Panel Discussion: Breaking Silos: CIO & CDO Alignment in AI-Driven Enterprises

Panellists in this video:
• Ashley DSouza, Chief Digital Officer, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages
• Shanmugam Manivannan, Chief Digital Officer, Equitas Small Finance Bank
• Kripadyuti Sarkar, Group CIO, Ambuja Neotia Group
• Varun Bansal, Head of IT – India & APAC, Bata
• Amit Kapil, Chief Technology Officer, Caparo India operations & CEO, Caparo Technologies Pvt Ltd
• Arpita Das, VP – Tech, India Proximity, Pernod Ricard India
• Dilraj Singh Gandhi, EVP – Digital & AI, TAFE – Tractor & Farm Equipment
• Charu Bhargava, Senior Vice President – IT, Sheela Foam – Sleepwell (Moderator)

Key Highlights:
♦ Charu Bhargava, Senior Vice President – IT, Sheela Foam – Sleepwell (Moderator):
+ AI transformation succeeds when technology, data, governance and business ownership come together on a shared enterprise vision.

♦ Ashley DSouza, Chief Digital Officer, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages:
+ A federated operating model works best—a central team should build the digital backbone, while the business owns the outcomes.

♦ Shanmugam Manivannan, Chief Digital Officer, Equitas Small Finance Bank:
+ The real challenge is balancing AI-driven innovation with customer trust, regulatory compliance and responsible use of data.

♦ Kripadyuti Sarkar, Group CIO, AmbujaNeotia Group:
+ The ROI of AI cannot be measured only by cost savings; it must also include competitive advantage and superior customer experience.

♦ Varun Bansal, Head of IT – India & APAC, Bata Limited:
+ Enterprise-scale AI demands future-ready infrastructure, strong governance, continuous upskilling and the confidence to invest before the ROI is fully visible.

♦ Amit Kapil, Chief Technology Officer, Caparo India operations & CEO, Caparo Technologies Pvt Ltd:
+ Clean and connected data, shared KPIs and collective accountability are the foundations of every successful AI programme.

♦ Arpita Das, VP – Tech, India Proximity, Pernod Ricard India:
+ The business should own the outcomes, while technology provides the backbone that enables AI at scale.

♦ Dilraj Singh Gandhi, EVP – Digital & AI, TAFE – Tractor & Farm Equipment:
+ CIO and CDO collaboration alone is not enough; business must become the third pillar for AI initiatives to succeed.