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B Swaminathan
CIO Association of India (aka CIO Klub) had recently concluded their annual event GOCC (God’s own CIO Conclave). The association had made a perfect blend of technology with 200-year-old practice of world’s famous ‘Thrissur Pooram’ in their event. The event, conceptualized in such a way the tech replica of Pooram festival was the talk of the town in India among the IT professionals. This event is the brain child of association’s Kerala chapter.
From infant to toddler stage
Sreekumar Balachandran, President of the Kerala chapter, welcoming everyone, said, “Our chapter is one of the young chapters across the chapters. We had just grown from being a child to a toddler stage. From being just a tourism state, we are not becoming a land of opportunities.” He also listed some of the various activities of the chapter and how effectively they are working with the ICT academy of Kerala to being quality education in the state. He also quizzed about the latest initiative Tech 24 which is on cards. He also emphasised on the younger generation to take responsibilities and should come forward for social cause.
Way ahead for the association:
Addressing the audience, Umesh Mehta, National president of the association spoke on how the association, with more than 10 Thousand active participants remains as world’s largest CIO association. He also spoke on the recent launches of the Goa chapter and plans for the chapters in Rajasthan. On the international front the association had already ventured into Bangladesh region. “While all our chapters are actively engaging, we are having minimum 2 events in a week. Through our 120 odd [OEM] partners, we do minimum 2 events in a week across India. He also spoke on the forum’s partnering with research giant Gartner. Some of the other plans of the forum includes expansion in Indonesia and reaching all regions of India through various chapters and ensuring that the forum is part of every single region of the country.
Kerala Leading In Ease of doing business:
P Rajeev, Minister of Industries, Law and Coir, Government of Kerala was the chief guest. In his address he spoke on industry Kerala’s recent achievement as the No. 1 state in the Ease of Doing Business Index in India. “This recognition reflects our proactive policies, infrastructure development, and digital transformation efforts that have created a conducive environment for businesses and investments.”
I am excited to share that Kerala is fully prepared to embrace this theme, welcoming high-tech companies and investors eager to contribute to our growth. We are witnessing rapid advancements in this sector, with numerous innovative firms establishing their presence in Kerala. The collaborative spirit and shared vision exhibited at GOCC 2024 reaffirm our commitment to building a robust technological ecosystem.
Cybersecurity still the top priority
The association also came up with its own research report on the top priorities for the Indian CIOs. As per the report, surveyed among 1 Thousand CIOs, cyber security stands top priority with 70% responding stating it. The other priorities included Automation (68%), Analytics (48%), AI (61%) and application modernization (32%).
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