force Motors; Kiran Komatla, Group CTO, Restaurant Brand Asia (Burger King); Sudhir Kanvinde, CIO, The Supreme Industries Ltd; Ravi Kumar, Chief Digital & Information Officer (CDIO), Exide Industries Limited; Umesh Mittal, CIO, Everest Food Products Pvt Ltd; and Sandip Pradhan, Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO), Century Plyboards (I) Limited.
The second day began with a welcome address by Dr. Anupam Gupta, Founder & Director, Bharat Network Group, followed by the cybersecurity-focused panel discussion, “From Chaining of Vulnerabilities to Chaining of Strengths: The Quest for Security,” moderated by Chitti Babu Atreyapurapu, Group CIO, Aurobindo Pharma Ltd. The panel featured Sendil Kumar V, CTO, Shriram Capital; Satish Pengal, VP – IT, Upstox; Ayaskant Mohapatra, CIO, BOB Financial Solutions Limited; B. Sekhar Rao, Founder & CEO, AShield Technologies; and Ankit Goenka, Senior Vice President – Strategy & Transformations, Bajaj General Insurance, who explored cyber resilience, digital trust, exposure management, and the evolving security landscape.
The event also featured an engaging masterclass on “The Future of AI-Native Sales Execution” by Hanuman Kamma, Co-Founder & CEO, Sharpsell.ai, followed by Jinen Dedhia, Co-Founder, DronaHQ, who presented “How to Build the AI Business Case Your CFO Will Approve.” Dr. Arpit Yadav, Chief AI Architect, Fineshift, and Prashant Pokarna, CDO, Fineshift, delivered an insightful session on “Designing Responsible, Secure, Scalable and Optimizing Autonomous AI Systems for Transforming Business and Society.”
Another key discussion, “From Managing Technology to Building Capability: Why Capability Building is Becoming a CIO Imperative,” was moderated by Yogesh Zope, CIO, Bharat Forge Ltd, featuring Krupasindhu Roul, CIO & Head IT, Tube Investments of India Limited; Manjunath Prasad, Head IT, TVS Mobility Pvt Ltd; Dr. Kalyana Chakravarthy, Vice President – Technology, GRT Jewellers India; Pushkar Rege, CIO, UPL; Manoj Kumar, Group CIO, Shyam Steel Industries Ltd; Shobhana Lele, CIO, Bombay Dyeing; and Hanuman Kamma, Co-Founder & CEO, Sharpsell.ai., highlighting the evolving role of CIOs in developing future-ready organizations through capability building and innovation.
The afternoon featured another thought-provoking panel discussion, “Trusted Data Foundations: The Backbone of AI-Driven Enterprises,” moderated by Meheriar Patel, Group CIO, Master Group, with participation from Sanjay Mishra, Group Chief Digital & Information Officer (CDIO), Jindal Stainless; Dilip Kant Jha, CIO, SLMG Beverages (The Coca-Cola Bottling Company in India); Sandeep Dewangan, President & Group CIO, Safexpress Pvt. Ltd.; Ravi Shankar Srivastava, CIO, Patanjali Foods Ltd – Ruchi Soya; Vinod Bhat, Chief Digital Officer, TATA AutoComp Systems Ltd; Priya Dar, CIO, Valvoline Cummins; Abhijeet Bhattacharjee, CIO, Utkarsh Small Finance Bank; Vamsi Krishna Ithamraju, Chief Digital & Information Officer (CDIO), TeamLease; and Avadhut Parab, CIO, Waaree Group, emphasizing the critical role of trusted data, governance, and analytics in enabling successful AI-driven enterprises.
The summit also featured an engaging fireside chat on “Navigating Growth in the Age of AI: Strategies for Future-Ready Enterprises,” featuring Ramesh Narayanaswamy, Group President – Digital & Data Intelligence, Hinduja Group Limited, in conversation with Jaspreet Singh, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat, where they discussed AI-led business transformation, enterprise strategy, and the future of digital leadership.
A major highlight of the event was the CIO Recognition & Felicitation Ceremony, celebrating visionary technology leaders for their outstanding contributions to digital transformation, innovation, and collaborative excellence. This was followed by the BNG Leadership Rewards Ceremony, recognising delegates for their active participation and engagement through the myBNG App.
The second day concluded with “Raga Ki Sufi Shaam,” an evening of soulful music, networking, and celebration, creating meaningful opportunities for delegates and partners to strengthen relationships beyond the conference environment.
The final day featured a networking breakfast and checkout, followed by a specially curated visit to Ayodhya Dham, providing participants with a memorable cultural and spiritual conclusion to the CIO Horizon 2026 experience.
Reflecting on the success of the summit, the organisers emphasised that CIO Horizon 2026 successfully created a collaborative platform where India’s leading technology leaders exchanged ideas, explored emerging technologies, addressed enterprise challenges, and forged meaningful partnerships that will continue to shape the future of digital enterprises.
Send news announcements/press releases to:
editor@thefoundermedia.com
About The Author
