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Day 2 of India Global Forum Middle East & Africa: A Spotlight on AI, Innovation, Sports and Cross-Regional Collaboration

NEW DELHI and ABU DHABI, UAE, Nov. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The India Global Forum Middle East & Africa (IGF ME&A), in its 4th edition, continued its exploration of new and thriving economic opportunities in a rapidly evolving global landscape. As India advances its global trajectory under the newly elected government, Day 2 of IGF ME&A brought together global leaders to identify and unlock collaborative potential between India, the UAE, the Middle East, and Africa for a limitless future.

The day began with a compelling conversation with Mina Liccione, Comedian, Co-Founder, Dubomedy, UAE, discussing how humour can challenge stereotypes and open dialogue on social issues. “People tend to listen to comedians more because there is truth, and it’s a bit lighter, and we all need a bit of a sense of humour. As someone who is in a field which has more men, I personally like being called a comedian, not a female comedian or a woman in comedy.”

Preparing for an (AI)pocalypse: Building Resilience in Technology

Later on, an insightful TownHall session, ‘(AI)pocalypse Now – Insulating Against a Tech Crash,’ addressed contingency planning in an era of widespread AI integration. Mohamed AbuHamra, Chief Operating Officer, Digital Technology, DP World GCC, set the tone with an incisive scene-setter, emphasising the importance of preparedness in the face of potential disruptions.

The panel discussion featured Dr. Jacques Ludik, Founder, Cortex AI Group, South Africa; Rajesh Nambiar, President, NASSCOM, India; and Alexander Khanin, CEO, Polynome Group, UAE. “Today AI is re-shaping and re-imagining how industries work. We are speaking about a lot of benefits it brings specifically to the trade and logistics industry. Digital technology and AI are embedded in every part of the supply chain. Our aim, with the support of AI, is to simplify the import and export process, creating those digital corridors that will boost the trade and logistics sector in Dubai” said, Mohamed AbuHamra as he underscored the session’s relevance to today’s AI-driven world.

Crafting Winning Business Strategies

In ‘The Anatomy of a Winning Pitch,’ top entrepreneurs and investors shared their expertise in mastering the art of business communication. Sanjay Nayar, Founder and Chairman, Sorin Advisors LLP, India; Somdutta Singh, Founder and CEO, Assiduus, UAE; and Prashanth Prakash, Partner, Accel India, India, highlighted the critical elements of persuasive storytelling in business. Sharing his thoughts on the theme, Sanjay Nayar said, “How do you differentiate from a good idea to a bad idea?  Is it a real idea and will it really scale up to a real business that solves real problems? That’s a (good) idea for me. If it’s disruptive in a way and is a solution to traditional business models or traditional solutions. Lastly, if it’s leveraging technology to scale up then even better.”

Transforming Healthcare with AI

The session on ‘AI and the Future of Healthcare Delivery’ brought forth discussions on how AI is revolutionising the healthcare sector. Experts including Michael Schelper, SVP Corporate Development, Caresyntax, UAE; Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, SVP, Dubai Science Park, TECOM Group, UAE; Khalid Shaikh, Founder & CEO, Prognica Labs, UAE; and Siddharth Shah, Co-Founder & CEO, API Holdings (PharmEasy), India, shared practical use cases of AI in diagnostics and patient care. “AI has significantly impacted the healthcare sector by making it affordable and accessible. Software as a service (SaaS) tools empower doctors to consult patients where the time to undertake the patient’s symptoms, findings, history, diagnosis and treatment, which used to happen in 10-12 minutes, using AI and predictive algorithms, now happens in under 1 minute.” as Siddharth Shah encapsulated the session’s visionary outlook.

Sustainability and Profitability in Focus

As a part of IGF’s ClimB (Climate and Business) Forum, a critical conversation on ‘Greening the Bottom Line – Financial Strategies for a Sustainable Future’ emphasised the alignment of business objectives with sustainability goals. Panellists, including Harish K. Ahuja, Head of Sustainability Carbon & Power Markets, NSE India; Dharnesh Gordhon, Former CEO, Godrej Consumer & Nestle, UAE; Hanan Bakr Sakr, CEO and Founder, Al ARD Sustainability Consultancy, UAE; and Sameera Fernandes, CSO & Board Member, Century Financial, UAE, discussed actionable strategies for sustainable growth. “We can look at Africa as a business opportunity rather than as a borrower. This narrative has to change in the context of climate finance and the climate crisis. We are all aware that the climate crisis is a global urgency, and Africa represents one of the green lungs of the world,” said Hanan Bakr Sakr.

Reimagining Indian Sports

In the session ‘Lessons from the Field – Cultivating the Future of Indian Sports,’ experts shared insights into nurturing sports talent and infrastructure. Moderated by Monish Shah, Founder & CEO, DreamSetGo, the panel included Anurag Dahiya, Chief Commercial Officer, International Cricket Council, UAE; Mahesh Bhupathi, Director, SG Sports Private Limited, UAE; and Pasha Gademan, Head Coach, Hyderabad Toofans, India.  Mahesh Bhupathi said, “Starting sports leagues is not the challenge; sustaining them is. Sustaining a league requires star players, especially Indian stars for Indian leagues. Cricket succeeds in India because it has 50-60 superstars, not just 11, which drives: Viewership, leading to Sponsors, supporting Broadcasts,and sustaining the entire ecosystem.Leagues without star players often fail, as seen in the slow demise of some leagues over the years.”

Beauty, Wellness, and Social Media in the Spotlight

Akash Mehta, CEO & Co-Founder, Fable and Mane, UK, led a solo conversation on ‘It’s My Life(Style) – Changing the Face of Beauty and Wellness,’ redefining innovation in lifestyle industries. “I wanted to create a brand that celebrated our culture. For us, it’s about honouring heritage and culture. We always give an image to our roots. We do a lot of content on going back to India and learning from our elders. It’s about capturing the essence of India and preserving it for generations,” captured his forward-thinking vision.

The day concluded with a session on ‘Content is King – Creativity and Influence in Social Media’ featured Charul C Jaitly, Co-Founder, Maiti Group, UAE; Suhel Seth, Managing Partner, Counselage India, India; Vivek Oberoi, Chairman, Oberoi Family Office, India; and Amish Tripathi, Bestselling Author, India. It provided an inspiring conclusion to the day’s discussions.

Unlocking a Limitless Future

The conversations on Day 2 of IGF ME&A reaffirmed its mission to foster partnerships and collaborations across borders, addressing global challenges while building pathways to shared success.

Featuring over 200 speakers and 1,000 participants across nine streams, IGF ME&A 2024 offers exclusive networking opportunities, engaging panel discussions, and inspiring keynote speeches.

About India Global Forum

India Global Forum tells the story of contemporary India. The pace of change and growth India has set itself is an opportunity for the world. IGF is the gateway for businesses and nations to help seize that opportunity. Find out more here.

Social Media Handles & Hashtag to Follow

Twitter: @IGFUpdates & @manojladwa

LinkedIn: India Global Forum

#IGFUAE

 

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Reliance Digital Introduces High-Performance iQOO 15R to its Nationwide Store Network

MUMBAI, India, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Reliance Digital announces the offline retail availability of iQOO, the high-performance smartphone brand built for today’s youth and tech-forward consumers. Following strong traction in online channels, iQOO is now extending its presence into physical retail, allowing customers to experience and purchase its devices first-hand at Reliance Digital stores across India.

Known for pushing the boundaries of speed, and power, the iQOO 15R is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, delivering exceptional speed, responsiveness, and sustained performance throughout the day. It packs iQOO’s biggest battery yet in an ultra-slim 7.90mm design, making it India’s slimmest smartphone with a 7600 mAh battery.

The device features a 6.5K IceCore VC Cooling Chamber for stable performance and runs on OriginOS 6.0 based on Android 16 out of the box, supported by 4 years of software updates and 6 years of security updates. It is also equipped with a Sony LYT-700V OIS camera, a 1.5K 144Hz AMOLED EyeCare display, and IP68 & IP69 dust and water resistance, making it a dependable daily partner for professionals on the go.

The brand’s offline expansion marks an important step in deepening consumer engagement by offering hands-on access to its devices, enabling customers to explore iQOO’s powerful performance, advanced display technology, and flagship-grade camera capabilities in a real-world retail environment.

The availability of iQOO at Reliance Digital brings together two brands driven by innovation and consumer experience. While iQOO continues to build its reputation as a performance-led smartphone brand, Reliance Digital strengthens its portfolio by offering customers access to cutting-edge technology brands through its extensive nationwide retail network.

Through engaging in-store experiences, knowledgeable staff, and immersive product demonstrations, Reliance Digital aims to help consumers better understand iQOO’s performance-first DNA. This move further reinforces Reliance Digital’s commitment to staying ahead of evolving consumer preferences and serving as a preferred destination for discovering new-age technology.

With this expansion, Reliance Digital continues to play a key role in shaping India’s consumer electronics landscape by bringing future-ready brands closer to customers, while enabling smartphone brands like iQOO to build stronger connections with a growing, performance-driven audience.

The all new iQOO 15R is now available at Reliance Digital stores nationwide.

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Kotak Alts announces winner of the inaugural Katalyst Awards

Ms Himani Choudhary named Katalyst for the year – India’s Best Financial Content Creator; wins Rs. 25 Lakhs

MUMBAI, India, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kotak Katalyst Awards, a national initiative instituted to recognise excellence and responsibility in financial content creation has announced the winner of its first Katalyst edition. Kotak Alternate Asset Managers Limited (“Kotak Alts”) today announced Himani Choudhary as the winner. The winner was awarded a prize of INR 25 Lakhs, positioning Katalyst among the most meaningful recognitions for financial content creators in India.

Srini Sriniwasan, Managing Director, Kotak Alts, said, “The Kotak Alts Katalyst Awards were instituted to recognize content creators who are contributing meaningfully to financial literacy in India. As investor participation deepens, audiences are seeking clarity, context, and credibility. The response from creators was overwhelming and points to the new generation of financial educators.  As the inaugural winner Ms. Himani Chaudhary, exemplifies the standard of financial communication that Katalyst seeks to encourage.”

The first edition of the Kotak Alts Katalyst Awards received over six hundred entries from across 19 states and in 8 languages, reflecting the growing role of digital creators in shaping financial awareness. Conceived in response to increasing clutter and misinformation in the financial ecosystem, Katalyst is designed to recognize creators who place accuracy, transparency, and investor interest at the core of their work.

The winning content, ‘Personal Finance & Major Finance Updates’ by Himani Choudhary, was recognised for its clarity, originality, and credibility. The jury noted the content’s ability to explain complex financial concepts in a clear and measured manner, supported by strong research and a consistent focus on investor education over virality.

To ensure a robust and transparent evaluation process, the awards framework was designed and audited by EY. The top thirty entries were assessed by an academic jury.

The top 10 finalists were subsequently evaluated by a grand jury comprising Kunal Shah, Founder and CEO of CRED; Radhika Gupta, Managing Director and CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund; and Alpesh Shah, Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group, and chaired by Ananth Narayan, former Whole–Time Member of SEBI with extensive capital markets and regulatory experience.

The Katalyst Awards recognise financial content creators who priorities financial literacy, substance, and long–term investor interest. Through this initiative, Kotak Alts aims to encourage responsible financial communication and support the development of informed and confident investors across India.

About Kotak Alternate Asset Managers Ltd: Kotak Alternate Asset Managers Limited (‘Kotak Alts’), a part of Kotak Mahindra Group (‘Kotak’), focuses on Alternate Asset Management and Investment Advisory businesses. Kotak Alts was set up in early 2005 and has raised, managed, and advised over USD 22 billion across different asset classes, including Private Equity, Real Estate, Infrastructure, Special Situations, Private Credit, and Investment Advisory. The asset management business and investment advisory vertical are managed by independent specialist teams. For more information, visit https://www.kotakalternateasset.com/

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Paperpal for Life Sciences Establishes HIPAA Readiness, Strengthening Enterprise Adoption of AI in Regulated Medical and Scientific Writing Workflows

MUMBAI, India, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Paperpal for Life Sciences, an enterprise-grade Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform by Cactus Communications, purpose-built for Medical Affairs and Life Sciences organizations, announced the completion of an assessment evaluating its operational and technical safeguards to support Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements. This milestone reinforces Paperpal’s commitment to meeting the rigorous standards of security, data protection, and regulatory readiness required for regulated scientific workflows.

Growing AI use in medical affairs writing and publication workflows is intensifying scrutiny on data privacy, governance, and regulatory accountability. To support these evolving needs, Paperpal for Life Sciences has undertaken an assessment of its systems and processes to evaluate readiness to support HIPAA compliance, where applicable, and now proudly offers the option to execute a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII). This offering gives customers the confidence that PHI or PII, if received, is handled securely and responsibly, in line with regulatory expectations and enterprise risk management practices.

Paperpal for Life Sciences provides AI writing, literature search, source-grounded summarization with citation support, and critical publication checks, powering medical affairs content creation under stringent data privacy and governance controls. The platform accelerates research-to-publication timelines by upto 25%, supporting faster dissemination of clinical evidence and earlier commercialization of new drugs and therapies.

Nishchay Shah, Group CTO and EVP, Products and AI at Cactus Communications, said, “As AI becomes foundational to regulated scientific and medical workflows, compliance and trust are no longer optional. Paperpal for Life Sciences’ HIPAA readiness measures reflect our secure-by-design approach to AI, strong data governance framework, and alignment with real-world enterprise and regulatory requirements. This milestone enables organizations to adopt AI at scale with confidence that their data, processes, and compliance obligations are protected .”

Elvira Dsouza, President, Cactus Life Sciences, added, “Medical Affairs and Life Sciences teams operate in highly regulated environments where scientific rigor, data privacy, and compliance are non-negotiable. HIPAA readiness positions Paperpal for Life Sciences as a trusted AI partner, one that enables organizations to accelerate evidence generation and scientific communication without compromising regulatory integrity .”

With this announcement, Paperpal for Life Sciences reinforces its position as a purpose-built, enterprise-ready AI platform for medical affairs content generation that supports innovation while meeting the highest standards of privacy, ethics, and regulatory compliance.

Media Contact:

Nidhi Amin

nidhi.amin@cactusglobal.com 

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