July 8, 2021 – Online

The World’s second-most-populous country, with 600 Million below 30 years old, will be the 2nd GDP growth contributor after China, until 2025.
By 2025, India’s digital economy is expected to account for 20% of the GDP (from 7-8%  today), the internet user base to reach 930 Million, and online shoppers, 350 Million. Ecommerce is expected to grow at 1,200% by 2026

Get the keys to grow your business in the next 1.3 Billion consumer market. Welcome to “Digital India”!
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They were LIVE July 8, 2021

Sir Martin Sorrell

Founder & Executive Chairman – S4 Capital

Sir Martin Sorrell

Founder & Executive Chairman – S4 Capital

Sir Martin Sorrell – Founder and Executive Chairman of S4 Capital

Sir Martin Sorrell is Founder and Executive Chairman of S4 Capital plc, which is building a new age/ new era, purely digital advertising and marketing services business for global, multinational, regional, local clients and millennial-driven influencer brands.

Sir Martin was Founder and CEO of WPP for 33 years, building it from a £1 million “shell” company in 1985 into the world’s largest advertising and marketing services company. When Sir Martin left in April 2018, WPP had a market capitalisation of over £16 billion, revenues of over £15 billion, profits of approximately £2 billion and over 200,000 people in 113 countries. Prior to that, Sir Martin was Group Financial Director of Saatchi & Saatchi plc for 9 years and worked for James Gulliver, Mark McCormack and Glendinning Associates before that.

S4 Capital plc merged with MediaMonks, its content practice, in July 2018 and MightyHive, its data and digital media practice, in December 2018 and has added eight further content and data & digital media companies to both practices in 2019, six in 2020 and six in 2021 so far. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange under SFOR.L and after a little over two years, S4 Capital plc has over 5000 people in 31 countries, with a market capitalization of approximately $4.0 billion.

Sir Martin supports a number of leading business schools and universities, including his alma maters, Harvard Business School and Cambridge University and a number of charities through his family foundation.

https://www.s4capital.com/

Gitanjali Saxena

Business Head of Tata CliQ Luxury

Gitanjali Saxena

Business Head of Tata CliQ Luxury

Gitanjali Saxena – Business Head of Tata CliQ Luxury
Gitanjali heads Tata CLiQ Luxury , India’s premier destination for iconic brands in India.
Part of the initial team that launched the Tata CLiQ brand five years ago, she has spearheaded the launch and growth of key categories, including fine jewellery, womenswear and kids-wear for Tata CLiQ.
With over a decade of experience in online retail, consumer behaviour and brand marketing, Gitanjali is focussed on building a differentiated and sustainable online luxury business, which delivers value to brand partners and customers alike. Over the last couple of years, Gitanjali has  grown the business exponentially, spearheading the launch of best-in-class portfolios in key categories , while driving top-line and bottom line growth.
https://luxury.tatacliq.com/

H.E. Mr Emmanuel Lenain

Ambassador of France to India

H.E. Mr Emmanuel Lenain

Ambassador of France to India

H.E Mr Emmanuel Lenain – Ambassador of France to India

Born on 27th March, 1970, Mr Emmanuel Lenain graduated from Sciences Po (IEP) in Paris and ESSEC Business School. He is also an alumnus of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA).

Mr Lenain began his diplomatic career in 1997, serving in the French Foreign Ministry’s United Nations Department, where he took part in peace negotiations on Kosovo. In 2000, he was appointed First Secretary to France’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, to follow cases related to the Security Council and the Sanctions Committees.

In 2003, he was assigned at the Embassy of France in Beijing as a Political Counsellor. In this capacity, he tracked China’s foreign policy and supervised negotiations on issues such as the European arms embargo and textile quotas. Mr Lenain returned to Paris in June 2005 to serve as the Prime Minister’s technical adviser on multilateral affairs until July 2007, when he came to Washington, D.C., to head the French Embassy’s Press and Communication Department.

From 2010 to 2015, he served as Consul General of France in Shanghai. Thereafter, he became Director for the Asia-Pacific Division of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development in 2015, a post he held until his appointment as Diplomatic Adviser to the Prime Minister in 2017.

In addition to his diplomatic activities, Mr Lenain has lectured on International Relations at Sciences Po and served as an expert on the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict. Apart from French, he is also fluent in the English, Mandarin and German languages.

Mr Lenain has a passion for gelatine silver print photography. His work has featured in many publications. It has also been exhibited at Maison européenne de la Photographie (MEP), and entered the collections of this institution.

He is married to Mrs Géraldine Lenain, International Director of the Asian Arts Department at Christie’s. Géraldine Lenain wrote the first biography on the major Asian art dealer, C.T. Loo (1880-1957), which was published in 2013 to critical acclaim. With over 20 years of expertise in Asian fine arts and a wealth of international experience in Asia and the West, Géraldine Lenain plays a significant role in the auction world. She was elected President of the Friends of Musée Guimet in 2018. Raised in Hong Kong, Mrs. Lenain is French and obtained her Master’s in Art History at the Sorbonne in Paris. She speaks French, English and Mandarin. The couple has four sons.

https://in.ambafrance.org/Le-Service-Consulaire

Kritika Sharma

Digital Advertising Director

Kritika Sharma

Digital Advertising Director

Krikita Sharma – Digital Advertising Director at Conde Nast

Kritika works as a Digital Advertising Director at Conde Nast India, a global mass media company which is home to some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Vogue, GQ, Conde Nast Traveller and Architectural Digest.
 
Part of the initial digital team, she has been instrumental in growing the digital advertising business at Conde Nast exponentially from ground up, by driving an integrated business strategy and spearheading cross-functional collaborations to accelerate revenue growth. Kritika has spearheaded complex deals and large brand collaborations across various categories, including High Street, Luxury Fashion, Technology, Travel, E-commerce and Finance.
 
Previously she had the opportunity to work with Global companies, such as Microsoft, Facebook, Money Control and CNN.
 

With over 13 years of cross functional & leadership experience in Digital Advertising. Kritika has individual insights and learning’s into the best practices, processes, ad formats and content management in the digital ecosystem. 

https://www.condenast.com/

Sankalp Mehrotra

Senior Director, Monetization – FLIPKART

Sankalp Mehrotra

Senior Director, Monetization – FLIPKART

Sankalp Mehrotra – Senior Director, Monetization at Flipkart
Sankalp has been a part of the monetization journey on Flipkart since 2016. As part of the monetization leadership group, he has orchestrated the rise of Flipkart ads to one of the top digital advertising destinations in India. Previously, he worked at Affle and was part of the management team that scaled the business from zero and set it on its path to an IPO. Before that, Sankalp worked in ad agencies across multiple South East Asian markets and India. 
In his spare time, he enjoys high altitude climbing and has scaled Kilimanjaro, Everest base camp and Mera peak. He is a classic rock, blues and jazz buff. He is currently reading Range by David Epstein and re-watching Seinfeld. 

https://www.flipkart.com/

Sruthi Gottipati

General Manager & Editor in Chief-Brut India

Sruthi Gottipati

General Manager & Editor in Chief-Brut India

Sruthi Gottipati – General Manager & Editor in Chief at Brut India

Brut is a digital video company headquartered in Paris. As the founding editor of Brut India, Sruthi helped build the most-watched news publisher on social media in India from scratch. Sruthi is also an associate professor of journalism at Sciences Po, Paris.

She was previously awarded fellowships from the International Women’s Media Foundation and the International Reporting Project to cover underreported stories from Africa and Latin America. Prior to that, she was a reporter in the United States and in India, where she covered politics and general news for Thomson Reuters and The New York Times. She holds a Master’s from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. 

https://www.brut.media/in

Naiyya Saggi

CEO & Founder – BabyChakra

Naiyya Saggi

CEO & Founder – BabyChakra

Naiyya Saggi – CEO & Founder of BabyChakra

Naiyya Saggi is the CEO & Founder of BabyChakra, India’s top platform for maternity and childcare. Every month more than 2 million Indian families use BabyChakra for critical pregnancy and childcare decisions. BabyChakra leverages its intelligent app and web platform to build virtual care ecosystems of parents, doctors & products.

  

BabyChakra is part of the NITI Ayog’s Committee on Maternal and Child Health. We are backed by marquee angel and venture funds, are part of the prestigious Google Accelerator Programme and recognised as a top 7 innovative startup globally. BabyChakra has also been invited for a India-community building discussion session with Mark Zuckerberg, is a Facebook Start Company and also accelerated by Microsoft Ventures India.

 

Naiyya is a graduate of the Harvard Business School (MBA – Class of 2012) where she was a Fulbright and J.N.Tata scholar. Prior to BabyChakra, Naiyya was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company and at The Bridgespan Group (Boston) where she worked extensively in maternal, child health and education. Naiyya is passionate about mentoring and is a mentor at Facebook’s flagship #SheLeadsTech & Yes Bank’s Fintech Accelerator: ISME Ace.

Please reach out to me if you need any further information.

https://www.babychakra.com/

Fabien Pierrel

IT Transformation Director – Chanel Tech

Fabien Pierrel

IT Transformation Director – Chanel Tech

Fabien Pierrel – IT Transformation Director at Chanel Tech

With more than 15 years of experience on both operational functions (Supply Chain & Finance) and technological ecosystems, Fabien’s expertise is recognized in leading large-scale and complex projects within international context. 

Over the last decade, Fabien’s main focus was on global/strategic processes, local statutory/operation requirements and change management strategies. Travelling across the globe, he handled the design and implementation of various Core Models solutions, joining business processes and associated IT solutions. His initial connection with India started in 2012, within the Industrial sector and then continued in 2018 within the Luxury sector, by contributing to Chanel Tech strategy. 

Since 2020, Fabien has been appointed as IT Transformation Director to support Chanel stakeholders and preferred IT partners in their transformation journey (scalability, expertise, reactivity and innovation) to enhance customer’s experience.

https://www.chanel.com

Laure de Carayon

Ceo Asia Loopers

Vikram Gupta

Founder & Managing Partner IvyCap Ventures

Vikram Gupta

Founder & Managing Partner IvyCap Ventures

Vikram Gupta – Founder and Managing Partner of IvyCap Ventures

Vikram Gupta is the Founder and Managing Partner of IvyCap Ventures, a USD 200 mn Venture Capital Fund that invests through the Alumni ecosystems that has portfolio of 30 companies. He has over 25 years of experience in Private Equity, Business Consulting, M&A, Strategy and Operations in Healthcare and Life Sciences, Education, Consumer Goods and other industries. He has held leadership positions across various well-known companies in India and Abroad.

Prior to founding IvyCap, Mr. Gupta was the founding member at Piramal sponsored USD 100 mn Healthcare focused Private Equity Fund that he conceptualized, and raised in 2008 when the world markets were going through turmoil. Mr. Gupta worked in the US with IBM Business Consulting Services for over four years in strategy and planning, business development and project management across various assignments. He conceptualized and led IBM’s Healthcare and Life Sciences practice for Clinical Genomics. He has also held senior positions with various well known Indian companies.

Mr. Gupta is the Co-Chairman of PEVCAI (Private Equity and Venture Capital) at ASSOCHAM and is an active member of IVCA (Indian Venture Capital Association) and CII (Confederation of Indian Industry). He received Distinguished Alumnus Service Award from IIT Delhi in the year 2020.
Mr. Gupta has completed his B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from IIT Delhi and has MBA degree in Strategy and Finance from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

https://www.ivycapventures.com/

Souad Tenfiche

CEO – LINK

Souad Tenfiche

CEO – LINK

Souad Tenfiche – CEO of Link
Souad Tenfiche brings over 16 years of industry experience in the international energy sector and in the areas of project management, technical consulting and corporate and institutional client relationship management with Duke Energy, AREVA, SIEMENS… In 2012, Souad started Cobalt BLR, a collaborative workspace, the first of its kind in South India. In 2015, Souad initiated a joint-venture of Cobalt and NUMA Paris, the 1st French Digital Startup Accelerator to create NUMA Bengaluru. After leading multiple startup accelerator programs, Souad is today the CEO of Link Innovations, a design-driven innovation company accelerating startups’ growth and implementing strong innovation programs rooted for industry-leading organisations.
Souad is also a mentor for startups and a public speaker in the Indian startup ecosystem. Her experience with both startups and corporate structures allowed her to develop real expertise in how to support corporates in their digital transformation.
Souad is also a Conseiller du Commerce Extérieur (a trade advisor for the French government) and the co-president of La French Tech in India.
https://www.link-innovations.com/

Vishal Gondal

Ceo GOQII (Health) & Founder nCORE (Games) -Serial Entrepreneur

Vishal Gondal

Ceo GOQII (Health) & Founder nCORE (Games) -Serial Entrepreneur

Vishal Gondal – CEO of Ncore Games

Best known as the father of the Indian gaming industry, Vishal Gondal sold his first entrepreneurial venture India Games to Walt Disney.  A health and fitness enthusiast, he runs marathons, treks and goes ski diving. A notable angel investor, Vishal was listed among the top 50 executives in the mobile content space by the UK based ‘Mobile Entertainment’ Magazine alongside noted people like Steve Jobs. His passion for technology, fitness & gaming led him to his next venture’ GOQii’ which is focused on helping people make a change towards a healthier lifestyle and be the force of good. He is also co-founder of nCORE Games, a leading Indian mobile games and interactive entertainment company. Currently, he brings his knowledge and love for interviewing people to a whole you platform by hosting a podcast series ‘Beneath the Force: The Vishal Gondal Show, he has conversations with personalities from various walks of life providing a sneak peek into their fascinating lives while in his own style.

https://www.ncoregames.com/

Ainara Kaur

Founder & CEO

Ainara Kaur

Founder & CEO

Ainara Kaur – Founder & CEO of Belora Cosmetics

Ainara Kaur, a serial entrepreneur at heart, co-founded Belora Cosmetics in 2019. Her role here is to spearhead strategy & marketing for the brand and drive consumer experiences.

During her experience of close to two decades, she has held leadership roles with organizations like Myntra, Ameriprise Financial, Yes Bank, MSL Publicis & worked on some of the leading consumer brands.

Ainara has also won several awards – India’s Greatest CEO of the year by Asia One powered by PWC, Femina Woman Entrepreneur Award, India’s Most Influential Marketing Leaders by CMO Council. She has also been a part of the CII National committee on e-commerce & Atal Innovation Mission.

Five years back an interesting turn of events pushed Ainara towards entrepreneurship. She left her high flying job, took a backpack & travelled across the world for six months. In her own words – “I travelled to Germany, France, Netherland, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Hungary and Spain, among others. I backpacked, stayed in hostels and went to lot of places that a lot of people would not visit.”

“It is during these travels that I understood human behaviour & psychology and realised that people are inherently the same. Our needs & emotions are the same, only cultural influences differ. All of us gravitate to goodness be it in people or products. This forms the core philosophy of our brand – build products with goodness inside.” She added.

Also during these travels, she was exposed to the concept of clean beauty and found makeup in Europe that was made of great skincare ingredients and yet delivered high impact. When she decided to start a company that would create good-for-you wellness products along with her Co-Founder, they worked to bring this concept to Indian market in form of Belora.

https://www.beloracosmetics.com/

Payal S Kanwar

Director General Indo-French Chamber of Commerce

Payal S Kanwar

Director General Indo-French Chamber of Commerce

Payal S. Kanwar – Director General at Indo-French Chamber of Commerce

Payal S. Kanwar took the position of the Director General of the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2016 after successfully completing 5 years at the chamber as the Regional Director from 2011-2015. With fifteen years of experience in the field of international business relations, public communication and advocacy, Ms. Kanwar plays a key role in the Indo-French business relations and won the Outstanding Woman Leader Award by the Indian Council for UN Relations and Government of Delhi in March 2017. A gold-medalist and topper in French Honors from the Punjab University, she also has a Masters in Corporate Communications from NEOMA Business School in France. She has

also held senior positions at the Embassy of France in India and BNP Paribas.

Ms. Kanwar has played a pivotal role in the development of the Chamber with the Chamber winning the Best Performing Chamber Award in 2018 and Best Contribution Award in 2019 by CCI France International. She has facilitated a number of interactions between French companies and the Central & State Ministries in India and has initiated various dialogues to promote the Govt. of India’s national campaigns such as Make in India, Digital India, Clean India. Her work with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India has largely benefitted French SMEs and large business groups. She also appeared in an exclusive interview on the DD National morning show “Aaj Savere” in December 2016. Under her leadership, IFCCI has grown in stature as

a nodal organization for advancing the interests of France and its co-operation with India.

Apart from this, her contribution has been recognized in the French community in France and she appeared as a live panel on TV5 Monde, during the Tour du Monde de la Francophone in September 2018. She has been a part of several media interviews with The Quint, The Business Standard, Indian

Express and so on.

She lives in New Delhi and speaks fluent English, French, Hindi and Punjabi. She is a mother of two children.

Gaurav Singh Kushwaha

Founder & CEO BlueStone

Gaurav Singh Kushwaha

Founder & CEO BlueStone

Gaurav Singh Kushwaha – Founder & CEO of BlueStone

Gaurav founded BlueStone in 2011, India’s leading online destination for fine jewellery. He functions as the Chief Executive Officer of the company, carving out short term and long term strategies that contribute to the brand’s growth and its consolidation in the jewellery e-commerce market. He brings in to the table, more than 20 years of experience in the domains of technology, e-commerce and internet marketing.

Prior to BlueStone, Gaurav co-founded Chakpak, an online entertainment portal in 2007 and successfully raised two rounds of funding. He has also worked with national and multinational firms including Amazon and Tavant Technologies.

Gaurav, an alumnus of IIT Delhi, is a prominent figure in the start-up realm and advises new and budding entrepreneurs on marketing and product strategies.

https://www.bluestone.com/

Jyotika Jhalani

Founder and Creative Director – Janavi India

Jyotika Jhalani

Founder and Creative Director – Janavi India

Jyotika Jhalani – Founder and Creative Director of Jannavi

The Cashmere Alchemist

Jyotika Jhalani established Janavi India in 1998, after a colourful decade at the World Bank. Her desire and vision was simple – to create India-proud designs with 100% pure cashmere in a way the world had never seen. The seed of this idea spun into reality when she converted her son’s bedroom into a small studio for her creativity to flow. She hasn’t looked back since. Today, her vision is reality – across 4 luxury lifestyle and retail destinations in India; and 100+ retail spaces in
U.S.A, U.K, Switzerland, China and Qatar.

Her lifelong tryst with the magic of cashmere and colour began with a ‘happy accident’ in childhood. An unexpected spill of ink and afternoon milk on her mother’s pink and blue reversible heirloom shawl, showed her the wonders of everyday chemistry – in this case, between pigment and liquid. She saw how the milk had ‘swallowed the ink,’ and the alchemy in the absorption power of the cashmere’s wafts and wefts was her eureka moment.

It didn’t stop at this magic shawl. Jyotika’s childhood inspired her ability to capture the textures of a carefree life, in the lightweight decadence of her brand’s special cashmere. Memories of the brazen sting of wild nettle in open fields. Of summers spent barefoot in Gulmarg, Kashmir, and at Rose Villa, her grandfather’s home. Most precious of all, was the lingering fragrance and warmth of a hug from ‘the gentle giant,’ her late father.

Jyotika’s chromatic perspective on life ushers in bold choices. Her aesthetic signature combines just the right touch of forward-thinking vivacity, with strokes of old-world, elegant whimsy inspired by her gracious hometown in the Himalayas, Kashmir.

A self-confessed ‘spiritual nomad,’ Jyotika seeks to celebrate the sacred natural rhythms of the universe, and to harness the inherent creativity that rests deep within the human heart. She likes to begin her day early, to ground herself in the meditative tranquillity of her favourite chant, ‘Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo,’ or sometimes, Bocelli’s ‘The Prayer.’ Jyotika will spend some quality time in solitude, and with family and her beloved pets, before immersing herself in a fast-paced, vibrant day at Janavi Headquarters in Noida, Delhi-NCR. She has shared her faith in the rejuvenative powers of sound, melody, and colour with her team – the spacious sunlit studio and cross-disciplinary departments are always reverberating with creativity because of this.

Since inception, Janavi has been known for its exceptional cashmere products. Its journey is about creating a particular world of luxury – beyond product. It has been exciting, unexpected, and closely guided by Jyotika’s spiritual sense.

https://janaviindia.com/

Kunal Sinha

Strategy & Foresights Consultant | Author & Educator

Kunal Sinha

Strategy & Foresights Consultant | Author & Educator

Kunal Sinha – Strategy & Foresights Consultant | Author & Educator
Kunal Sinha is a consumer strategy and foresights expert based in Mumbai, a city he returned to after spending 11 years in China. He spent over 25 years at Ogilvy, JWT and McCann Erickson doing strategic planning, research and consulting across four continents. Previously, he ran an independent consulting practice based in Shanghai, and was Chairman – Asia Pacific at The Futures Company. Kunal’s work encompasses trend-spotting, cultural analysis and forecasting. He is the author of several books on consumer culture and creativity, and has taught at many leading business schools globally. 

Astrid Wendlandt

Founder and President – Miss Tweed

Astrid Wendlandt

Founder and President – Miss Tweed

Astrid Wendlandt – Founder and President of Miss Tweed
Astrid Wendlandt has covered the luxury industry for more than 15 years. She is the editor and founder of Miss Tweed, an online media based in Paris specialized in fashion and luxury. Miss Tweed, which is read by luxury industry heavyweights, is rapidly establishing itself as the go-to place for exclusive stories and analysis. Several media including Bloomberg and Switzerland’s Le Temps have quoted Miss Tweed‘s reports.
 
In 2019, Astrid Wendlandt published her third book How Luxury Conquered the World, the inside story of its pioneers – a four-year investigation into the business of luxury, which was published in French at the same time.
 
Prior to Miss Tweed, Astrid Wendlandt worked for more than a decade as Reuters‘ European luxury goods correspondent based in Paris. Previously, she wrote for the Financial Times in London and Moscow. Astrid Wendlandt holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Russian Studies (Joint-Honors) from McGill University and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy and a Certificate in International Finance and Banking from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy that included coursework at Harvard Business School.
https://www.misstweed.com/

Ankita VASHISTHA

Ceo – Saha Fund

Ankita VASHISTHA

Ceo – Saha Fund

Ankita VASHISTHA – CEO of Saha Fund

Founder and CEO of one of the first venture capital funds to invest in technology and innovation in women entrepreneurship – SahaFund and StrongHer Capital. Ankita Vashistha has over fourteen years of experience in Tech Ventures, Innovation, Private Equity, and Venture Capital across UK, US and Asia. Ankita works very actively in the start-up ecosystem focusing on early stage technology companies, helping them to innovate and scale. Ankita’s portfolio companies span across healthcare, fintech, consumer and future of work. She has invested in Licious, InstaHealth, Uniphore, LoveLocal, Fitternity, JoulestoWatts, Leap.Club to name a few. Recognised by Prime Minister’s office in 2016 under the Startup India launch as the leading women venture capitalist. Ankita has been fortunate to have over whelming support and mentorship from the top industry leaders. Ankita has evaluated and mentored over 1000 startups globally and invested in over 50 companies. Ankita is extremely passionate about promoting gender equality and advancing women’s power and influence at the workplace and society. She is an active advisor and mentor and is part of global angel networks, incubators and accelerators. Ankita has also launched a foundation – MyStepUp, to support innovation and entrepreneurship in diversity programs – SheStrongHer. She also sits on the investment board of her global family office, Tholons Capital. Ankita co-founded Wavemaker Labs, one of Singapore’s most successful accelerator programs and worked at Aureos Capital, London, as part of the global investor relations and portfolio management ($2B FUM) team based in London. Ankita has experience working with a diverse investor set across Institutional investors, Development Finance Institutions, Banks, Fund of Funds, Family Offices and HNI’s. Ankita is an electronics and communication engineer, Masters in Finance and Management from Cranfield school of Management, UK and Executive Leadership from Stanford University, USA. Ankita has been awarded, Leading Women Fund Manager and Top 100 Asian globally. Co-Authored the book, “Innovation-at-Scale”.

SAHAFUND

François Arpels

Founder & CEO of RISE IN Lifestyle Craft & Luxury

François Arpels

Founder & CEO of RISE IN Lifestyle Craft & Luxury

François Arpels – Founder & CEO of RISE IN Lifestyle Craft & Luxury 

Passionate about the dynamics and the levers leading to the expansion of brands, since 2002 François has been devising and executing global strategies for the transformation of large groups as well as independant brands in category leaders, with a focus on fine jewelry, beauty and accessories.

His current portfolio includes brands from Italy (fine jewelry distributed in 250 POS in 30 countries), Singapore (wellness at the crossroads between skincare and tech distributed in North America and Asia), and India that are relying on his active guidance for the definition and the operationalisation of innovative strategies for their global expansion.

In parallel, François is launching a digital marketplace with a strong editorial line focused on bridge to luxury and luxury ESG commited brands.

François has an intimate understanding of the Indian market where is has been involved for 15 years, and is the Chairman of the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry Retail Committee.

François is heir to French jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels, where he was actively involved as shareholder and member of the Executive Committee from 1988 until 1998, shortly before it was acquired by Richemont Group. He currently lives between Italy and India.

William Bao Bean

General Partner – SOSV

William Bao Bean

General Partner – SOSV

William Bao Bean – General Partner at SOSV

William is a General Partner at SOSV – The Accelerator VC – the #3 most active venture capital investor in the world in (2020, Pitchbook) with US$900m assets under management.  At SOSV he is the Managing Director of Chinaccelerator, the first startup accelerator to launch in Asia and the first and only active accelerator in Asia to have a unicorn go through its program – Bitmex a leading crypto exchange in the world, and also the Founder and Managing Director of MOX – the Mobile Only Accelerator which provides startups with free user acquisition to the 102m monthly active smartphone users in the ecosystem. William joined SOSV from SingTel Innov8 Ventures where he was a founding Managing Director supporting Greater China investments. Prior to that William was a General Partner at Softbank China & India Holdings, a venture capital firm backed by Softbank and Cisco, leading investments in China and South East Asia. William started his career in equity research most recently with Deutsche Bank where he was top ranked analyst in Asia Internet and China Tech, Media and Telecom and worked on IPOs and investments for Alibaba, Kingsoft, eLong (Expedia China), OnMobile, Rediff and Naukri.

https://sosv.com/

Kori Higgins

Operations and Business Development Professional

Kori Higgins

Operations and Business Development Professional

Kori Higgins – Operations and Business Development Professional

Kori Higgins is an operations and business development professional,
with over 12 years of experience in financial markets, technology, and
policy. Most recently as Head of Operations for Vibrant, Kori led the
launch and scaling of a blockchain wallet in Latin America. Prior to
Vibrant, Kori drove international business development efforts for the
Stellar Development Foundation. Having started her career in politics at
the U.S. Senate and Center for Strategic and International Studies, and
spending four years as Director of Business Development at Landscape
Capital Management, Kori’s breadth of experience makes her a
multidisciplinary thinker and problem solver. Kori is a frequent public
speaker, a start-up mentor, and a thought leader on DeFi and the future
of work.

MORNING – Agenda

Opening session
9:00 – 9:05 CET         12:30 – 12:35 IST
  • Welcome Address: Laure de Carayon, Ceo – ASIA LOOPERS
 
9:05 – 9:15 CET         12:35 – 12:45 IST
  • Keynote: “How the Indo-Pacific dialogue can boost trade and investment between France and India?” H.E Mr Emmanuel Lenain – Ambassador of France to India
 
9:15 – 9:20 CET         12:45 – 12:50 IST
  • Address: “Unravelling the Indian Consumer Market” Payal S Kanwar, Director General – INDO-FRENCH CHAMBER of COMMERCE
 
Screening 2021 Indian Consumers
9:20 – 9:40 CET         12:50 – 13:10 IST
  • Keynote: “Indian Consumers in a post-Covid world”
    by Kunal Sinha Strategy & Foresights Consultant | Author & Educator

 

COVID has ravaged families and businesses across India. It has stressed the healthcare system like never before, and threatened the livelihood of millions. It has also made people reliant on technology to connect, find medical help, grieve, study and work. What does this period of distress hold for the future? Does it dramatically alter their worldview? Re-examine their priorities? Kunal combines data with stories to dig deep into consumer tensions which businesses and policy makers cannot afford to ignore.

India’s Ecommerce Outlook
9:40 – 9:50 CET        13:10 – 13:20 IST
  • Keynote : “The Retail Roller Coaster”
    by Geeta R Lobo, Country Service Line Leader – IPSOS India
 
  1. Emotional context of shopping,
  2. Pandemic and interaction with channels
  3. Omni-channel actions for future
9:50 – 10:05 CET      13:20 – 13:35 IST
  • Keynote: “How do Indians shop online?”
    by Sankalp Mehrotra, Senior Director, Monetization – FLIPKART
 
  1. The evolving India e-commerce space
  2. Understanding consumer behaviour on e-commerce
  3. Future drivers and implications for brands
10:05 – 10:35 CET         13:35 – 14:05 IST
  • Panel: “Decyphering India Luxury Omni-Channel strategies” with
    – Gitanjali Saxena, Business Head – Tata CliQ Luxury
    – Gaurav Singh Kushwaha, CEO – Bluestone
    Moderation:
    Kritika Sharma, Digital Advertising Director – Conde Nast India Pvt. Ltd.

10:35 – 10:50 CET         14:05 – 14:20 IST
  • Keynote: “Commerce Advertising : The next frontier”
    by Sankalp Mehrotra, Senior Director, Monetization – FLIPKART
 
  1. Commerce advertising at scale
  2. What sets it apart?
  3. How can brands seize the shift
10:50 – 11:10 CET         14:20 – 14:40 IST
  • Fireside Chat: “The Future of Beauty”
    Ainara KAUR, Founder & Ceo – BELORA COSMETICS
    and Joël Palix, Founder –Palix Unlimited
  1. Globalisation versus localisation
  2. Clean beauty, hype or reality
  3. The DTC opportunity
    11:10 – 11:30 CET         14:40 – 15:00 IST
    • Fireside Chat: “How can brands attract Indian Luxury shoppers”
      – François Arpels, Founder & CEO – RISE IN Lifestyle Craft & Luxury
      and Astrid Wendlandt, Founder & President – MISS TWEED
     
    1. India is not China 
    2. Invest on thought leadership in India to build engagement with customers ahead of their travel
    11:30 – 12:05 CET         15:00 – 15:35 IST
    • – Fireside Chat“India, perspectives in the new marketing age”
      Sir Martin Sorrell, Founder & Executive Chairman – S4 Capital
      and Laure de Carayon, Ceo Asia Loopers

    Lunch Break – Networking

    AFTERNOON – Agenda (in progress)

    UNDERSTANDING INDIA’S DIGITAL&TECH INNOVATION
    13:05 – 13:20 CET         16:35 – 16:50 IST
    • Keynote: “Exploring Indian shoppers’ unique online habits & how you should adapt”
      by Matthew Robinson, Senior Marketing Director, APAC – CONTENTSQUARE 
     
    1. The number one cause of visitor frustration on Indian websites & apps and how to minimise this
    2. Common barriers to revenue: how to ensure your online store maximises conversions
    3. Key lessons of Google’s Core Web Vitals update and what this means for your UX strategy
    13:20 – 13:35 CET         16:50 – 17:05 IST
    • Keynote: “Leveraging the Indian Innovation ecosystem. From outsourcing to innovation hub.”
      by Fabien Pierrel, IT Transformation Director – Chanel And Souad Tenfiche, CEO – LINK
     
    13:35 – 13:55 CET         17:05 – 17:25 IST
    • Keynote: “How do India and China Platform Economies differ”
      by Dev Lewis, Founder – CHINA-INDIA NETWORKED
     
    1. As India’s digital economy comes of age it is natural comparisons are drawn with China. Chinese entrepreneurs and VCs themselves invested between $6-8 billion in Indian startups over the past decade in recognition of this potential.
    2. Today, the Indian government is proactively reshaping the Indian technology ecosystem in its own image. Strict information controls on social media companies , data localization demands on companies working with Indian citizen data, and blocking foreign platforms seen as potential security risks are all on the policy agenda today.
    3. China’s success in fostering homegrown technology giants and strict information control is seen as a model to learn from
    4. While the Indian digital and political economy is unique, China’s approach to Internet governance, can help inform our understanding of India’s trajectory
    13:55 – 14:10 CET         17:25 – 17:40 IST
    • Keynote: Leverage India Stack To Further Your Business
      by Ashutosh Sharma, Vice President, Research Director – FORRESTER INDIA
     

    India stack is a collection of technologies, frameworks, services which allow businesses operating in India to speed up their customer acquisition, get their consent, send/receive payments in real time and many such services. It is extensively used by payments firms, financial services, ecommerce and other firms.

    14:10 – 14:25 CET         17:40 – 17:55 IST 
    • Keynote: “VC Investments and Exits in India”
      by Vikram Gupta, Founder & Managing Partner – IVYCAP VENTURES  And Kori Higgins – Operations and Business Development Professional
     
    1. Do’s and don’ts of VC investments and exits
    2. Factors that are necessary to boost/leverage the market
    3. Learnings from VC investments and exits in India
    4. Takeaways from the exit of Purplle
    14:25 – 14:40 CET         17:55 – 18:10 IST
    • Keynote: ‘Major Differences in selling online across the Indian, Chinese and Southeast Asian Markets.
      by William Bao Bean, General Partner – SOSV
     
    Mapping the Media and Advertising landscapes
    14:40 – 15:10 CET         18:10 – 18:40 IST
    • Keynote 1: Modern Marketer’s guide to martech maturity
      by Moneka Khurana, Country Head – MOBILE MARKETING ASSOCIATION INDIA
     

    – Maturity of martech classified as initial, nascent, emerging, connected and multi moments,
    – Primary insights from 100 + organisations on martech maturity levels
    – Learn ways to move up the ladder in martech maturity and select right martech stacks
    – Build right governance to utilise martech stacks effectively.

    15:10 – 15:20 CET         18:40 – 18:50 IST
    • Keynote: “Using social media in India to build an engaged community”
      by Sruthi GOTTIPATI, Editor in Chief – Brut India
     

    – The importance of authenticity and transparency
    – Standing out in a crowded media ecosystem
    – Creating a valuable brand partnership. A case study

    15:20 – 15:40 CET         18:50 – 19:10 IST
    • Keynote 2: “Creating IP-First Media Companies in the Digital Age”
      by Vishal Gondal, Founder – nCORE Games
     

    – Diverse IP value creation strategy required to succeed in media
    – Creating interactive media is a highly technical exercise that requires cross-disciplinary expertise
    – Challenging, but rewarding. Create experiences enjoyed by millions/billions.

    Women Leadership
    15:40 – 16:10 CET         19:10 – 19:40 IST
    • Panel: ‘How women entrepreneurship has led to empowering Indian consumers’
      with
      – Ankita Vashistha, Ceo – SAHA FUND
      – Jyotika Jhalani, Founder & Creative Director – JANAVI– Jyotika Jhalani, Founder & Creative Director – JANAVI
      – Naiyya Saggi, Founder – BabyChakra
      Moderation: Laure de Carayon, ASIA LOOPERS
     

    Unique testimonies on leadership, diversity and inclusion of women leaders in the fields of technology, Luxury and beyond

    Wrap-up/Conclusion
    16:10 – 16:15 CET         19:40 – 19:45 IST
    • Closing remarks
      Laure de Carayon, Ceo, ASIA LOOPERS

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