Harish Dunakhe leads IDC’s research & advisory practice for the software program in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey (META) region.
He is responsible for a team of research analysts and manages the delivery of insights in IDC’s software program and syndicated research. Harish and his team have expertise in studying technology trends to provide our clients with thought leadership and actionable insights. He is based in Dubai.

Harish has a strong understanding of leveraging technologies to solve business problems in the public sector, travel & transportation, hospitality, IT, and retail. He has significant knowledge of emerging technologies such as blockchain, RPA, artificial intelligence, and cloud. He works with clients to understand the intricacies, opportunities, and challenges involved in their technology transformation journeys.

Harish brings more than 17 years of experience working with leading system integrators and other technology companies across the Middle East, South Asia, and India. Prior to joining IDC, he held senior roles spanning technology sales strategy, program governance, and large account business planning at Global MNCs such as Wipro, DXC Technology, and Sonata Software.

Ashish Koshy, CEO at Inception (a G42 company) is a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience in driving large-scale AI and technology initiatives across multiple industries. At Inception, Ashish leads the development of an integrated ecosystem of AI-powered solutions, partnering with both public and private sectors to accelerate innovation.

Known for his entrepreneurial approach, Ashish excels at transforming challenges into growth opportunities. He spearheads national programs and strategic partnerships that have yielded substantial commercial and societal impact. His focus on AI-driven innovation ensures that Inception stays at the cutting edge of technological advancement, leveraging artificial intelligence and big data strategies to scale businesses and drive change. His leadership has been widely recognized, with Forbes naming him one of the Top 100 Healthcare Leaders in the Middle East in 2022 and 2023, and more recently by Fast Company Middle East as one of the top 50 leaders shaping AI in the Middle east.

Before joining Inception, Ashish served as Group Chief Operating Officer at M42, where he played a key role in transforming the healthcare division from a rapidly growing start-up into a regional healthcare leader. Prior to M42, Ashish was the CEO and founding member of G42 Healthcare and played an integral part to the landmark merger with Mubadala Health to form M42.

Ashish serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Malaffi, the region’s first unified health information exchange platform, promoting a patient-centric and preventive approach to healthcare delivery.

With an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School and an MSc in Computer Networks from Middlesex University, UK, Ashish is also dedicated to fostering young talent and inspiring the next generation.

Sherif is a global tech leader with 30 years of experience spanning AI, Cloud, Digital Transformation, and Sustainability. As Chief Partnership Officer for G42 at Microsoft, he drives responsible AI and cloud adoption across emerging nations, enabling growth, innovation, and skills for the future.

He is also the Co-Founder & CEO of Fusion Minds AI, a platform accelerating sustainability through generative AI, skilling, and inclusive innovation. Sherif is passionate about creating impact at scale and bridging technology, business, and social good.