RISING STARS
OF
THE ICT UNIVERSE

Thank you Partners and ICT Leaders.

alt

Mr. Anoop Mathur

Message from Founder’s Desk

The future technology leaders are poised to revolutionize the business world like never before. With their visionary approach and deep understanding of the evolving technology landscape, they will be the architects of transformative change. Hand in hand with technologies like AI, IoT, Virtual reality, etc., they are all set to disrupt traditional business models and drive innovation across industries.

By identifying and nurturing these talents early on, organisations have the opportunity to offer a spiral growth to these potential leaders ensuring a seamless succession planning and transition into CXO positions, thereby fostering continuity and stability. Additionally, I believe that encouraging these future leaders will imbibe a culture of innovation and adaptability, positioning businesses for sustained growth in the long-term.

Read More

Keeping this spirit of growth in mind, we are thrilled to announce the 3rd season of LeaderNext 2025 – Rising Leaders of the ICT Sector to be held on 14th November 2025, Mumbai.

As an innovative platform designed to accelerate the professional growth of senior IT & digital executives, LeaderNext empowers them with the knowledge and insights of top CXO leaders from various industries. This one-of-a-kind platform goes beyond traditional boundaries, offering exposure to aspiring technology executives through interactive workshops, engaging discussions, and immersive learning experiences.

Together, let’s embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, as we lay the foundation for a future where innovation and excellence coincide to deliver business growth.

I look forward to YOUR participation and presence at LeaderNext 2025 – Rising Leaders of the ICT Sector.

LeaderNext 2025 - Rising Stars of the ICT Universe

ABOUT

LeaderNext envisages fostering innovation, mentoring, and continuous learning for senior ICT & digital executives who have the potential to progress to the C-Suite. This platform is carefully designed to recognize the immense potential within these executives, paving the way for accelerated career growth and unlocking new possibilities of success for them. LeaderNext serves as a powerful catalyst to enhance their networks, forging invaluable connections that transcend boundaries and promote collaboration.

With informative workshops and interactive sessions, this program equips future leaders with the tools and insights they can leverage to excel in the fast-paced world of technology leadership. LeaderNext empowers these executives to make a lasting impact on their organizations and the industry as a whole.

Join us in recognising and raising a toast to the promising future leaders of the technology world at LeaderNext 2025!

100+ Attendees join us in commemorating and raising a toast to the trailblazing technology leaders at LeaderNext

Jury panel consisting of esteemed technology and business leaders

Winners chosen basis defined process and jury selection

Exclusive invitation to specially curated workshops and insightful sessions

Opportunity to learn, engage, and collaborate with industry peers

PROCESS

LeaderNext is a transformative and influential platform dedicated to honouring the brightest technology minds of our nation who are poised to take on CXOs role in the future.

India’s leading CIOs and Business Leaders play the lead role in the selection of the LeaderNext award winners. The LeaderNext jury members cumulatively represent rich leadership experience backed with technical and digital expertise and are entrusted to define the award selection criteria, interview candidates, and approve the list of winners. The jury evaluates and appraises candidates based on their career achievements, professional expertise, and leadership potential to join the C-Suite.

The complete evaluation process includes-

  • Combining Data on achievements till date.
  • Analyzing involvement in Associations and Industry groups.
  • Random sampling of Social Media Engagement.
  • Inputs from the executives themselves on the key achievements in the last 12 months.
  • Undertaking leadership assessment to analyze interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and more.
  • Shortlisted senior IT and digital executives will be interviewed by the panel of jurors to prepare a list of winners.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The eligibility criteria for applicants of LeaderNext 2025 –

  • A resident of India at the time of application.
  • Applicants reporting directly to the CIO/CDO/ICT Leader/Senior Most ICT Decision Maker of the organization can apply.
  • A minimum of 10 years of full-time work experience.
  • Application only once per applicant permissible.
  • Currently employed within a company or organization (self-employment is not eligible).
  • Valid documentation of current work experience and personal details.
  • Required permissions from current employer organization to be a part of LeaderNext 2025.

PARTNER

Why Partner?

LeaderNext is the quintessential platform that unites the most esteemed senior IT & digital executives in the country for an enriching and immersive program.

As a pivotal event for the technology leadership landscape, LeaderNext presents a unique opportunity for the C-Suite to provide maximum exposure and enhance the leadership skills of their aspiring team members. LeaderNext will enable these senior IT & digital executives to learn from the nation’s top IT leaders and to develop a distinguished leadership style for their future endeavours.

Our platform provides them with a unique chance to forge meaningful connections with key industry stakeholders in an environment designed to foster engagement – the hallmark of CORE Media.

By partnering with us, you’ll have access to an exclusive gathering of India’s top 150+ ICT decision-makers from diverse industry verticals. Together, we will create an impactful experience that cultivates dialogue and opens doors to powerful future business leaders.

Through thoughtfully curated sessions and workshops, LeaderNext drives deep engagement, setting the stage for enduring connections and transformative collaborations.

Join forces with us to make a positive brand impact and build connections that last a lifetime!

Gain Exposure – Position your brand, solutions, and innovations to business and tech leaders

Direct access – Meet and learn from the industry’s top leaders and decision-makers

Lead Generation – Network with potential new clients and explore new business opportunities

Strengthen business relationships – Reconnect with existing and prospective customers in a relaxed setting

Discover actionable insights – Participate and experience informative sessions on the latest trends and top industry priorities.

PARTNERS 2025

Premium Partners

Freshworks
Juniper---Redington
Lenovo

Associate Partners

Five-Tattva-Adaptive
Archon
Barracuda
CITALDEL-BIO-Key

WINNERS 2025

Anurag Jain
Category : Analytics Icon
Company : Bajaj Housing Finance
Suresh Nadar
Category : Analytics Icon
Company : Dr Batra’s Group
Sudip Mazumder
Category : Analytics Icon
Company : Larsen & Toubro
Farhan Khan
Category : Artificial Intelligence Icon
Company : Allied Blenders & Distillers
Ganesh Kotian
Designation : Head- IT Applications
Company : Aditya Birla Capital
Dhaval Modi
Designation : Vice President
Company : Avendus Spark
Omkar Sawant
Designation : VP -IT
Company : Axis Mutual Fund
Kiran Gudimetla
Designation : VP Data & Analytics
Company : Birla Carbon India
Vaibhav Deshpande
Designation : Group Vice President Infrastructure and Security Engineering
Company : Coforge
Rakesh Chandhok
Designation : Sr.EVP – Technology Solutions Group
Company : CSB Bank
Deepak Bhardwaj
Designation : Associate Director IT
Company : Evalueserve
Sathish Eathuraj
Designation : Head of Information Security and EUC
Company : Gain Credit
Laxmikanta Das
Designation : Associate VP Digital & IT
Company : HFCL
Santosh Mandali
Designation : VP AI
Company : IndiaFirst Life
Saurabh Puri
Designation : SVP – Digital Sales & Strategy
Company : IndusInd Bank
Anil Tari
Designation : Director Information Systems
Company : Ingram Micro
Dr. Sriranga Narasimha Gandhi Aryavalli
Designation : Vice President and Head of Information Security
Company : Jio Platforms
Rahul Shettigar
Designation : VP – IT Head Delivery
Company : Jyothy Labs
Bhumeshwar Tatikonda
Designation : Head – Group IT Operations
Company : Kalpataru Group
Pradipta Patro
Designation : Global CISO
Company : KEC INTERNATIONAL
Saurabh Oberoi
Designation : IT Business Partner/ Senior Associate Director
Company : KPMG India
Sanjay Chavan
Designation : Vice President and Head of Enterprise Applications
Company : Mahindra & Mahindra
Ashish Gupta
Chief Manager IT
Company : Manipal Hospital
Saravanan M
Designation :Associate VP
Company : Mirae Asset Sharekhan
Prashant Sharma
Designation : AGM IT & Applications
Company : NRB Bearings
Bantesh Singh
Designation : GM IT
Company : Ozone Group
Vivek Parihar
Designation : Head Of Engineering
Company : Purplle.Com
Nitin Talwar
Designation : Vice President
Company : Reliance Nippon Life Insurance
Srikanth JS
Designation : Associate VP IT
Company : Sai Life Sciences
Sundaram Balasubramanian
Designation : GM IT
Company : The Hindu Group
Vishal Pahwa
Designation : Solution Delivery Head CRM
Company : Ujjivan Small Finance Bank
Asfhan Nevrekar
Designation : AGM IT
Company : Wanbury
Santosh Patil
Designation : Head IT
Company : Wockhardt Hospitals

SPEAKERS 2025

Anoop Mathur
Founder
CORE Media
Ravishankar Iyer
Author
Jio Platforms
Dr. Nitin Paranjape
Productivity Maverick

Gaurav Duggal
Senior Vice President
Jio Platforms
Krushna Sahoo
Director Of Information Technology – Wealth & Retail Distribution
JM Financial Services
Nikhil Bhushan
CTO
Starbucks India
Praveen Shrikhande
Chief Digital and Information Officer
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail
Rajkumar Ayyella
CIO
KEC International
Rohan Padhi
Partner
KPMG
Satish Pengal
Head IT
Upstox

Partner Speakers

Divya Kumar Jotwani
Senior Solutions Architect
Lenovo
Kunal Shridhar Mandpe
Regional Sales Head
Freshworks
Shrikar Pawar
Consulting Sales Engineer
Juniper Networks

JURY 2025

Anil Shankar
Global CIO
Tata International
Dhaval Pandya
Head – Digital Technologies & Transformation
Aditya Birla Group
Dr. Puneet Kaur Kohli
Chief Technology Officer
Generali Central Life Insurance
Gaurav Duggal
Senior Vice President
Jio Platforms
Gyan Pandey
Chief Digital Officer / Head Digital
Voltas – A TATA Enterprise