Conference on digital innovation and transformation inaugurated

A two-day international conference on Digital Innovation and Transformation in South East Asia (ICDI2025-DTISEA) began here on Wednesday, bringing together scholars, industry leaders, and policymakers to deliberate on emerging digital trends and their role in reshaping business, governance, and society.

The event is being jointly conducted bythe JSS Centre for Management Studies, JSS Science and Technology University in collaboration with Malaysia University of Science and Technology.

Inaugurating the event, Shilpa Nag, Deputy Commissioner of Chamarajanagar, underlined the scale and scope of digital transformation in governance and citizen services.

 Stressing that “good governance is synonymous with e-governance,” she pointed out that Karnataka has been at the forefront of adopting digital platforms.

 “More than 8,000 government offices and 22,000 gram panchayats in the State are digitally connected. Over 14 lakh tenders have been processed through the e-procurement system, while e-office platforms now function in nearly 4,750 offices,”  she said.

Highlighting the progress made in her district, she said Chamarajanagar is the first in Karnataka to implement e-office operations up to the village accountant level.

While acknowledging the rapid pace of digital change across sectors—from artificial intelligence to citizen engagement—Shilpa emphasised that governments must not lag behind in adapting to these technologies.

Referring to international practices such as China’s early adoption of AI, she said nations that embrace technology will lead the future.

Premkumar Rajagopal, president of Malaysia University of Science and Technology, delivered the keynote address, while B. Suresh, Director of the Technical Education Division, C.G. Betsurmath, Executive Secretary of JSS Mahavidyapeetha, P. Nagesh, Dean (Management), and Swaroop Simha, Head of the Department at JSS CMS, and others were present.

The two-day conference will not only highlight the latest developments and trends but also the real-world implications of digital disruption. By drawing attention to governance, business models, education, and sustainability, the conference underscored the critical need for nations and institutions to embrace technology as a driver of inclusive growth and future readiness, according to organisers.

In all, 112 research papers selected from 200 submissions received globally, will be presented during the two-day event which will conclude on Thursday.