Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) stands at the forefront of modern business ethos, encompassing a broad spectrum of considerations ranging from data protection and cybersecurity to ethical technology deployment and societal impact. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, so too do the demands placed upon corporations to navigate these complex terrains responsibly.
The evolution of responsible behaviour extends beyond digital, encompassing industries like gaming, OTT, social media intermediaries, digital lending, gambling, alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceuticals. Regulatory interventions, corporate responsibility initiatives and public health campaigns underscore the collective effort to mitigate societal harms.
While OTT platforms play a crucial role in upholding ethical standards, safeguarding user data and promoting digital inclusivity; social media intermediaries are tasked with moderating user-generated content to ensure that it complies with community standards and legal requirements.
As financial institutions and fintech companies leverage digital platforms to provide access to credit and financial products, it’s imperative that they uphold ethical standards, protect consumer rights and promote financial well-being.
The significance of new, emerging and strategic technologies (NEST) in advancing a nation’s development, economic prosperity, national security, and diplomatic relations has never been more pronounced. This entails continuous monitoring, analysing the legal ramifications of technology-driven resources and evaluating opportunities for collaboration. Three decades ago, this might have primarily referred to the Internet, but today, it encompasses AI, biotechnology, nanotechnology, 3D printing, and beyond. The intertwining of emerging technologies and CDR underscores the imperative for companies to embrace and utilise these technologies conscientiously and ethically, considering their societal, environmental and ethical implications.
The establishment of the NEST division in the Ministry of External Affairs is a significant step that underscores the importance of emerging technologies to India’s expanding digital landscape and domestic industries.
The foundation of CDR was laid in the early 2000s, primarily focusing on data protection and security. Initiatives like the US Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) set the stage for stringent regulations governing the handling of user data. In the United States, sector-specific laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) reinforce cybersecurity measures, while the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) empowers consumers with greater control over their personal information.
Meanwhile, the EU’s GDPR revolutionised data protection standards, emphasising transparency, accountability, and user consent. The Network and Information Systems (NIS) Directive and upcoming Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) further bolster Europe’s commitment to safeguarding digital rights and fostering fair competition.
Beyond the US and EU, countries worldwide are enacting their own data protection laws, such as Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and Brazil’s Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD), underscoring the global relevance of CDR.
The proliferation of cutting-edge technologies like AI has expanded the scope of CDR to include ethical considerations. Governance structures, bias mitigation protocols and impact assessments are crucial in ensuring the responsible development and deployment of AI systems.
Data ethics and privacy remain paramount, with principles like Privacy by Design and robust consent management practices guiding companies towards responsible data handling. Cybersecurity measures, including risk assessments and proactive incident response plans are indispensable in safeguarding digital assets and customer trust.
In recent years, CDR has extended its purview to encompass environmental sustainability and digital inclusion. Initiatives like the Energy Star programme and the EU’s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) promote eco-friendly practices in digital operations. Companies also strive to make technology accessible to all, aligning with UN SDGs.
Many companies are proactively upholding CDR principles through internal digital ethics boards and voluntary commitments. Collaborative initiatives like the GNI exemplify the industry’s collective effort to uphold freedom of expression and privacy rights. Transparency and accountability are central to CDR, with companies expected to publish regular reports on their digital responsibility practices.
As digital consumption continues to rise, concerns regarding its impact on mental health have come to the forefront. Human-centric design principles, robust content moderation, and user controls are pivotal in mitigating potential harms associated with addictive digital behaviours. Embracing the principles of CDR is not just a moral imperative but a strategic imperative for corporate India.
Our Programme Schedule
Mr Sameer Kochhar, Chairman, SKOCH Group
Ms Sugandh Saxena, Chief Executive Officer, Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment (FACE)
Mr Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India
Dr Yatan Pal Singh Balhara, Professor-Psychiatry, National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS
• Mr Amarendra Singh, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting • Prof Charan Singh, CEO & Founding Director, Egrow Foundation • Mr Jiji Mammen, Chief Executive Officer, Sa-Dhan • Prof Karishma Godara, Assistant Professor, Jindal School of Psychology (JSPC) and Counselling, O P Jindal Global University • Mr Karthik Sathuragiri, Head-Marketing, AWS India • Mr Kshitij Aggarwal, Deputy Director, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting • Dr Mriganko Das, Consultant, NEST, MEA • Dr N Vijayaditya, Former Director General, National Informatics Centre (NIC) • Mr Nipun Kohli, Co-Founder, FinAGG • Dr Nirmal Bansal, Provost - ESRDS, France • Prof Naresh Singh, Executive Dean, Jindal School of Government & Public Policy, O P Jindal Global University • Prof R Sudarshan, Dean, Jindal School of Government & Public Policy, O P Jindal Global University • Mr Rohit Chauhan, Director, Public Policy, Head Digital Works • Mr Rohit Vaswani, Bhartiya Vitta Salahkar Samiti (BVSS) • Dr Sabyasachi Saha, Associate Professor, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) • Mr Sandeep Sharma, President, Bhartiya Vitta Salahkar Samiti (BVSS) • Mr Sanjay Chaudhary, Vice President-Marketing, Lentra • Dr Shefali Dash, Former Director General, National Informatics Centre (NIC) • Prof Sidharth Chauhan, Associate Professor and Associate Dean, Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), O P Jindal Global University • Mr Sundar Ram, Director of Business Development, AWS India • Dr Vinay Kumar Singh, Head (Self-Regulation & Compliance), Microfinance Industry Network (MFin)
Public Policy Forum
Chairman, SKOCH Group
Reforms historian and author of best-seller ModiNomics, Sameer Kochhar is Chairman, SKOCH Group. He is a passionate advocate of social, digital and financial inclusion and is a foremost expert on governance and inclusive growth. His work has been acclaimed globally and endorsed by Mr Narendra Modi, Mr M Venkaiah Naidu, Dr Manmohan Singh, Mr Arun Jaitley, Mr P Chidambaram, Mr Yashwant Sinha, Dr C Rangarajan and Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia and so on. In his thinking and writings and activities, his profound admiration for India's economic reforms and in extension, those outstanding personalities who strive to make these reforms more meaningful and broad-based comes out clear and unambiguous.
CEO & Founding Director, EGROW Foundation
Prof (Dr.) Charan Singh is the CEO and Founder Director, EGROW Foundation. He is also the Non-Executive Chairman of Punjab & Sind Bank. Earlier, he was the RBI Chair Professor of Economics at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, India; Senior Economist at the IMF, Washington DC; and Research Director (Economic Policy, Debt Management) at the RBI. Among other positions, Dr Singh served on the Board of NHB and NABFINS. Dr Singh has published extensively and has two books to his credit.
Dean, Jindal School of Government & Public Policy
Prof R Sudarshan has had distinguished careers in the domains of research, development programming and governance. After he obtained a Master’s degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics he was elected to a Rhodes scholarship. He joined Balliol College, University of Oxford, and obtained a Master’s degree in Politics in 1977. He was elected to a research fellowship at St. John’s College, University of Cambridge, where he studied judicial review of economic legislation by the Supreme Court of India, specializing in the interface of law and economics. In 2012 he joined the O.P. Jindal Global University as the founding Dean of the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy. He has an impressive track record of publications comprising books, articles, and UN policy reports, reflecting his inter-disciplinary research, teaching and policy experience in development programmes, human development, law, governance, institutions and policy.
Professor, Psychiatry
NDDTC, AIIMS
Dr Yatan Pal Singh Balhara is currently serving as a Professor of Psychiatry at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India. At AIIMS, he runs the Dual Diagnosis Clinic and Behavioral Addictions Clinic. He is serving as Secretary of the World Association on Dual Disorders (WADD). Dr Balhara offers consultancy to the World Health Organization and UNODC. He is a Global Master Trainer on Drug Demand Reduction for The Colombo Plan and UNODC. He is a member of various national and international committees including the WHO expert group on addictive behaviors. He has published more than 300 research papers.
CEO, Sa-Dhan
Mr. Jiji Mammen is an industry veteran with over 36 years of experience in microfinance, agriculture and rural development. He was earlier the Managing Director of NABFINS, an NBFC MFI promoted by NABARD. He was the founder, MD & CEO of Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd. (MUDRA), an NBFC formed to support the flagship programme of Govt. of India, viz. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana for three years from 2015. He has been CGM at NABARD, heading the regional offices in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Mr. Mammen was also the country head of the Department of Refinance in NABARD.
Executive Dean, Jindal School of Govt & Public Policy
Dr Singh Is Professor and Executive Dean, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy; Director of the Centre for Complexity Economics, Applied Spirituality and Public Policy (CEASP), Co-Director of the Centre for Legal Empowerment of the Poor and Senior Fellow at the Jindal India Institute. He has a transdisciplinary PhD in Environmental Sciences, with more than three decades of public policy experience in senior positions in the United Nations and the Federal Government of Canada.
President, BVSS
As a seasoned Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with a proven track record, He brings unparalleled expertise in Finance & Accounts, GST functions, and operational performance monitoring. He excels in steering organizations towards success by setting up robust finance & accounts operations and implementing efficient reporting systems. His rich experience spans Assurance, Operations, Outsourcing, Automation, Cost management, and Taxation.
Bhartiya Vitta Salahkar Samiti (BVSS)
Mr Rohit Vaswani has over 25 years of experience of handling matters related to Indirect Taxes including GST, Excise, Service Tax & VAT including GST implementation, consultancy, legal opinions, GST due diligence, GST system development, search and seizure, investigations, show cause notices, appeals, advance rulings and other related services. He is on the Advisory Board of Bhartitya Vista Sahalhar Samiti (BVSS), a leading think tank of Indian finance professionals. He is a qualified ‘Mediator’ under Delhi Dispute Resolution Society (DDRS), Government of NCT of Delhi since more than a decade and working as Mediator with Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).
Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Mr Amarendra Singh, Deputy Secretary, MIB, belongs to the Central Secretarial Service. He has worked in different Ministers like Commerce & Industry, Culture, and Home Affairs for about 30 years and presently working as Deputy Secretary in M/o I&B since 2017. While working in M/o I&B, has looked after matters relating to media units of CBC, RNI, PIB, PCI private broadcasting Digital Media etc. After the allocation of matters relating to content on the OTT Platforms and Digital news publisher to the Ministry of I&B in September 2020, has been looking after the newly created Digital media Division in the Ministry. While working in the Digital Media Division, he was associated with bringing out the Digital Media Ethics Code Rule, 2021.
Assistant Professor, Jindal Global University
Dr Godara is a clinical psychologist and mental health researcher with a keen interest in addiction research. Her clinical training is from the Department of Psychiatry, PGIMS, Rohtak. Both her M.Phil. and PhD theses, centre on mental health and addiction disorders (substance and behavioural, respectively). Her PhD focuses on risk perceptions and therapeutic intervention for the management of internet use. Following her doctoral studies, she worked at the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. She has also worked on research pertaining to maternal mental health at the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI).
Associate Professor, Jindal Global University
Mr Chauhan is an Affiliate at Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. He read his LL.M. at Harvard Law School, where he focused on corporate, antitrust/competition, and technology laws. While at Harvard Law, Sidharth received the Dean’s Award and worked as a research assistant at the Berkman Klein Center to pursue his research interests. He completed his first law degree (B.L.S., LL.B.) from Government Law College, Mumbai, India, where he graduated with a First Class degree. He has worked in the leading corporate practice of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. in Mumbai, India, and the competition law practice of WilmerHale in Brussels, Belgium.
Consultant, NEST
Ministry of External Affairs
Dr Das is an experienced professional with a decade-long tenure in STEM fields, committed to utilizing data, profound insights, and collaboration to devise impactful solutions. His extensive background encompasses academia, government, and startup environments, allowing me to navigate diverse sectors adeptly. Presently, he serves as a Consultant within the New Emerging & Strategic Technologies (NEST) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs. In this role, he is deeply involved in shaping national and international policies and strategies concerning various pivotal emerging technologies. His commitment to ongoing learning and development underscores his proactive approach, fueling his enthusiasm for pushing the boundaries of science and technology.
Former Director General, National Informatics Centre
Dr. (Mrs.) Shefali S. Dash is a Ph.D in Physics & Former Deputy Director General, National Informatics Centre, New Delhi. Her Areas of Specialization are Planning and implementation of Management Information Systems (MIS) and Decision Support Systems (DSS), development and implementation of e-Governance programmes, Informatics Development Services and Setting up of Computer Centres, Local Area Networks and computer communication infrastructure in rural areas. She has Implemented a number of large scale projects like the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission computerization Project, Community Information Centre Project, GRAMSAT Project, Warana Wired Village Project, Project Arrow of Department of Post, Setting up of Wide Area Network for connecting all the post offices in the country, Setting up of National Consumer Call Preference Registry for TRAI, Project Nikshaya for Ministry of Health etc. She has been instrumental in preparing e-Governance Plans for various State Governments in India as well as for the Government of Lao PDR.
Director, Business Development, AWS India
Sundar is Director and Head of the World Wide Specialist Organization (WWSO) at AWS India Private Limited. His organization is focused on helping customers be more successful in adopting Cloud to unlock efficiencies, Gain Business agility and resiliency, Innovate new business models, apart from cost savings. Since joining AWS in 2017, Sundar continues to be part of many leadership forums in advising CxOs and mentors Cloud journey for Enterprises across India. Prior to AWS, he spent 21 years at Oracle APAC and started his career at Maruti in 1992. He holds a B.Tech from IIT Madras and a PGDM from IIM Ahmedabad.
Head-Marketing, AWS India
As the Head of Marketing for Amazon Web Services (AWS) in India and South Asia, Karthik Sathuragiri leads a team of talented marketers who are responsible for building brand awareness and driving adoption of AWS services in the region. He is also working with multiple partners to help AWS customers succeed in the digital economy. Karthik has a post graduate program in cloud computing and holds multiple certifications in AWS and XBRL.
With over 20 years of experience in marketing across high tech firms, Karthik has a proven track record of success in developing and executing innovative marketing campaigns that drive growth. He has experience across the marketing tech stack, including marketing automation, programmatic advertising and predictive analytics. He is a passionate marketer who is known for his ability to leverage technology to accelerate growth and address socio-economic issues. He is also a frequent speaker at industry events and has been recognized as a CMO of the Year and a Most Influential Marketing Leader.
Former Director General, National Informatics Centre
Dr N Vijayaditya, PhD in Information Systems from University of North Carolina, was DG, National Informatics Centre. He was responsible for supervising implementation of several e-Governance projects at the Centre and States. He was also Controller of Certifying Authority and worked extensively on developing security systems including digital signatures. He has done research in Pattern Recognition and Information systems and has been deeply involved in drawing the IT roadmap for roll out of GST.
Head (Self-regulation & compliance), Microfinance Industry Network
Dr Singh is a PhD in Economics and a management professional with nearly two decades of experience in financial services across multinational organizations. He has multi-business experience in consumer lending, retail banking and insurance. Dr Singh has worked across geographies with cross-functional stints in sales, distribution, strategy, credit & risk, learning & development, and wealth management. Sugandh is an engineering graduate from MNNIT, Allahabad and a postgraduate from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Director, Esports Federation of India
Mr Suji is a business owner by day and esports fanatic by night. Lokesh Suji is an esports Evangelist, Hustler and Telecom Veteran with 18+ years of corporate experience with companies like Huawei, Tata Communications, Airtel and Reliance. Over the years of being part of esports, and across different formats and categories of games, he found that the vertical in India is unstructured & Unexplored, which needed to be developed along professional lines – much in the same way that other forms of sports are being developed in the country (be it Cricket, Football or now Kabaddi).
Associate Professor, RIS
Dr Saha is an Associate Professor at the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi since 2021. He has been an Assistant Professor at RIS (2014-2020) and a full-time Consultant at RIS during 2013-14. He specialises in innovation economics, trade and technology, international trade, technology and development policy.
Co-Founder, FinAGG
Mr Kohli has 20 years of experience in the Business, Strategy and IT industry with experience in building FinTech products and supply Chain Finance. He has domain expertise (functional and technical) in Finance, Digital, omnichannel, Multi-Channel, E-commerce, Supply Chain Management Execution (SCM) and 3PL Logistics. He has worked with startups, FinTech Retail, CPG, Logistics & 3PL organisations in setting up IT Strategies as CIO and Chief Strategy Officer and executing them. He has experience with Business Consulting and IT Strategy & package implementations across the globe with Retail, Pharmacy, Manufactures, FMCG, Logistics Service Providers, 3PL Service Providers, Bonded Warehouse, Logistics Parks, FTWZ, and SEZs.
Director, Public Policy, Head Digital Works
Mr Chauhan is a seasoned professional who understands the pivotal intersection of Technology, Public Policy, Global Affairs, Business Development, Sustainability and the Geopolitical landscape to augment the business drivers for impactful growth, brand reputation, risk mitigation, advocacy, and global expansion. He has insightful experience working with Foreign Embassies & High Commissions and multilateral forums (5+ programs) like the UN, World Bank and other global bodies on Digital Business, Policy & UN SDGs.
Vice President Marketing, Lentra
Sanjay has over 25 years of experience in developing and executing integrated marketing campaigns for B2B industries. In his current role, Sanjay is leading global demand generation for Lentra, one of the fastest-growing enterprise SaaS companies in India. Previously, he spearheaded Account-Based Marketing (ABM) initiatives for strategic clients and industry segments, specifically within the government and financial services domains, during his tenure at Oracle.
CEO, Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment
Sugandh has two decades of experience across sectors like financial inclusion/microfinance, social-economic development and technology. Sugandh has diverse, well-rounded, hands- on experience leading sector-building works through the industry body and the SRO. As the Head of Self-Regulation and Compliance at MFIN, an SRO for the microfinance sector, she played a pivotal role in shaping the microfinance industry by leading conversations with regulators and industry players to formulate and enforce ethical guidelines. She has also held roles at ACTED, ITC, Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) Bharat, and Bharat Electronics.
Provost, ESRDS
Dr Bansal is a former banker and an expert in financial inclusion. He has over two-and-a-half decades of experience in the banking and financial sector, having worked with HDFC Bank, Corporation Bank and FINO. He was instrumental in setting up the FI/PSU group and his major achievement – a very first - was getting the mandate for collection of Direct Taxes for the Central Government and several other Government Projects of various Ministries like MCA21, Online collection of Licence fee for DGFT, Online payment system for Ministry of Food Processing & Industries, signing of MoU with the Ministry of HRD for payments of scholarship to the students, mandate of collection of Sales Tax in the state of Punjab and Delhi and collection of road tax in Rajasthan, Haryana etc.
Public Policy Forum
Good policy making is a prerequisite for inclusive growth and development. For India, this has been a big constraint. The biggest problem with policy making in India has been its disconnect with ground realities. Insufficient and unreliable data and statistics also hamper the process of good policy making.
‘Data’ has emerged as the essence of most modern-day economies. In this era of big data many firms derive their value from exclusive data access and other intangible assets, as opposed to machinery and other physical assets. The innate characteristics of ‘data’ raise several policy questions related to its value, ownership, regulation and sovereignty.
Cryptocurrencies are here to stay in different forms whether as floating currencies or Stablecoins- which are pegged to actual currencies or Digital coins issued by Central Banks. The rapid adoption of cryptocurrencies has also led to them being recognised as legal tender by countries like El Salvador.
“Over the next 25 years, India needs to strengthen its parliament and make systems more resilient. This coupled with a robust regulatory environment will take us through the next wave of reforms and the corollary to this would be cooperative federalism. Sameer’s book is an apt commentary that suitably covers all aspects of cooperative federalism and presents a lucid prescription of what needs to be done by learning from our past lessons.”
Chairman, 13th Finance Commission
“In that transition to 2047, it will pass through the upper-middle-income category and approach the high-income status - presently defined as more than US$12,695. Poverty levels will decline sharply. By 2047, India will move from the present medium human development category to the high human development category.”
Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister
“This volume contains an in-depth analysis of significant policy issues in addressing contemporary challenges, high growth coupled with fiscal consolidation, and reconciling the dichotomy between inclusiveness and inflation management with macroeconomic stability. It brings together domain experts over experience, skill, and understanding.”
15th Finance Commission
“India 2047 deals with macroeconomic essentials and emphasises the need for structural transformation, organising the labour markets, increasing competitiveness, enhancing financial and social inclusion with equitable growth, the role of federalism in inclusive growth, imperatives for job-generation, and the importance of infrastructure development and financing.”
Chairman, SKOCH Group
“The reform agenda must continue as it has been under various regimes. Policymakers should identify the sectors that need reforms in terms of creating a competitive environment and improving performance efficiency. The Centre and states must be joint partners in this effort.”
12th Finance Commission and Former Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the PM
