We recently collaborated with two key partners—The Economic Times and CIOKlub—to host a series of CIO forums across India. While the discussion topics ranged from artificial intelligence (AI) to age-old concerns about data privacy, one unified message emerged from all these events: Digital transformation is well and truly here, and organizations need to be prepared to handle these winds of change.

Digital tranformamation

Technology Next forums

Mumbai and Hyderabad played host to the popular Technology Next series, which brought together over a hundred CIOs from across the country. As with past meetups, the diverse group of panelists ensured action-packed discussions and heated debates. One standout exchange involved Raj Sabhlok, president of Zoho Corp., sharing his views on how AI is enabling organizations to revolutionize customer experience, while Basant Shroff, partner at EY India, countered with his fears about enterprises not having shored up their IT security to handle AI.

In-depth discussions were held on the issue of data privacy and protection, with the audience raising a lot of questions, and quoting some excellent examples from their own experience. During the discussion, many panelists agreed on a key theme that we’ve seen emerging from every recent CIO event: Digital transformation needs to be ingrained in an organization’s culture for it to become successful. It cannot be implemented by just the IT team’s efforts, or the management’s strategy. The HR digital guru Adil Malia perfectly summed this up when he said, “Technology is not the be all and end all; people are. The people of the organization need to be aligned to the new-age digital strategy.”

ManageEngine kicks off partnership with CIOKlub India

While ManageEngine staff were already busy orchestrating the Technology Next forums, we also kick-started an exciting partnership with CIOKlub India, starting with its annual get-togethers in Chennai and Bangalore. Our team brought their IT management expertise to the August gathering, while enjoying two days of witty anecdotes, interesting technology discussions, and some delicious food.

ManageEngine’s VP, Rajesh Ganesan, gave a humor-laden presentation on digital transformation and Zoho’s growth story, which was met with roaring applause. During the event, the entire team was kept on their toes by CIOs keen on discussing and understanding the latest developments in the IT management space.

All of these events brought together key IT leaders from major cities across India. After the events ended and the dust settled, the reality of digital transformation and the positive impact it can have on businesses stood out clear as day. Most of the IT realm now agrees: It’s now up to organizations to strengthen their infrastructure and streamline their management practices to keep pace with the revolution of digital transformation.