The third Edition of the India Global Innovation Connect (IGIC) 2024 concluded in Bengaluru, marking a significant milestone in the promotion of global collaboration within the digital and startup ecosystems. The invite-only event attracted more than 400 attendees, featuring an impressive lineup of global and domestic industry leaders who emphasized the need for transformative changes through technology, skilling, and innovation.
Key Focus Areas: Technology, Skilling, and Innovation
During the event, industry leaders and government officials discussed a range of topics, highlighting the critical areas of technology, skilling, and innovation. Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa for India, stressed the urgent need to bridge the gap between industry demands and the available talent pool, particularly in high-demand areas like artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and cybersecurity. “The curriculum of many of these engineering colleges and our IITs needs to be totally reoriented and restructured to align with the demands of today,” Kant said. He emphasized the government’s focus on skilling and apprenticeship over the next five years to create a vast number of new jobs.
Global Collaboration and Exchange of Ideas
Claude Smadja, Chairman of Smadja & Smadja Strategic Advisory, hailed the event as a major milestone in promoting global collaboration. “Over the past two days, we have seen experts from across several countries deliberate in an exchange of ideas and insights on technology trends, biotech, deep tech, innovation, the startup ecosystem, and AI,” Smadja noted, expressing confidence in building on this momentum for IGIC 2025.
Economic Policies and Entrepreneurial Spirit
Soumitra Dutta, Dean of Saïd Business School, Oxford University, highlighted India’s favorable economic policies and the renewed enthusiasm for technology and entrepreneurship among the youth. “The brand of India has changed today, and there is a significant transformation in India’s image,” Dutta said, emphasizing the country’s recognition for its software programmers and talented pool.
Insights on Business and Technology
Shubhankar Bhattacharya, General Partner at Foundamental, Germany, shared insights on identifying scalable business ideas and the importance of detailed bookkeeping for the success of startups. David Passig, a futurist and professor at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, discussed the immense data generation and the future of mind technologies, while Darshan H.V., IAS Managing Director of the Department of Electronics, Information Technology Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, highlighted Karnataka’s pioneering role in R&D and technological innovation.
IGIC’s Mission and Strategic Partnerships
The IGIC mission aims to expand and deepen the interaction and synergies between India’s ecosystems and foreign ecosystems, identifying new opportunities created by disruptive technologies and exploring new business partnerships. Building on the success of its previous editions, IGIC 2024 was convened by global strategic advisory firm Smadja & Smadja with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission as a strategic partner. The event also benefited from the support of various government and business organizations, including Swissnex, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), German Entrepreneurship, French Tech India, and Business France.
Key Partners and Sponsors
The event was supported by several key partners, including Tata Digital Private Limited as the Founding Sponsor, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission as the Strategic Partner, and sponsors such as Axilor Ventures and WizFreight. Knowledge partners included Covington & Burling and Swissnex, with partner organizations like Japan External Trade Organization, Start2 Group, Enterprise Singapore, French Tech India, and Business France playing crucial roles.
As IGIC 2024 concludes, the insights and collaborations fostered during the event are set to drive significant advancements in technology, skilling, and innovation, paving the way for a transformative future.
