The panels, composed of serial entrepreneurs, government officials and CEOs of the innovation units of large corporations, were excited to provide practical guidance and real-world advise to the enterprising audience largely made up of students and young entrepreneurs.Topics and discussions emphasized the disruption that the “digitization” of India, which is being initiated and propogated by both the government and the private sector, was causing to the traditional industries in India.

In particular the economic and social transformations wrought by portals – whether it be the Government UID initiative Aadhaar card or payment gateways like Ezetap – were highlighted. Another takeaway from the day was the shift in the  ambitions and mindset of the IT industry specifically, and in the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem at large, from being stellar service providers to becoming creative problem solvers developing original products in sectors ranging from deep science to smart, connected devices, to transportation logistics to plugging rural India into the nation’s digital infrastructure. The passion, optimism and determination evident throughout the day bodes well for the progress of the digital revolution and disruptive innovation in India.