Cybersecurity Leaders Taking the Stage
Uncover strategic insights, real-world experiences, and forward-looking perspectives from the experts shaping the future of security and resilience.
Join Us As A Speaker
Speakers
Sakshi Grover
Senior Research Manager, Cybersecurity Products and Services, Asia Pacific
IDC
Read bio
Sakshi Grover
Sakshi Grover is a Senior Research Manager, Cybersecurity Products and Services supporting its research and client engagement activities across Asia/Pacific markets. Additionally, she serves as the lead security analyst for IDC India. Sakshi is responsible for delivering syndicated custom research and consulting engagements on next-generation emerging and disruptive technologies. Her tasks include developing and socializing IDC’s point of view within security services, covering both legacy and modern cybersecurity technologies. Her role involves close collaboration with technology vendors and buyers, developing market insights, and providing research, consulting, and advisory services in the fields of security software and services. This includes partnering on research efforts with relevant country analysts in the local IDC offices. Sakshi’s views on security have been quoted in numerous publications, such as the Economic Times, Business Standard, Data Quest, CRN, and others.
Sakshi has a wealth of experience in the IT space, managing diverse areas such as research and analysis, business development, product management, and client-centric engagements. Before joining IDC, Sakshi was a principal analyst at Gartner Inc., where she managed research on datacenter infrastructure and cloud security products. Prior to Gartner, she was associated with Accenture and Wipro Ltd., where she was responsible for business development across EMEA and Asia/Pacific markets within the TMT space.
Event Sessions
Day 1 2:40 pm
IDC Keynote: The Strategic Security Spend: Justifying & Optimizing Budget
Indian enterprises are under pressure to show that security spend drives business outcomes. This topic will explore how CISOs/VPs in India build and defend budget, optimise vendor spend, align spend to business value, and show ROI on security and trust programmes.
Day 1 2:30 pm
Welcome Address: Setting the Stage for the IT Security Summit India
This opening session will welcome attendees and provide an overview of the event, its key themes, and the opportunities for learning, collaboration, and networking. It will set the context for the discussions ahead and highlight the importance of security in today’s digital landscape.
Day 2 9:05 am
IDC Welcome Address: Building Digital Trust Through Secure and AI-Driven Investments
An IDC perspective on how Indian enterprises are aligning cybersecurity budgets and AI adoption strategies to strengthen digital trust and operational resilience, with spending expected to accelerate across cloud, data, and AI-enabled security domains by 2026.
Vivek Gupta
Chief Information Security Officer, Data Privacy & Business Continuity Leader
Mankind Pharma Ltd.
Read bio
Vivek Gupta
Event Sessions
Day 1 3:10 pm
Panel Discussion: Identity Security: The New Battleground
As cyber threats evolve, identity has become the primary attack vector for modern enterprises. From credential theft and phishing to AI-powered deepfakes and insider threats, attackers are increasingly targeting identities rather than networks. This session brings together cybersecurity leaders to discuss why identity security is now central to cyber resilience, how businesses can combat evolving threats, and what the future of trust, authentication, and access control looks like in the AI era.
Kumar Ritesh
Ritesh Kumar is a globally recognized Cybersecurity and Threat‑intelligence leader who has helped redefine how large enterprises anticipate and defend against cyber threats. As Founder, Chairman, and CEO of CYFIRMA, he leads a Singapore‑based, AI‑powered external threat‑landscape‑management platform that enables Fortune 500 companies and national agencies to predict and prevent attacks by mapping nine pillars of external risk from attack‑surface discovery and vulnerability intelligence to brand‑protection, third‑party risk, and sector‑tailored deception intelligence.
His career spans frontline Cyber‑intelligence and counterterrorism roles at a national intelligence agency, followed by senior cybersecurity leadership positions at IBM, PwC, and BHP Billiton, where he built and led enterprise‑wide IT and operational‑technology (OT) security programs for one of the world’s largest mining conglomerates. This unique blend of national‑security‑grade intelligence and corporate‑risk‑management experience underpins CYFIRMA’s shift from reactive incident response to proactive, predictive cybersecurity.
Event Sessions
Day 2 9:45 am
Preemptive External Threat Management in the AI Age: Why Old-School CTI Is Dead
Traditional Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) focused on historical IOCs (Indicators of Compromise), reactive feeds, and post-breach analysis is obsolete in the AI era. Attackers using frontier models compress timelines dramatically, demanding a shift to preemptive external threat management powered by predictive threat intelligence (PTI), AI-driven foresight, and continuous exposure management.
Melwyn Rebeiro
Head – GRC (India) | Chief Information Security Officer & Data Protection Officer
Julius Baer
Read bio
Melwyn Rebeiro
Melwyn Rebeiro is a cybersecurity leader and CISO with 22+ years of experience across wealth management, NBFCs, and global payments. He specializes in cybersecurity strategy, governance, regulatory compliance, Zero Trust architecture, and business resilience. Melwyn helps organizations strengthen security, earn stakeholder trust, and enable sustainable growth through resilient operating models.
Event Sessions
Day 2 1:20 pm
Leadership, Culture & Talent: Making Security Everyone’s Business
Indian enterprises often struggle with talent gaps, cultural silos and aligning business and security. This topic will look at how leadership (CISO, CSO, board) in India build security culture, upskill workforce, manage human risk, and make security & trust part of the business DNA.
Urvish Acharya
Global CISO and Head of IT Governance & Risk
Birla Carbon, Aditya Birla Group
Read bio
Urvish Acharya
Urvish Acharya is an accomplished leader with more than 20 years of industry experience in Information Security, Network Infrastructure, and IT Audits. Holding CISSP and CISA certifications, he has worked across various sectors, including defense, pharma, IT services, and manufacturing. Currently, He is serving as the Global CISO and Head of IT Governance & Risk at Birla Carbon, Aditya Birla Group.
Event Sessions
Day 2 1:20 pm
Leadership, Culture & Talent: Making Security Everyone’s Business
Indian enterprises often struggle with talent gaps, cultural silos and aligning business and security. This topic will look at how leadership (CISO, CSO, board) in India build security culture, upskill workforce, manage human risk, and make security & trust part of the business DNA.
Kishan Kendre
Kishan Kendre is a seasoned Information Security senior-level professional with over 20 years of experience and expertise in Cybersecurity management, IT management, and IT enterprise architecture. Senior-level executive responsible for developing and implementing an information security program, which includes procedures and policies designed to protect enterprise communications, systems and assets from both internal and external threats. A visionary who translates evolving industry risks into ambitious technology roadmaps and robust security programs. Excels at synergizing people, processes, and technology around proactive defense. Continually sharpen the company’s security maturity, aligning solutions with cyber security frameworks. Developed and implemented enterprise security strategy and framework that consists of strategically integrated elements of NIST risk management and Cybersecurity frameworks, ISO 27001 and COBIT 5 for Information Security. Demonstrated expertise in establishing and implementing large information security programs. Visionary leader implementing information security programs for enterprise protection. Hands-on experience in large-scale security technology implementations for over 100,000+ users. Excels in aligning proactive defense strategies with evolving industry risks through ambitious technology roadmaps and robust security programs. Worked across multiple sectors, including Retail, Telecom, IT/ITES, Manufacturing, Pharma, and Petrochemicals.
Event Sessions
Day 2 1:20 pm
Leadership, Culture & Talent: Making Security Everyone’s Business
Indian enterprises often struggle with talent gaps, cultural silos and aligning business and security. This topic will look at how leadership (CISO, CSO, board) in India build security culture, upskill workforce, manage human risk, and make security & trust part of the business DNA.
Tarun Verma
Tarun brings over 22 years of expertise in network optimization and security, currently serving as the Systems Engineering Manager at A10 Networks. Throughout his career, he has played a pivotal role in assisting key service providers, large enterprises, and financial institutions in strengthening their network security posture and meet critical compliance requirements while optimising their network performance.
Dr. Jagannath Sahoo
CISO and Data Protection Officer
Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd, (INOXGFL Group)
Read bio
Dr. Jagannath Sahoo
Dr. Jagannath Sahoo is a seasoned cybersecurity and digital trust leader with over 24 years of experience in cybersecurity, risk management, data protection, and digital transformation. He currently serves as CISO and Data Protection Officer at Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd. (INOXGFL Group), leading enterprise-wide IT, OT, cloud, and cyber resilience initiatives. Recognized through multiple industry awards and accolades, he is a thought leader, speaker, and guest faculty at premier institutions including IIT Delhi and CDAC. Dr. Sahoo is known for driving AI-led cybersecurity innovation, operational resilience, and business-aligned cyber risk governance across critical industrial environments.
Event Sessions
Day 1 3:10 pm
Panel Discussion: Identity Security: The New Battleground
As cyber threats evolve, identity has become the primary attack vector for modern enterprises. From credential theft and phishing to AI-powered deepfakes and insider threats, attackers are increasingly targeting identities rather than networks. This session brings together cybersecurity leaders to discuss why identity security is now central to cyber resilience, how businesses can combat evolving threats, and what the future of trust, authentication, and access control looks like in the AI era.
Ravi Bhushan
Ravi Bhushan is an accomplished Cyber Security and Technology Risk Management leader with over 20 years of experience across Barclays, KPMG, and IBM. Currently serving as CISO & DPO at PayU, he brings deep expertise in governance, regulatory compliance, and information security frameworks including ISO 27001, GDPR, and PCI-DSS. He has managed geographically distributed programs worth over 12 mio GBP and led diverse international teams across the US, UK, Asia, and beyond.
Event Sessions
Day 1 3:10 pm
Panel Discussion: Identity Security: The New Battleground
As cyber threats evolve, identity has become the primary attack vector for modern enterprises. From credential theft and phishing to AI-powered deepfakes and insider threats, attackers are increasingly targeting identities rather than networks. This session brings together cybersecurity leaders to discuss why identity security is now central to cyber resilience, how businesses can combat evolving threats, and what the future of trust, authentication, and access control looks like in the AI era.
Gaurav Duggal
Gaurav Duggal is a seasoned technology executive with nearly two decades of experience in driving security and IT initiatives across diverse sectors. Currently serving as Senior Vice President of IT and Security at Jio Platforms Limited, Gaurav combines visionary leadership with a deep commitment to innovative problem-solving. His expertise spans critical areas such as cybersecurity, generative AI, blockchain, and agile methodologies, enabling him to navigate complex technological landscapes and implement robust security frameworks.
Gaurav’s multidisciplinary skill set empowers him to address the intricacies of modern security threats, develop proactive strategies, and lead transformative initiatives that ensure the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of information. His forward-thinking approach positions him as a pivotal leader in the intersection of technology and security, driving innovation while maintaining a strong focus on risk management and compliance.
Gaurav is author of METAVERSE Simplified, and he also has 20+ patents with international coverage: An MIT alumni; he is currently pursuing a PhD from BITS, Pilani, to enhance his understanding of emerging security challenges and solutions in an increasingly digital world.
Event Sessions
Day 2 3:35 pm
Proactive Defense Against AI-Enhanced Cyber Threats
Explore how AI is reshaping both the threat landscape and cyber defence — from threat detection and incident response to proactive threat hunting.
Hemant Bhardwaj
Event Sessions
Day 2 1:20 pm
Leadership, Culture & Talent: Making Security Everyone’s Business
Indian enterprises often struggle with talent gaps, cultural silos and aligning business and security. This topic will look at how leadership (CISO, CSO, board) in India build security culture, upskill workforce, manage human risk, and make security & trust part of the business DNA.
Utkarsh Sawant
Utkarsh Sawant is Global Head of Cyber Strategy at Diageo, where he leads the organization’s cyber strategy & risk, helping ensure that security investments and technology transformation initiatives are aligned to business outcomes. With over 21 years of experience in cybersecurity, risk management, cloud security, and digital transformation, Utkarsh works closely with technology and business leaders to assess emerging risks associated with AI, cloud platforms, data, and enterprise ecosystems. His focus is on enabling innovation while maintaining appropriate governance, resilience, and trust.
Event Sessions
Day 2 1:20 pm
Leadership, Culture & Talent: Making Security Everyone’s Business
Indian enterprises often struggle with talent gaps, cultural silos and aligning business and security. This topic will look at how leadership (CISO, CSO, board) in India build security culture, upskill workforce, manage human risk, and make security & trust part of the business DNA.
Arvind Sharma
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Adani Energy Solutions Limited and Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited
Read bio
Arvind Sharma
Arvind Sharma is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Adani Energy Solutions Limited (AESL) and Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited (AEML), where he leads the cybersecurity strategy, governance, risk management, compliance, privacy, and cyber resilience initiatives across the organizations.
He has been with the Adani Group for the past five years, serving in multiple leadership roles and successfully delivering several strategic cybersecurity programs spanning governance, risk and compliance (GRC), privacy, cyber assurance, mergers and acquisitions cybersecurity, and enterprise security transformation.
Prior to joining Adani, Arvind held cybersecurity leadership and consulting roles with DXC Technology and IBM. With over 23 years of experience in cybersecurity, he has led large-scale security programs, advised organizations on cyber risk management, and driven initiatives to strengthen enterprise security posture and resilience.
Arvind holds a Master of Science degree in Information Systems from the United States and is passionate about aligning cybersecurity with business objectives while enabling secure digital transformation.
PK Tsung
PK Tsung is a co-founder of CyCraft, specializing in cybersecurity analysis and forensic investigation. He currently serves as an executive supervisor of the Association of Hackers in Taiwan (HIT) and is a member of the Cybersecurity Committee at SEMI. Having worked in government agencies, PK is familiar with government affairs and related regulations. He has more than 10 years of experience in the field of cybersecurity incident handling and cybercrime investigation and has long been researching topics related to advanced persistent threats (APTs). In recent years, he has devoted himself to research areas such as Internet of vehicles (IoV) security, cybersecurity data analysis, and AIoT, and has published experimental papers on the security of automotive ECUs. He has also chaired the HITCON review board for many years.
Dhananjay Khanna
Senior Vice President / Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
SBI Cards and Payment Services Limited
Read bio
Dhananjay Khanna
Dhananjay Khanna is the Chief Information Security Officer at SBI Card, leading cyber security strategy, risk management, data protection, and regulatory compliance in a large BFSI environment. With over 28 years of experience, he drives security-by-design, cloud and third-party risk, governance, fraud resilience, and regulatory alignment while fostering industry collaboration and a strong cyber-aware culture. He possesses a diverse background with exposure to core Information Security and Information Security functions and technologies across multiple industries along with experience of working in multi-cultural environments.He is a well-rounded security professional who bring a unique mix of hands-on ‘Industry’ and ‘Consulting’ experience Prior to joining SBI Card he has worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers India Pvt. Ltd. (PwC), Deloitte, Computer Science Corporation (CSC), Genpact and EXL Services.
He works closely with regulators, industry bodies, and senior leadership to align security with business growth.
A strong advocate of security by design, First Time Right, automation, and executive awareness, he is passionate about building resilient organizations, nurturing security talent, and advancing industry collaboration to combat emerging cyber threats.
Event Sessions
Day 1 3:10 pm
Panel Discussion: Identity Security: The New Battleground
As cyber threats evolve, identity has become the primary attack vector for modern enterprises. From credential theft and phishing to AI-powered deepfakes and insider threats, attackers are increasingly targeting identities rather than networks. This session brings together cybersecurity leaders to discuss why identity security is now central to cyber resilience, how businesses can combat evolving threats, and what the future of trust, authentication, and access control looks like in the AI era.
Carlos Gómez Gallego
Carlos is a seasoned technologist and innovator, having worked in the wireless and security technology space for 25 years. Since the late 1990’s, Carlos has held a variety of technical and product management roles at start-ups across the world including Australia, the UK and Spain.
Carlos was the co-founder and CEO of Amigopod, a leading provider of enterprise guest access software that launched in 2007. As an early pioneer of guest access and BYOD solutions, Amigopod was acquired by Aruba Networks in December 2010 with the view to expanding its capabilities to enterprise NAC. At Aruba Carlos served as Senior Director of Product Management for Network Services launching and managing the highly successful ClearPass product family. Since 2015, Carlos has worked in the CTO office contributing to the security, identity and IoT strategy for Aruba. This included leading a rapid prototyping software
development team aimed at incubating new solutions and has led to the granting of several patents.
In September 2018, Carlos relocated to Brisbane, Australia and was appointed CTO for the APJ region where he works closely with industry, government, partners and customers to further advance the positive impact of technology. Carlos was born in Madrid, Spain and holds a Bachelor of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Queensland, Australia