SNS leads as Presenting Partner; CtrlS, Fortinet, Check Point, Forcepoint, and TeamViewer power industry conversations; CIOs honoured for driving India’s digital destiny
The CIO500 Accelerator X Awards 2025 kicked off its multi-city journey in grand style in Chennai at the ITC Grand Chola, setting a compelling precedent for upcoming editions across India. The event celebrated digital innovation, leadership, cyber resilience, and enterprise technology transformation while honoring 80+ top CIOs and CISOs from the region.
“CIO500 is more than an awards platform—it is a movement that brings the country’s technology visionaries together to share insights, challenge the status quo, and recognize digital brilliance.”
— Sanjay Mohapatra, Editor, Enterprise IT World
At the heart of this celebration was Secure Network Solutions (SNS), the event’s Presenting Partner, which is also celebrating 25 years of cybersecurity leadership in India. The day witnessed insightful panel discussions, strategic keynotes, deep-dive technology sessions, and an emotional anniversary celebration, culminating in a cake-cutting ceremony led by Mr. N.K. Mehta, Managing Director & CIO of SNS, surrounded by peers, partners, and protégés.
A Landmark Moment: SNS Celebrates 25 Years as a Cybersecurity Pioneer
Founded in 1999, Secure Network Solutions (SNS) has played a pivotal role in strengthening enterprise and critical infrastructure security across sectors. Mr. N.K. Mehta, who built SNS with vision, grit, and integrity, addressed the audience with a heartfelt message on SNS’s mission and its deep partnerships with India’s CIO community.
“SNS is proud to be the presenting partner of CIO500 and part of a community that has collectively elevated India’s cybersecurity posture. This 25-year journey is not just ours—it’s shared with every CIO who trusted us to protect their digital assets.”
— N.K. Mehta, MD & CIO, SNS
The celebration of SNS’s silver jubilee was a highlight of the day, marked by a symbolic cake-cutting ceremony and resounding applause.
The CIO500 Movement: Recognizing Tech Leaders Who Drive Business Impact
The CIO500 Accelerator X Awards are not just about titles—they’re about recognizing leaders who align IT with business strategy, build resilient digital infrastructure, and prepare their organizations for future disruptions.
This year’s Chennai chapter honored over 80 CIOs, CISOs, and IT leaders from Tamil Nadu and South India who have demonstrated excellence in:
- Technology innovation
- Cybersecurity maturity
- Cloud and AI adoption
- Operational transformation
- Business and IT alignment
Winners represented sectors such as healthcare, automotive, IT services, BFSI, logistics, retail, and manufacturing.
Inaugural Keynote: Aligning Business Strategy with Technology Execution
The day opened with a high-impact keynote by Suresh Venkatesan, Partner – Financial Services Transformation at Grant Thornton Bharat, titled “Driving Business and IT Alignment: The Boardroom Imperative.”
He outlined how CIOs must evolve beyond IT management and become strategic partners to the CEO and CFO.
“Today, the most successful CIOs are not asking how technology works—they’re asking what business outcomes it can deliver,” he said, urging CIOs to rewire their KPIs toward growth, efficiency, and customer value.
Expert Tech Talks: CtrlS, AI, and Secure IT Platforms
The event featured powerful technology sessions including:
- Akash Surekh, Founder & CEO, IVC Ventures presented a session on AI and Low-Code/No-Code platforms, highlighting how enterprises can rapidly build digital capabilities using intelligent automation.
- Balasubramanian Jayaraman, Senior Vice President & City CEO, CtrlS, shared insights into CtrlS’s national strategy to scale hyperscale data centers and offer green, secure, and resilient digital infrastructure to India’s top enterprises.
“CtrlS is committed to delivering AI-ready, sustainable infrastructure at the speed of digital. Our Chennai facility is a model of energy efficiency and security,” he noted.
The day also featured strategic product sessions from Fortinet, Check Point, Forcepoint, and TeamViewer, covering the latest in:
- Zero Trust architecture
- AI-powered threat prevention
- Secure remote work management
- Insider threat protection
- Operational visibility and automation
Panel I: Navigating Boardroom Expectations and Digital KPIs
The first panel of the day tackled the increasingly complex expectations that CIOs face in delivering not just IT performance—but business outcomes.
Moderator:
- Sunil David, Digital Technology Consultant and Former Regional Director – IoT, AT&T India
Panellists:
- Raghu Achat, VP IT, Thejo Engineering: Focused on translating digital KPIs into executive board metrics.
- Soumomoy Pal, AVP – IT, Amrutanjan Healthcare: Discussed regulatory constraints shaping IT prioritization.
- Vijay Anand, SVP Global IT & IS, CorroHealth: Stressed on CIOs being co-creators of revenue models.
- Prabhakar Ramakrishnan, CISO & GM – IT Infra, TNQ Technologies: Advocated for embedding cyber risks in board-level dashboards.
- Dr. R. Chandran, CIO, Bahwan Cybertek: Emphasized data visibility and its business value.
Key Takeaway: CIOs must redefine success in terms of revenue growth, CX metrics, and strategic agility, not just uptime or delivery.
Panel II: Balancing Innovation with Cost Control
The second panel discussion addressed the age-old dilemma: How can organizations innovate without breaking the bank?
Moderator:
- Vaithialingam S, Technology Head – Generative AI Solutions, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd
Panellists:
- Srinivasulu Thayam, CTO, Aravind Eye Care: Discussed scalable IT models for social impact.
- Balakrishnan Kanniah, VP – IT & Digital Transformation, ALTEN India: Advocated for modular digital programs that optimize ROI.
- Gowdhaman Jothilingam, Global CISO & Head of IT, LatentView Analytics: Emphasized automation and rational cloud budgeting.
- Ramkumar Dilli, CIO, Myridius: Shared startup-style innovation governance for cost-effective execution.
Key Takeaway: Innovation must move from being a CapEx-heavy initiative to becoming a value-first, iterative process built on internal reuse, data insights, and scalable tech.
CIO Gold Book 2025 – South Edition: A Chronicle of Regional Tech Excellence
A major highlight of the day was the official unveiling of the CIO Gold Book 2025 – South Edition, a specially curated publication profiling 100+ transformational CIOs from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala.
The Gold Book serves as:
- A leadership chronicle of South India’s most impactful tech leaders
- A strategic resource for IT vendors, OEMs, and solution providers
- A testimonial of the diversity, resilience, and innovation from the South’s enterprise technology landscape
CIO500 Awards Night: Celebrating Leaders Who Move the Needle
As the sun set on Chennai’s skyline, the CIO500 awards ceremony lit up the Grand Ballroom. Each award recognized a transformational technology leader who:
- Leveraged IT to drive measurable business impact
- Strengthened organizational resilience through digital means
- Championed cybersecurity, cloud modernization, and AI
Recipients from leading organizations across BFSI, IT, healthcare, energy, automotive, FMCG, and e-commerce walked up to thunderous applause, receiving their CIO500 Accelerator X plaques as a mark of national recognition.
Closing Remarks: A Movement Rooted in Purpose
In his closing address, Sanjib Mohapatra, Publisher of Enterprise IT World, reflected on the energy and vision on display:
“The Chennai edition proved why South India remains a cradle of digital leadership. CIO500 is a tribute to the changemakers, and this event marks only the beginning of a powerful series.”
With Chennai raising the curtain, the CIO500 movement now moves to Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabas, Pune, Mumbai, Cochin and Coimbatore continuing its mission to honor and connect India’s most visionary digital minds.
