2025 Agenda:

Agenda at a glance

Main Conference Room 

09:00 - Welcome
Aaron Boasman-Patel, VP Innovation, TM Forum

09:15 - Fireside Chat: Beyond Automation: How AI is Reshaping the Future of Telecoms
Kiran Thomas, CEO, Jio Platforms
Anish Shah, COO, Jio Platforms
Interviewer: Aaron Boasman-Patel, VP Innovation, TM Forum

09:45 - Panel: TM Forum Innovation Hub - Delivering Solutions at Speed

• Impact of the Innovation Hub on driving innovation
• ODA Accelerator – the canvas has arrived
• GenAI – Designing a reference model to enable CSPs to be better informed
• A look to the future: what is coming next?

Moderator: Aaron Boasman-Patel, VP Innovation, TM Forum
Sudipta Naidu, Director, Orange Innovation India, Orange
Dr. Sudhir Kumar Mittal, Executive Vice President & Chief Architect, Jio Platforms
Sigrid Braun, Enterprise IT Architect, Deutsche Telekom IT

10:30 - Networking Break

11:00 - Fireside Chat: Transforming Business with Digital Fabric, AI, and Cloud
Neelakantan Venkataraman, Vice President, and Global Head Cloud & Edge Business, Tata Communications
Interviewer: Shilpa Singhai, Managing Director, Accenture Strategy, Accenture

11:25 - Case Study: Navigating the Data and AI Governance Landscape - SLTMobitel’s Journey Towards a Data-Driven Organization
Ishari Siriwardane, General Manager- Digital Transformation Projects, Sri Lanka Telecom

11:50 - Fireside Chat: Scaling AI for Real Customer Value

• How do you identify and prioritize AI use cases that are most likely to deliver tangible value for customers?
• What are the challenges with scaling AI solutions from pilot projects to full-scale implementations and how can they be overcome?
• How can CSPs balance the need for quick wins in AI with the longer-term investments required for impactful customer experiences?
• What metrics or KPIs are most useful for measuring the real customer value AI delivers?

Moderator: Kiran Karunakaran, Partner – Singapore, Bain & Company
Shekhar Anand Jha, Senior Manager, Vodafone
Naleen Jayasuriya, General Manager, Sri Lanka Telecom

12:30 - Networking Lunch 

13:30 - Fireside Chat: Developer Enablement using GenAI
Dr. Sudhir Kumar Mittal, Executive Vice President & Chief Architect, Jio Platforms
Interviewer: Aaron Boasman-Patel, VP Innovation, TM Forum  

Breakout Room

13:30 -14:45 - Workshop: Monetizing Telecom AI: Balancing Data, Customer Experience, and Network Automation

The workshop is located on the first floor in the Pearl room on the mezzanine level. From the main conference area, head into the hotel lobby and go up the stairs on the left. Alternatively, you will turn right up the stairs when you come into the hotel entrance.

• Scaling Data & Insights using AI
• CX 2.0  & AI
• AI driven Network Automation & Optimization
• Monetizing Telecom Network Assets

Sampath Paranavitane, Senior Vice President & Head of Global Strategy, InfoVision
Abhilash Vantaram, VP Technologies & Solutions, Head of Cloud & Data, Emtech & Innovation, InfoVision
Vivek Gaur, Vice President, Engineering, Colt India
Nilesh Mahajan, VP, Jio Platforms

Main Conference Room

13:55 - Case Study: Composable IT and Autonomous Networks in the AI Era
Prasanna C, Vice President – Product, Lightstorm

14:20 - Case Study: Transforming Legacy to E-commerce Standard APIs
Anish Jain, VP Engineering, Airtel

14:45 - Panel: Forging the Path to Mature and Integrated Network Autonomy

• What are the main roadblocks to progress from current levels of network automation to a fully autonomous network and how can they be overcome?
• How can CSPs integrate AI and ML with existing network infrastructure to enhance autonomy without compromising stability and security?
• How can CSPs drive cross-functional collaboration between IT and network operations to achieve true network autonomy and how can these teams work together effectively?
• What role do ecosystem partners play in accelerating the journey toward mature network autonomy and how can telcos effectively collaborate to ensure seamless integration and innovation?
• What skills will be critical in managing increasingly automated networks?

Moderator: Vinish Bawa, Partner and Telecom Sector Leader, PwC India
Lalit Chowdhary, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Lightstorm
Vivek Gaur, Vice President, Engineering, Colt India
Pramod Chinchansure, Head of Technology Operations, Vodafone Oman

15:20 - Networking Break 

15:50 - Case Study: How to Eliminate Technical Debt: A Strategic Approach to Asset Lifecycle, System Modernization, and Cost Management
Kaushik Kumar, PM, Global Software & Hardware Asset Management, Orange Business

16:10 - Fireside Chat: 5G and the Digital Leap: Enabling Smart, Sustainable Growth for South Asia

• What unique challenges and opportunities do CSPs in South Asia face in accelerating 5G deployment and how can these e􀆯orts be aligned with broader digital growth goals?
• How is 5G expected to drive sustainable growth across key industries and what role do CSPs play in supporting this transformation?
• How can CSPs ensure equitable access to 5G services across urban and rural areas?
• What strategies are CSPs implementing to ensure that 5G growth aligns with sustainability goals and how does this impact network infrastructure and energy usage?

Moderator: Bhaskar Choudhuri, Executive Director - Emerging Business, PWC
Alhad Tamhane, VP, Jio
Ishari Siriwardane, General Manager- Digital Transformation Projects, Sri Lanka Telecom
Affandy Johan, Telecom Industry Analyst, Ookla

16:55 - Closing Remarks