CIO Futurescape 2026: AI Takes Charge in the Boardroom

Kolkata, 9 January 2026: The CIO Association will celebrate the seventh anniversary of its Kolkata Chapter with CIO Futurescape 2026, to be held tomorrow at Taj City Centre, New Town, bringing together more than 180 CIOs and senior digital leaders from across India to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping enterprise leadership. Founded in 2008 as a not-for-profit body to advance technology-led transformation, the association will see the event inaugurated by Manish Prasad, President and Managing Director of SAP India, and Raju Vegesna, Chairman and Managing Director of Sify Technologies, along with senior leaders including Dr Sandip Pradhan, President of the CIO Association Kolkata Chapter and CDIO of Century Plyboards, and members of the chapter’s managing committee representing leading Indian enterprises. Speaking ahead of the event, Dr Pradhan said CIO Futurescape 2026 marks a shift from discussing technology to leading with it, noting that AI has become a leadership responsibility focused on responsible, secure and scalable adoption that delivers measurable business impact. The CIO Association currently operates 19 chapters across India and overseas, serving as a national platform for collaboration, leadership development and knowledge exchange on emerging technologies, while the Kolkata Chapter plays a distinctive role in extending technology leadership into regional and societal development through digital skills initiatives, cybersecurity awareness, startup engagement and responsible innovation aligned with national priorities such as Digital India, Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. The event is being supported by leading technology partners including Sify Technologies, PwC, Infor India, Canon, ManageEngine, Zoom, NetApp, Netskope, Fortinet, Barracuda and several other global and Indian technology firms.