Press Release   30th Convergence India and 8th Smart Cities India Expo receives Excellent Response as Day 1 sees Hectic Activity With the theme of ‘Innovation Driving Sustainability’, the 30th Convergence India and 8th Smart Cities India expo celebrates India’s digital and infrastructure growth and its rising influence as a global digital powerhouse. Jointly organised by the Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), and Exhibitions India Group (EIG), the expo offers a comprehensive platform for domestic and overseas players, innovators, technologists, and start-ups across the segments of IT/ICT, telecom, 5G, wireless technologies, fintech, embedded tech, etc., along with those associated with urban development, mobility, environmental and sustainable technologies, to unleash the power of in-person networking, share best practices and trends, expand business opportunities, and make new alliances. The event was inaugurated by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Government of India​​, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Gadkari said, “Smart Cities is a successful story in India. We have got a huge potential here and I am driving it personally. To achieve Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of making India a $5 trillion economy, it is imperative to develop smart cities and villages for which public-private partnership is key.” Also present during the opening address were H.E. Karel Hirman, Minister of Economy Slovak Republic, Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola, IAS (Retd.) CMD, ITPO, Mr. Anindya Basu, National Managing Partner KPMG in India; Ms. Chandrika Behl, Managing Director, Exhibitions India Group; and Dhruv Behl, Director - Exhibitions India Group. In his welcome address, Dhruv Behl, Director - Exhibitions India Group said, “This is the 30th year hosting the expo at Pragati Maidan. There aren’t too many relationships that make it through the three-decades mark, but this is one of them. This would not have been possible without the support of ITPO.” Speaking about KPMG, the expo’s knowledge partner, he said, “KPMG has been our knowledge partner and an extremely valuable support to the expo over the years.”     Chandrika Behl, Managing Director, Exhibitions India Group, said, "For 30 years, we have been creating an ecosystem of opportunities for India’s fast-growing digital technology industry through the Convergence India series of expos. Meanwhile, the Smart Cities India expo has evolved in tandem with the needs of the Smart Cities Mission. Together, both events has provided a platform for domestic brands to showcase their work in technology, smart cities, and start-up domains. At the same time, they offer a platform for international players to connect and explore business opportunities in India by forging new relationships. We are glad to host industry stalwarts at the 30th Convergence and 8th Smart cities expo. I welcome all the participants and wish them a successful event.” Over the years, Convergence India and Smart Cites India series of expos have become the congregating venue for the industries and government bodies/representatives as they focus on creating a modern India. This year, the expo is seeing the participation of over 1,000 companies, including 200+ start-ups, from approx. 30 countries. The conferences, being organised alongside the expo, will have 150 speakers, including those from the Union and State governments, industry, think tanks and academia. The three-day event is expected to see a footfall of 50,000+ visitors. A major highlight of the expo is the simultaneous conference sessions that will be organised during the three days. The first day was packed with 14 high-powered conference sessions with over 65 speakers. The inaugural conference session was on the topic – Rethinking the role of Telecom and Connectivity. The key points discussed during the session included the roadmap for making 5G accessible and affordable; role of today’s telcos and ISPs in tomorrow’s hyper-connected world; and, lessons we can learn from 5G and how this translates to early deployment of 6G. The inaugural session on the topic ‘’, set the tone for the next three days and saw addresses from an esteemed panel including V. Raghunandan, Secretary TRAI, Debashish Chakrabority, Sr. Director, Advocacy & Industry Engagement, GSMA, and Satish Jamadagni, Sr. VP Reliance JIO. Mr. Raghunandan, Secretary TRAI said, “With the advent of 5G, we can see that it now has a role in almost all sectors. TRAI has given comprehensive recommendations for early adoption of 5G through the vertical across ministries.” Some other sessions held during the course of the day included: Connecting the unconnected: Expanding Internet access to remote and rural areas 5G in India: Lessons for the world Beyond streaming: What’s next for media and OTT Making Indian smart cities a lighthouse for the world What does it take to be an environmentally and economically resilient city Accelerating future smart cities using data and digitisation.   Other highlights of the expo include an exclusive Startup Hub Pavilion featuring over 200 startups and showcasing innovations across the different verticals of emerging technologies, ICT and smart cities technologies, is another major highlight. The 3-day event will also include mentoring sessions from the pioneers of the ecosystem, a Start Pitch Competition, Investor & Startup meets, and the highly popular Smart City Awards, to be held on Day 3. About Convergence India Expo: Convergence India, now in its 30th edition, heralded the telecom revolution in India. It is the largest technology and infrastructure expo in the country The expo provides a platform to showcase ‘Brand India’ and focuses on promoting the ‘Make in India’ & ‘Digital India’ campaigns and showcases the emerging technologies. It includes, Internet of Things, Mobile India, EmbeddedTech, Fintech & Digital Gaming. About Smart Cities India Expo: Smart Cities India expo aims to deliver better citizen services by showcasing the latest technologies.  Integrating technology with the key pillars of urban development, i.e. green buildings, energy, transport, clean environment, and water, for optimising resources and making cities smart and sustainable. The expo is a unique meeting point for Union and State government officials, private sector representatives, foreign delegations, businesses, city leaders, etc.     For further information, please contact: Srishti Sharma | Mob: +91 98999 54186 | Email: srishti@onpurposeconsulting.in Visit: www.eiexpolive.com To view full list of Speakers, visit: www.eiexpolive.com/speakers     Organisers