DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AWARDS 2020
Speaking at the award presentation ceremony of the 2020 cycle of Digital Technology Awards by IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Wipro chairman Rishad Premji was effusive about being on the IMC forum as he reminisced his family ties with more than century old industry body. Referring to his favourite photograph from 1946 of his grandfather Muhammad Hussain Hashim Premji standing and speaking at an event as President of IMC, then known as Indian Merchants’ Chamber, flanked by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad and other illustrious figures from our history. Recalling the ties, he mentioned, “for me personally, it is a big honour as there is no other industry body, that the Mahatma chose to become a member of the Chamber which saw its purpose and role beyond that of being an industry body and so itself as an integrator and interface between industry and the most important social issues of the time.
Congratulating all the recipients of the Awards and especially, the lifetime achievement award winners, Rishad Premji said that there could not be a better recognition more relevant and more contemporary in the world of today where Digital Technology has been truly all pervasive.
Rishad devoted his talk on how to fulfil the true promise of technology beyond merely economic growth but as a true enabler of human well-being. He mentioned four areas of maximizing economic growth with human wellbeing that required deeper thought and debate. ● Ensuring monopolies or near monopolies do not develop, markets function efficiently, to ensure that we keep the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation alive and what does regulation mean in the world of technology including cross border regulation and laws on competition.
● Technology, particularly digital and social media have integrated the world as never before and have fostered human connections and solidarity as never before through social media platforms which should be used wisely and in a more responsible manner to avoid curbs and government interference. ● We must help people re-skill to participate in the new opportunities tech disruption creates. In the long march of human history the expansion of new kinds of technologies in a period of time only, only created economic prosperity and we must ensure that it continues to do so.
● The use of technology can be a massive massive force multiplier for many elements in human development, yet we must be careful to not assume that it will be the panacea for all issues of human development.
Earlier, Mr Rajiv Podar, President, IMC while welcoming Rishad Premji said that these digital awards were very much in line with the National Agenda set by our Prime Minister towards creating a Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat and this initiative by IMC would significantly contribute towards the larger objective as stated by Shri Narendra Modi, “In this digital age, we have an opportunity to transform lives of people in ways that was hard to imagine a couple of decades ago.”
The Awardees included IT Companies, End Users of IT along with Government departments for technological solutions, applications and improvements that have transformed business using latest and emerging technologies.
The coveted Lifetime Achievement Awards 2020 were bestowed on:
1.Mr Ashank Desai, Founder, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Mastek Ltd.
2.Mr Atul Nishar, Chairman, Azent Overseas Education Limited and Founder, Hexaware Technologies.
3.Dr Lalit Surajmal Kanodia, Chairman Datamatics Group of Companies was bestowed with the IMC Hinditron Late Hemant Sonawala, Digital Technology Awards 2020 – Lifetime Achievement Award. Late Shri Hemant Sonawala in whose memory IMC is constituting this Lifetime Achievement Award, was described by Business India magazine as “The man who saw the future”.