2024 International India Conference Agenda

S. Krishnan, I.A.S., Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India

S. Krishnan is posted as Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India since 11th September, 2023. He has earlier served as Additional Chief Secretary, Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce Department, Government of Tamilnadu during March, 2020 to August, 2023. Of the 1989 batch of the Indian Administrative Service, he has also been Additional Chief Secretary in the Finance Department and Principal Secretary in the Housing and Urban Development and in the Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Departments. He was the founder CEO of the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Board. He has also served as the Chairman of the Fifth Tamil Nadu State Finance Commission. He served as the Senior Advisor in the Office of the Executive Director for India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan in the International Monetary Fund (Washington DC) and represented the Government of India in the G20 Expert Groups on International Financial Architecture and Global Financial Safety Nets. In the Government of India, he has been Deputy Director in the LBSNAA (Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration) for 4 years from 2000 to 2004 and Private Secretary to the Union Finance Minister. He was District Collector of Virudhunagar District where he calmed a volatile situation and ensured implementation of development programmes in a 3 years tenure. He was also Deputy Secretary (Budget) in Finance Department for 4 years.

Antony Cook, Microsoft, United States

Antony Cook has over 30 years of experience in the technology sector and more than 20 years at Microsoft. He has gained deep experience in providing legal, regulatory, and public affairs counsel to businesses around the world. Antony leads Microsoft’s Customer and Partner Solutions group (CPS), a team comprised of more than 380 legal and government affairs professionals located in over 50 countries around the world. He oversees all the legal support for Microsoft’s worldwide commercial sales organization, while also helping to ensure Microsoft’s business is conducted in a trustworthy and compliant manner. The CPS organization also pioneers new legal and corporate affairs solutions that advance business goals to benefit consumers, industry partners, and communities. Before coming to the Microsoft headquarters based in Redmond, WA, Antony was based in Singapore, leading the team providing legal and government affairs support for the Microsoft Asia sales business. Prior to that, he was in Istanbul and then Dubai as Associate General Counsel, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Middle East, and Africa. In addition to his work at Microsoft, Antony is a member of both the Executive Committee of the Board of the National Center for APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and the World Justice Project Rule of Law Leadership Council. He is also on the Advisory Board for the Singapore Management University School of Law.

AI is here to stay! Join this session and delve into the dynamic landscape of AI. Explore the unique challenges and opportunities presented by AI technologies. Discover innovative approaches and best practices for harnessing AI’s transformative potential to drive sustainable growth and societal impact.

Speakers:

Aditi Agrawal, Hindustan Times, India – Moderator

Aditi Agrawal is a special correspondent at Hindustan Times where, as a part of the Political Bureau, she covers the Ministries of Communications; Electronics and Information Technology; and Information and Broadcasting; and Election Commission. She has been reporting on issues related to privacy, surveillance, cybersecurity, online free speech intermediary liability, traceability and regulation of Big Tech for the last five years.

Aprajita Rana, AZB & Partners, India

Aprajita is a legal and policy strategist working in intersection of law, technology, and global development. Her expertise extends across many sectors, including Technology, Privacy & Cybersecurity, ESG & Sustainability, Healthcare, Telecommunications, Gender, Business & Human Rights, and E-commerce. Her practice and policy interests include use of data sovereignty legislations by States to shape digital rights, intermediary governance, misinformation, national security, and artificial intelligence and the law. She engages with the Government of India in connection with shaping emerging legislation in her interest areas. She is an adviser and commentator on adoption of emerging tech and artificial intelligence for profit oriented and public good initiatives, and has advised various technology companies, international development organizations, startups across diverse use cases including healthcare, sanitation, technology inclusion for women, child protection, gender equality, manufacturing, retail, and agriculture. Aprajita is a Partner in the TMT and General Corporate practice in AZB & Partners, is a graduate of the Harvard Law School, a Chevening Fellow, CIPP/E certified, and is admitted to the Indian, UK and New York bar.

Kailash Nadh, Zerodha, India

Hobbyist open source developer. CTO @ Zerodha. PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Computational Linguistics.

Avi Das, FTI Consulting India, India

Avigyan (Avi) Das is a seasoned professional with expertise in technology and analytics in cross-border and regulatory investigations.  Avi serves as a leader in the Technology segment’s practice in India. He brings more than 18 years of experience in digital forensics, eDiscovery, financial crime compliance, regulatory investigations, and data governance. Avi provides technology leadership and solutions for global clients facing a wide range of data challenges and investigations, including remediation, fraud, corruption, financial crime, and regulatory compliance inquiries. He has strong experience in large-scale multi-jurisdictional investigation and developing bespoke workflows for large corporate and financial services. Avi supports clients in developing complex programs to drive efficiencies and improve outcomes in litigation and other legal matters and has managed responses to data breaches, risk and compliance programs, and large-scale remediations.  Avi also supports solution development and implementation for the segment’s Information Governance, Privacy & Security offerings. He is experienced working with client and regulatory bodies across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Before joining FTI Consulting, Avi held senior roles at various consulting firms, including serving in data analytics, e-discovery services, and digital forensics practices within a “Big Four” firm. In his previous role as an associate managing director with Exiger, he led the global data analytics function and played a key role in implementing and mobilizing e-discovery and data analytics services. He also managed quality assurance teams and ensured that high delivery standards were maintained for data preservation and search, review, and subsequent production of data to regulators and counsel.

Legal roadblock? Two laws clashing on your case? This session explores the “generalis specialibus non derogat” principle, where things general do not derogate from things special. Learn how to identify the “specific” law that holds power in your case, balance sectoral compliance with general legal compliance, and anticipate challenges.

Speakers:

Shahana Chatterji, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co., India – Moderator

Shahana Chatterji is a Partner with the Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs team at the Firm. Prior to Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, she has worked with S&R Associates, New Delhi and the U.S. Congress, Washington D.C. Shahana has been deeply involved with policy and regulatory issues both in India and in the United States. She has worked with a Representative at the U.S. Congress, Washington D.C., engaging in expansive legislative and policy matters ranging from healthcare to financial reforms. Before working with the U.S. Congress, she worked extensively on capital markets and corporate finance transactions and advised clients on foreign investment and financial regulatory issues here in India. She currently works on a range of regulatory matters with a specialization in data and emerging technology, and technology aspects of the highly regulated sectors in India (such as healthcare and financial services). With an unparalleled understanding of law and policy making processes, she provides cutting edge solutions involving law making and legal and regulatory assistance on all data governance and emerging technology issues. She has also been at the forefront of significant developments in the highly regulated sectors in India and she uses this expertise to inform her advice on data governance issues as they interplay with these sectors.

Sujay S. Vasudevan, M2P Fintech, India

A seasoned banking, and payment expert with over two decades of diverse experience. He has held leadership positions in roles across information security, operations, fraud management, business development and product innovation. His journey spans influential positions at a bank, a leading software company and at card networks. Now steering Risk management at M2P Fintech, located in Mumbai, Sujay brings a comprehensive 360- degree perspective to the dynamic realms of payments and risk management.

Prathyusha Kotamraju, Moneyview, India

After graduating from Gujarat National Law University and obtaining a Masters degree from the National University of Singapore, I worked with Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (erstwhile AMSS) in the Banking and Finance Practice for over 7 years. Moving in-house, I joined Navi, where as the Head of Corporate Legal and Secretarial teams, I built and scaled the team which supported the growth of the personal loans, home loans and ancillary businesses. I am currently the Head of Legal at Moneyview, a leading lending platform for unsecured personal loans.

This session will deal with the challenges posed by traditional IP concepts in the face of AI. Get ready to explore the future of intellectual property and question whether royalties should extend to the digital realm.

Speakers:

Aparajita Lath, National Law School of India, India

Aparajita is an Assistant Professor of Law at the National Law School of India, Bangalore. She graduated from the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata (BA.LLB) and Harvard Law School (LL.M). She has several years of work experience at leading Indian law firms – AZB & Partners and Trilegal. She writes and teaches on areas related to intellectual property rights and technology.

Murali Neelakantan, amicus, India

Murali is a dual-qualified (English solicitor and Indian advocate) with over 25 years of experience in international and Indian law firms. He advises boards and senior management on policy issues in the areas of IPR and healthcare.

Prof. Dr. Avinash Dadhich, Manipal Academy of Law, India

Prof. Dadhich has a rich academic and industry experience with specialization in competition law and & Law /Regulation of AI /Robotics/ Governance of Internet/Data Privacy. He has completed his Ph.D from United Kingdom and LL.M from France on full scholarships and earned LL.B from University of Delhi. He has held the positions of Dean at GLA University, Mathura & IFIM Law School Bengaluru, Advocate, Supreme Court of India, Manager, Deloitte India LLP, Senior Consultant, Ernst & Young (EY) LLP, Law Expert, Competition Commission of India, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Govt. of India, Gide Loyrette Nouel LLP, Paris, France & White & Case LLP, Brussels, Belgium.

Ashwathy Babu Pillai, Microsoft, India

With over 15 years of legal expertise, Ashwathy is a seasoned corporate and technology attorney. She has over 5 years of experience at Microsoft and currently is the CELA India & South Asia Commercial, Regulatory Governance, and Litigation Lead. In this role, she has facilitated seamless legal support for Microsoft India entities, specializing in enterprise sales, channel partner business, marketing, healthcare, and artificial intelligence verticals. Her responsibilities include negotiating transactions, ensuring compliance with anti-bribery regulations, and addressing regulatory governance and litigation matters. Prior to joining Microsoft, they held key legal positions at renowned organizations and have served as Lead Counsel for Software, Watson, and Channel Partners in India/South Asia, managing multi-million-dollar contracts and supporting strategic initiatives like cloud computing and cognitive computing.

Shantanu Sahay, Anand and Anand, India

Shantanu Sahay is a Partner with Anand and Anand Advocates and leads its IT and E-Commerce Law Practice Group. With more than 17 years of extensive experience in intellectual property litigation and advisory. His key focus area includes advising various IT and software clients towards protection and enforcement of their intellectual property rights in India and abroad. Shantanu Sahay has a proven track record of success in protecting the rights of leading software companies like Microsoft Corporation, Dassault Systemes, Business Software Alliance, HCL, Shantanu Sahay’s expertise extends beyond established corporations. He is passionate about fostering innovation and regularly advises IT startups and SMEs on effectively safeguarding their intellectual property rights both domestically and internationally. Shantanu Sahay has also played a key role in negotiating and finalizing crucial IT contracts for various companies and advising them on data privacy and related issues.

Not every deal goes according to plan. This session offers insights through real-world examples of failed deals highlighting negotiation pitfalls, investment climate, cross-border regulatory concerns, and other challenges. Learn from the experiences of others to avoid repeating past mistakes and ensure successful deal closures. Gain practical insights and strategies for effective deal negotiation and execution.

Speakers:

Robert Boekhorst, Van Benthem & Keulen, Netherlands

Robert is an all-round IT & Privacy lawyer, but he has special experience with technology sourcing contracts, in particular cloud- and outsourcing in the financial industry. His experience encompasses both drafting and negotiating technology sourcing contracts as well as dispute resolution. Robert started his career as an inhouse counsel at Royal KPN NV in 1994. From 2000 onwards Robert practices IT -law at Stibbe later also as a partner and head of the ICT & Communications practice group at Baker & McKenzie (Amsterdam office). Since June 2014 Robert is partner at Van Benthem & Keulen. Robert is a member and former board member of the VIRA (the Netherlands Association for Computer Lawyers) and member of the iTechlaw Association and IBA.

Pallavi Kanakagiri, IndusLaw, India

Pallavi specialises in Private Equity, Venture Capital Investments, Mergers and Acquisitions (both foreign and domestic). Pallavi regularly advises on the structuring aspect of transactions, particularly in instances involving foreign direct investment. She has also advised on an array of merger & acquisition transactions (on both the buy and sell sides). Pallavi has advised a varied set of clients including private equity funds, hedge funds, sovereign investors, and venture capital funds, all of whom she advised on both early stage (seed rounds and Series A) as well as late-stage investments. Pallavi has also advised several start-ups and companies operating in the fields of technology, pharma, non-banking finance, education and healthcare. Pallavi’s regular practice which involves drafting and negotiating a wide range of documentation (including shareholders agreements, share purchase agreements, escrow agreements, etc.), she also has considerable experience in setting up joint ventures, setting up family offices and settling trusts. IFLR1000 has consistently recognised Pallavi as ‘Notable Practitioner’ for M&A and Private Equity. ALB recognized Pallavi as one of ‘India’s Rising Stars, 2020’. Asialaw has also recognised Pallavi for her work in Corporate/M&A and Private Equity.

Jaipat Jain, Lazare Potter Giacovas & Moyle LLP, United States

Mr. Jain represents domestic and international technology and other clients in private mergers and acquisitions. Additionally, he also assists them in matters relating to private securities transactions; choice, organization and governance of business entities; data transfer and privacy; and in drafting and negotiating business contracts, including software as a service, software development, licensing of intellectual properties, employment, distribution and supply, asset-based lending, commercial mortgage lending, leasing and conveyance of commercial real estate, and international trade and trade financing. Mr. Jain often works with clients in resolution of commercial disputes and is the lawyer of choice for transactions between India and the United States. Mr. Jain is on the Board of Directors of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York; member of New York Attorney Grievance Committee (First Department); Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation; Vice Chair of the ePrivacy Committee, and Vice Chair of the Cloud Computing Committee of the American Bar Association. He has held several other positions of leadership at the American Bar Association, including as member of the Editorial Board of the ABA/ Bloomberg Law Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct, member of ABA Intl. Section Nominating Committee, co-chair of the 2022 ABA International Annual Conference, etc. On a private level, Mr. Jain is Honorary Trustee of International Mahavira Jain Mission (Siddhachalam), a nonprofit, and its former President and Vice-Chairman.

Vardaan Ahluwalia, Premji Invest, India

Vardaan Ahluwalia is Head – Legal at Premji Invest (PI), leading the firm’s legal function at PI. He operates across sectors with the private equity and public investments team in India and USA. Apart from fund structuring and internal compliances, Vardaan works on deals ranging from early and growth stage matters to complex PIPE investments, joint ventures and buyouts. His notable deals include TVS Credit, SB Packaging Constantia JV, Goldplus, Tube Investments, Cohesity, Canva, Lenskart, Ikigai Labs, Firstcry, Medplus and Globalbees. Prior to joining PI, as a partner at a leading Indian law firm. He has significant deal making experience in private finance, structured investments and real estate finance. He has also worked on 5 of India’s top 12 distressed acquisitions. Vardaan graduated from the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, India, where he is a visiting lecturer of Insolvency & Finance Law. He read Law and Finance at the Said Business School (Oxford) and was the President of the Oxford Fintech & Legaltech Society. He regularly publishes at leading business law journals. In 2022, Vardaan was India Business Law Journal’s PE/VC Lawyer of the Year.

Protecting children in this digital age is vital. This session delves into the intricacies of age-gating and verifiable parental consent under India’s all new Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2024. Learn about best practices, legal considerations, and how to strike a balance between protecting young minds and respecting individual privacy. Engage in an interactive discussion on implementing effective child protection measures.

Speakers:

Amlan Mohanty, India

Amlan Mohanty is a technology lawyer and policy advisor based in India with over a decade’s experience working with tech companies, law firms, think tanks, and the government. Before going independent, he led Google’s public policy and government affairs portfolio in India across privacy, platform regulation and responsible AI. He has also advised tech and telecom companies on cutting-edge legal and regulatory issues. He is a non-resident scholar at Carnegie India, research fellow at the Center for Responsible AI, IIT Madras and visiting faculty at the National Law School of India University.

Rahul Matthan, Trilegal, India

Rahul Matthan is partner with Trilegal and heads the technology practice of the firm. After a career spent advising clients on issues as diverse as cryptocurrency, telecommunications regulation, internet and social media law, and technology M&A he has played an increasingly active role in helping shape technology policy in the country. Rahul writes a weekly column on the intersection between technology, society and the law. His latest book “The Third Way: India’s Revolutionary Approach to Data Governance” describes how digital public infrastructure could offer a new approach to data governance. Rahul has served on the RBI Committee for Household Finance as well as the Kris Gopalakrishnan committee on Non-Personal Data. During India’s Presidency of the G20 he served as the DPI Advisor to the Ministry of Finance. After having served, for many years, on its Management Committee, Rahul is currently a member of the Board of Trilegal.

Ashish Aggarwal, Nasscom, India

Ashish leads nasscom’s regulatory and policy engagement with the technology industry, regulators and the government of India since 2018. He works extensively on policies and legislations on data, emerging technologies, digital trade and ease of doing business. Earlier, at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, he led the technical assistance to the Indian Ministry of Finance on regulation of financial products, digital payments, and consumer protection.

Ritika Chatterjee, Mayhem Studios, India

This session takes you on a deep dive into the ever-shifting advertising landscape, the challenges and opportunities it presents. Think less boardrooms and more viral trends.

Speakers:

Naina Pachnanda Vaswani, VIZMO, India

Naina Pachnanda Vaswani is a lawyer currently working as COO of VIZMO – a SaaS based startup. She is an author of two books, a TEDx speaker & one of the 100 emerging women leaders for India as of 2023. Previously she worked with Invest India as a Senior Innovation Specialist focussed on promoting Indian technology & innovation for policy, regulatory & strategy side of affairs. Previous to that she practised as an advocate in the Supreme Court of India, Delhi High Court & various tribunals and also worked on various domestic arbitrations.

Shyaam Jaya Nagarajan, Glance, India

Award winning lawyer with 17 years’ experience – Currently heading the legal team of Glance, a unicorn in less than 2 years. Journey from being the single dedicated legal member to spearheading the function has been high-yielding. Previously, headed the commercial contracts portfolio for InMobi Group. Also been actively involved in data and privacy matters and working closely with committees and advising teams on criticality of privacy law and its global level implications. Previously worked in Trilegal (Mumbai and Bangalore) and also worked in the in-house legal team of Reliance Industries Limited, Mumbai. Listed as one of the “Best Leading Lawyers 2022” by World Intellectual Property Forum in 2022 and also was selected in The Legal 500 GC Powerlist India as one of the top in-house legal teams.

Manya Srivardhan, Flipkart, India

Manya Srivardhan is Director Legal at Flipkart and heads the online marketplace vertical for the group. She possesses considerable experience in the ecommerce sector having seen its development and exponential growth since 2015. She has also advised on some of the most innovative marketing and advertising campaigns for Flipkart which have translated from mindshare to positive brand recall. Prior to Flipkart, she was working with Amarchand Mangaldas, Bangalore, as part of their mergers and acquisitions team. She is a graduate of National Law University, Jodhpur. Outside of work, she enjoys painting, cooking, and reading.

Roopa Vikram, ITC Limited, India

Traditional dispute resolution methods are evolving rapidly. This session explores the dynamic landscape of tech dispute resolution in India, introducing innovative solutions like online dispute resolution and blockchain-based platforms. Get ready to shape the future of resolving tech-related disputes through efficient and innovative approaches.

Speakers:

Prashanth Shivadass, Shivadass & Shivadass Law Chambers, India

Prashanth is an Advocate and Partner at Shivadass & Shivadass (Law Chambers), a boutique law firm that specializes in commercial and corporate litigation, competition law, and corporate law. He has over 10 years of experience in the legal field, and holds a Master of Laws degree in Competition Law from Queen Mary University of London, one of the top-ranked law schools in the world. Prashanth has been consistently recognized for his contribution to antitrust and taxation laws, and has advised and represented clients from various sectors, such as aviation, automobile, pharmaceutical, and finance, on complex and high-stakes matters before the Supreme Court of India, various high courts, tribunals, commissions, and arbitration panels. He has also delivered lectures and publications on topics related to his field of expertise, such as data protection, privacy, economic offences, and company law. Prashanth is driven by his mission to provide effective and ethical legal solutions to his clients, and to contribute to the development and advancement of the legal profession in India.

Vikas Mahendra, Keystone Partners & TERES (Technology Enabled Resolution), India

Vikas is Partner at Keystone Partners. He regularly acts as an arbitrator and counsel, with a specialization in construction and technology disputes. He has over 15 years experience handling commercial arbitrations in India, Middle-East, South-East Asia, Central America, Africa, Europe and UK. He previously worked in the arbitration department in Herbert Smith Freehills’ London, Paris and Singapore offices. Vikas is also the Co-Founder of TERES (Technology Enabled Resolution) which provides technology solutions like transcription to dispute resolution. He is also a Co-Founder of Centre for Online Resolution of Disputes (CORD) which provides access to affordable resolution mechanisms using technological aids.

Charanya Lakshmikumaran, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan, India

In her career spanning over 15 years Charanya has handled high stakes and controversial disputes in areas relating to commercial, constitutional, tax, regulatory. She regularly appears before the Supreme Court of India, various High Courts, National Company Law Tribunals (NLCTs) and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). Her clients include leading automotive, FMCG, Pharmaceutical, infrastructure, MSMEs, e-commerce, e-gaming, energy, and Oil & Gas companies among others. Charanya had has also worked in the Chamber of K.K. Venugopal, the former Attorney General of India. While at the chamber of Mr. Venugopal, she has worked on a wide range of subjects ranging from constitutional law, arbitration, competition law. She has also assisted the Attorney General in landmark cases such as the inclusion of Right to Privacy as a fundamental Right, the challenge to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Charanya has been recognized as an Asian Legal Business Top 15 Southeast Asia Litigator 2023 and Asian Legal Business India Rising Stars for 2022 and Next generation Partner by Legal 500 Asia Pacific in 2019 & 2020 and as one of the top 15 dispute resolution lawyers in India and top 50 disputes lawyers in Asia by Asian Legal Business. She is also a professional Indian Classical vocalist and performs at select events across India.

Sarvjeet Singh, MPL Gaming, India

Sarvjeet is a lawyer and policy advisor with over a decade’s experience advising and working with the government, tech companies and think tanks. Since 2013, Sarvjeet has been involved in almost all major tech policy reforms undertaken in the country, with the latest one being a consultant with the Department of Telecom on the first phase of the new Telecom Act. He has worked extensively with various other ministries and bodies like MeitY, MEA and the Law Commission of India on issues ranging from intermediary liability, cyber and autonomous warfare and media law reforms.

He currently heads the public policy, government and regulatory affairs at India’s biggest multiple gaming platform. Previously, he was a member of the founding team and the Executive Director of the Centre for Communication Governance at National Law University Delhi, India’s first academic think tank on information law and policy. He has also assisted the legal teams involved in multiple landmark judgments including Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, Puttaswamy etc.

He completed his LL.M. from the University of Michigan Law School as a Grotius Fellow with a focus on emerging tech and international law and graduated from National Law University Delhi and is currently undertaking his PhD examining issues at the intersection of artificial intelligence, weaponry, national security and corporate accountability.

Unlock the transformative potential of India’s fintech ecosystem in driving financial inclusion and economic empowerment. In this session, lets discuss innovative fintech solutions, regulatory challenges, and opportunities to bridge the gap between traditional financial services and new-age digital product offerings. Let us learn how technology can empower individuals and contribute to growth of the Indian financial sector.

Speakers:

Jaideep Reddy, Trilegal, India

Jaideep’s practice focuses on disruptive technologies and their interaction with the law. In particular, he advises on fintech (with a focus on payments, digital assets, and blockchain technology), data protection, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, gaming, and telecom. He acts on advisory and contentious matters in these sectors. He has advised most leading Indian and international digital asset platforms on a variety of ambiguous and high-stakes issues, including on foreign exchange controls, banking restrictions, enforcement actions, and anti-money laundering compliance. He has represented such platforms and other technology clients before the Supreme Court of India and the High Courts in marquee matters. He has written and been quoted extensively on emerging technology issues, and regularly takes up teaching assignments at leading law Schools.

Aditya Kumar, QFI Technologies, India

Aditya Kumar is the Co-founder & CEO of Niro. Launched in 2021, Niro is a fintech platform that provides embedded credit solutions to consumer internet platforms like Snapdeal, Housing, Sharechat, etc. Under Aditya’s leadership, Niro has successfully disbursed over 500 crores in loans across 200+ cities. In 2023, Niro closed its Series A funding round, raising $11 million from a consortium of investors. Aditya started his career as an Investment Banker with Lehman Brothers and later founded Qbera in late 2015. Qbera was acquired by InCred Financial Services in 2020 and he headed the personal loans and platform business at InCred till 2021.

Arjun Alexander, Open Financial Technologies, India

Arjun Alexander leads legal, policy, and regulatory affairs at Open Financial Technologies. He began his legal career at ICICI Bank, where he advised on a wide spectrum of matters, ranging from corporate law, retail banking, and transaction banking to trade finance, structured finance deals and cross-border litigation. During his stint at J. Sagar & Associates (JSA), Arjun was able to expand the periphery of his experience to handling VC & PE deals and had the opportunity to work closely with startups in the financial services sector. At Open, he is instrumental in advising the company on contract & risk management, fundraising, M&A, corporate structuring, policy, regulatory affairs and governance.

Rohit Sen, NIRA, India

Rohit is cofounder and CEO of NIRA, a consumer finance business targeting India’s mass market. NIRA has disbursed more than 600,000 loans to this group, 80% of which earn less than 30k per month, and are located in more than 5,000 towns across India. Prior to NIRA, Rohit was a credit trader in London, with stints at Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and Goldman Sachs.

Deepthi Rajeev, Xflow Payments India Private Limited (Xflow), India

Deepthi is General Counsel at Xflow, an early stage startup in the cross-border payments space.  A  graduate of the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, Deepthi worked at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and later at Trilegal before moving in-house. She now works with the passionate team at Xflow to navigate the ever changing fintech regulatory landscape to come up with innovative solutions that are also regulatory-compliant.

Equip yourself with the tools to navigate the ever-changing legal landscape! This session is designed for in-house lawyers, addressing emerging challenges like data privacy, cyber risks, and the impact of technology on legal practice. Gain valuable insights from legal experts on how to adapt, stay compliant, and become a confident leader in the evolving legal ecosystem.

Speakers:

Anant Dang, Mensa Brands, India

Anant is a Founding Team member and the General Counsel of Mensa Brands which owns businesses and has operations in India, the Middle East, and the United States. As a part of the core management team at Mensa, he works with the investments and brand teams to identify brand targets and structure business acquisitions. During the last 2 years at Mensa, he has steered the acquisition of the acquisition of 25 digital-first businesses across sectors like fashion, beauty and personal care, home, FMCG, consumer electronics, and digital content creation. Anant advises on all fundraising initiatives of the Mensa Group and also manages compliance, litigation, and IP. For his work, he has been recognized by the India Business Law Journal as GC of the Year in Consumer and Retail. Prior to joining Mensa Brands, he was a partner at AZB & Partners. His core practice area was M&A, e-commerce, and general corporate advisory.

Sudha Hooda, Federation of Indian Corporate Lawyers (FICL), India

A seasoned legal professional with more than two decades of experience in tackling progressively challenging assignments, that require a demonstration of integrity, courage, perseverance, and creative problem-solving. Currently working with a leading tech company, responsible for their legal, compliance, and secretarial function for India, ANZ & SEA.

Harshitha Thammaiah, Xiaomi, India

Ms. Harshitha Thammaiah is the Senior Director and General Counsel of Xiaomi India group and is responsible for leading the legal and compliance team in India and the international markets of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Harshitha advises the board and global leadership on all legal, business, and strategic decision-making. She has been instrumental in corporate structuring, contract structuring, and designing policies and procedures on all forms of legal compliance at Xiaomi. Prior to Xiaomi, Harshitha spent over a decade at top-tier law firms advising large multi-nationals and start-ups on general corporate and technology matters including mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, entry strategy, intellectual property, data protection, and viability of new technology business models.

Shivli Katyayan, Razorpay Software Private Limited, India

Shivli has over 17 years of professional experience, starting in intellectual property law at Anand & Anand, then branching into corporate and insurance law at Tuli & Co. She excelled in fintech at Amazon Pay and Policybazaar Group, demonstrating prowess in navigating regulatory complexities with strategic business impact. As Head of Legal at Razorpay, she continues to solve for business and mitigate risks via legal engineering. With expertise in Fintech practice areas and its interplay with general corporate, Shivli covers payments, insurance, digital lending, regulatory compliance, and more. Notably recognized as a rising star by ALB (Thomson Reuters) India and featured in BW Legal 40 under 40, her contributions underscore her belief in making business happen.

Hena Datta, Medibuddy, India

LUPA

The highly interactive roundtable session will kick off the last day of the conference! The topics below will each have an assigned table and discussion leads to conduct a brief speed networking and overview of the topic. Attendees will have two chances to participate in 30-minute engaging discussions on these topics. This is a session you won’t want to miss!

Topics Included:

• Building Ethical AI
• AI and Governance
• Data Breaches & Cybersecurity
• DPDP – Data Fiduciary Vs. Data Controller
• RMG – Online Gaming Intermediaries
• Deepfakes & Misinformation Platform Liability
• Competition & Tech

Consent is more than just a checkbox! This session reveals the complexities of obtaining and using personal data under India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2024. This panel will explore the nuances of consent, legitimate use principles, and how to navigate the grey areas while ensuring responsible data processing. Engage in an interactive discussion on best practices for data governance and compliance.

Dive into the future of digital commerce with our Masterclass, led by Sujith Nair! Explore the transformative potential of the Open Network For Digital Commerce (ONDC) and the decentralized marketplace revolutionized by the Beckn Protocol. Unlock insights, strategies, and opportunities in navigating the legal complexities of tomorrow’s digital economy. Don’t miss this chance to stay ahead in the work of digital commerce!

Sujith Nair, FIDE – Foundation for Interoperability in Digital Economy & Beckn Protocol, India

Sujith Nair is the CEO and Co-founder of FIDE – Foundation for Interoperability in Digital Economy. This not-for-profit organisation is the genesis author and angel donor to an open-source initiative called the Beckn Protocol. Beckn enables the creation of decentralised digital economy ecosystems. Co-founded along with Nandan Nilekani and Dr Pramod Varma, FIDE has been helping Beckn Protocol evolve as an independent and large-scale open-source community effort focusing on its adoption and sustenance as a digital public good. Sujith conceptualised and helped set up the world’s first decentralised open mobility network using the Beckn Protocol in Kochi called the Kochi Open Mobility Network (KOMN), which was launched in July 2021. Sujith co-conceptualised the idea of ONDC and onboarded the first set of market participants on ONDC, co-authored the ONDC Strategy Paper and was instrumental in the setup of ONDC Ltd in Dec 2021. Sujith continues volunteering for KOMN, ONDC and other open network initiatives and is a global advocate for interoperable and decentralised digital ecosystems. Before FIDE, Sujith headed Management Consulting practices and Internet businesses in urban mobility and digital payments.  Sujith has contributed to many key interventions in the Aadhaar program between 2010-2012. Sujith also designed India’s national transit open payments interoperability (One Nation, One Card) in 2014 to integrate ticketing and payments across public transport systems in the country.

Brace yourselves for a fiery parliamentary clash! Motion for the debate: This House believes that developers of Foundational Models (whether open source or proprietary) should bear legal responsibility for content generated by their models.

Debate Format

• The team that supports the motion is called the government, and the team that opposes the motion is called the opposition.
• The speakers from the government side are: the prime minister, the deputy prime minister and the government whip. The speakers from the opposition side are: the leader of opposition, the deputy leader of opposition, and the opposition whip.
• Speaking order: prime minister, leader of opposition, deputy prime minister, deputy leader of opposition, government whip and opposition whip.
• Speeches are to be seven minutes long. There are time signals given by a bell or a knock at the first and seventh minute of the speeches. Additional time signals may be given based on the preferences of each speaker.
• The speakers from the opposing side can raise points of information (POIs) to the speaker on the floor during the speeches, but not during the first and last minute of each speech. POIs are short questions that challenge the speaker’s arguments. The speaker on the floor can accept or decline the POIs at their discretion but are encouraged to take at least two POIs during their speech.
• The prime minister presents the case for the government by defining the motion, setting the parameters of the debate, and providing arguments to support the motion.
• The leader of opposition presents the case for the opposition by rebutting the government’s case and providing arguments to oppose the motion.
• The deputy prime minister and the deputy leader of opposition provide additional arguments for their respective sides, as well as rebutting the arguments of the previous speakers. Both deputies are expected to use the last 1 minute of their speeches to make a concluding statement on why their side deserves to win the debate.
• The government whip and the opposition whip summarize the key points and arguments presented by their team throughout the debate. The whip speaker needs to respond to the arguments put forth by the opposing team, particularly focusing on the most significant points raised in the debate. The whip may also engage in a comparative analysis, contrasting the strengths of their team’s arguments with those of the opposing side. Finally, the whip concludes the debate for their team with a strong closing statement and explain why they believe their side has won the debate. Neither whip can introduce new arguments into the debate.

Chairperson’s role

• The debate will be chaired by a chairperson whose role is to run the proceedings, maintain order, and announce the winner of the debate.
• The chairperson should not express their own opinion or bias on the motion or the speakers but should remain impartial and fair throughout the debate.
• The chairperson must also provide their view on which side has won the debate in a speech lasting up to five minutes.

Role of the audience

• The role of the audience is to listen to the arguments of both sides and vote on the motion after the debate. The audience’s final vote determines the winner of the debate. The audience is also expected to respect the rules and etiquette of the debate, such as refraining from interrupting or heckling the speakers.
• At the end of the debate, the audience gets to vote on the outcome of the debate.

From empowering marginalized communities to universal healthcare, green economy to eradicating poverty, technology, innovation and “internet for good” stand out as quintessential leverages to accelerate progression towards sustainable development goals. Corporate philanthropy, nudge to foster Tech4Good, and resilience of social impact organizations have a key role to play in bridging the gap and delivering the promise. Alongside, there is a need to adopt holistic and socially driven optics for financing these organizations and measuring the return on investment. In the last few decades, India has seen a surge in the social impact ecosystem, more specifically in organizations that deploy and innovate tech tools for their impact journeys. These come with an explicit expectation of a measurable environmental, social and governance return, but a lot needs to be augmented to sustain the momentum. In this I-WIN session, our speakers would share their stories, and talk about the trends, challenges and opportunities in tech-fueled ESG and foresee where the ecosystem is headed.

Speakers:

Arya Tripathy, PSA, India

Arya is a Partner at PSA, a niche law firm based in India. She graduated in 2011 and has advised various domestic and international clients on diverse aspects of business and commercial laws. An IAPP Certified International Privacy Professional (Asia), Arya has substantial experience in advising global and national clients on comparative data protection and privacy laws, with specific focus on EU, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indian legal landscape. She has collaborated with technology policy think-tanks and participated in stakeholders discussions to make recommendations on India’s draft data protection bill, its impact on start-ups and MSMEs, state of encryption and intermediary liability and privacy framework for government’s contact tracing application, Aarogya Setu. She has keen interest in policy debates around digital economy and its potential to impact the last mile. She is the Co-Chair of IWIN committee, Chair of Next Gen Committee at IPBA, and Co-Chair of IAPP’s Delhi KNET Chapter. Arya pro-actively contributes to the Firm’s pro-bono services and regularly works with policy think-tanks, not-for-profit and social impact companies on varied legal aspects. She was recognized as ALB Rising Star in 2022, a finalist in the Pro-Bono category for ALB Women in Law Awards 2023, and Mondaq Thought Leader in Data Protection India for Spring and Autumn 2023.

Tejashree Thatte, Give Grants, India

Being a seasoned CSR consultant with 12+ years of experience, Tejashree has an in-depth understanding of the CSR lifecycle – including CSR compliance, strategy, and program design, along with demonstrated skills in monitoring and evaluation of the programs. Over these years she has advised companies from multiple sectors such as pharma, banking, IT, and FMCG, facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships aimed at creating deep social impact. She has closely worked with national, international, and corporate foundations to design, facilitate implementation, and manage projects in the cause areas such as healthcare, education, skill development, WASH, and disaster management. She has led multiple impact assessments to deliver actionable insights for strengthening the program models further. Tejashree has BA in Economics, MA in Sociology, and an MSc in International Development from The London School of Economics and Political Science.

Sunila Sahasrabudhe, Biocon Limited, India

With an MPhil degree in Energy and Environment, and M.Sc. In Environmental Science, from Indore University, Sunila carries over 22 years of experience in the field of ESG. She has recently joined Biocon Limited as Head ESG and relocated to Bengaluru with her family. During this time, she has worked with numerous organizations, including L&T, AECOM, Sesa Goa Limited and most recently, Arpwood Partners as Vice President – ESG, where she conducted monitoring and compliance check on ESG aspects for financial investment deals. Sunila has lent her ESG expertise to many infrastructure projects as well, including Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) and Mumbai Metro Line 3 (the underground metro project from Colaba to SEEPZ), for which her efforts have been acknowledged and recognized. During her tenure at AECOM, Sunila has conducted more than 60 environmental, health, safety, and social impact studies across industries such as oil & gas, minerals, manufacturing, power, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, renewable energy and healthcare in India and Bangladesh. She is a specialist in conducting legal compliance assessment, EHS audits, and IFC-based Environment Health Safety Social Due Diligence (EHSS DD). She has worked on various Waste management projects in India. She was project manager for designing of the Waste management for Jio World Convention and exhibition center at BKC Mumbai and residential development projects like Palava in Maharashtra. She has worked in the capacity of team member for development of techno economic feasibility report for waste management of the under development smart city Dholera in Gujarat. She has worked in Vedanta Aluminium Limited, Sesa Goa Limited from May 2007 to May 2012 as Associate manager HSEC. She has worked as Project Assistant in Environmental Impact and Risk assessment division at National Environmental and Research Institute (NEERI) Nagpur August 2003 to April 2007. She is born and brought up in Indore, Madhya Pradesh and got married in Nagpur. She is married to Uday, a corporate legal professional and they are blessed with a son Soham, who is pursuing 12th Commerce.