Odisha embraces spirit of progress preserving own traditions: E&IT Minister Dr Mahaling

Bhubaneswar, 22nd November 2024: India’s premier IT industry association, the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), today organized the Bhubaneswar edition of its flagship event-NASSCOM Technology Confluence (NTC)- 2024 in collaboration with the Electronics and IT Department, Government of Odisha.
Speaking during the inauguration session, E&IT Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling said, “Odisha’s achievements are the result of pro-active leadership, sturdy governance, and a commitment to the well-being and prosperity of the people. Odisha has embraced a spirit of progress while preserving its traditions, ensuring that development reaches every corner of society. This approach has made the State a model for sustainable and inclusive growth in India.”
Principal Secretary, E&IT Department, Vishal Dev highlighted the importance of emerging technologies in fuelling Odisha’s IT growth, saying “Odisha is putting a strong emphasis on fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor design to drive economic growth and improve lives. The state is actively formulating policies and initiatives to foster innovation and position itself as a leader in these transformative domains.”
The panel discussions and fireside chats encompassed a range of areas such as the importance and implications of emerging technologies such as quantum computing and AI, the increasing salience of data governance and cybersecurity, the necessity for innovation in the semiconductor sector, the role of FinTech GCCs in accelerating innovation, the role of technology in manufacturing and mining, ways to enhance industry-academia collaboration, Odisha’s start-up landscape, and data science.
The hosting of NTC in Bhubaneswar stands as a testament to the city’s emergence as one of India’s foremost IT hubs, showcasing its growth as a center for innovation, technology, and industry leadership. The spotlight on Bhubaneswar’s IT ecosystem has emphasized the city’s potential as a hub for software development, IT services, and semiconductor advancements. With its robust infrastructure, technological readiness, and strategic connectivity, Bhubaneswar is well-positioned to attract global companies and foster innovation-driven industries.
The participants included Jaspreet Singh, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat; Chandi Prasad Ojha, AVP & CTO, Insurance – LTI Mindtree; Amit Mitra, Chief Operating Officer, Broadridge India; Kedar Kasture, Head – India Services Company, Franklin Templeton Investments; Prabhuram Duraiswami, India Head, CME Group; T S Shankar, Director, Analog Devices; Supria Dhanda, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, WYSER; Dr. Indranil Mitra, Partner, PwC; Sourabh Gupta, India Business Unit Head, Weir EnSci; Shuvajit Basu, VP & Head of Data Science, Tata Digital; Alapon Sen, Applied Data Science Director, Dunnhumby; among others.
NTC is a multi-city event that started on 6th November 2024 and will end on 26th November 2024, covering 10 cities viz. Chennai, Kochi, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, and NCR. It acts as a platform for tech enthusiasts, industry leaders, and forward-thinking visionaries to converge and deliberate on the emerging trends in the IT industry.