Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, joined the 4th edition of the CIO Awards & Conclave as the Guest of Honour. The event was organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry on 30 April 2026. He was joined by Executive Director of CII, Amit Sinha Roy; Managing Director of Protiviti Member Firm for India, Sandeep Gupta; Chairman of the CIO Excellence Awards Jury and Vice Chairman & Managing Director of NIIT Limited, Vijay Thadani; former President of nasscom, Kiran Karnik; and former Director General of CERT-In, Dr. Gulshan Rai. The awards recognized select business leaders who have demonstrated exceptional value creation and achieved superior results through continuous stakeholder satisfaction. They honoured professionals who have showcased outstanding capabilities and exemplary achievements, serving as inspiring examples of how IT leadership and strong business–stakeholder partnerships are reshaping the technology landscape in Indian industry. In his address, Prof. Sood emphasised that as India’s economy advances, sectors such as BFSI, manufacturing, healthcare, and IT are not only accelerating growth but also generating large-scale employment. With digital payments projected to surge, manufacturing poised to become a global hub, and healthcare and IT expanding rapidly, these sectors collectively underscore India’s economic momentum. He highlighted that emerging technologies such as AI are further amplifying this trajectory by unlocking new value and opportunities. He further underscored that CIOs are at the heart of this transformation, driving digital innovation across industries while shaping a future-ready workforce. From enabling fintech and Industry 4.0 to advancing digital health, CIOs play a critical role in ensuring competitiveness. Equally important is their role in reskilling and upskilling employees to bridge the talent gap and harness India’s demographic advantage. Prof. Sood also stressed the importance of aligning industry innovation with national priorities through government-led initiatives. Through programmes such as the RDI Fund and ANRF’s MAHA Missions, India is fostering stronger collaboration between research and industry to drive technological sovereignty. He noted that CIOs have a pivotal opportunity to leverage these platforms to lead innovation and contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.