Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 to spotlight e-commerce: Unlocking Digital Horizons

In an announcement made today, Milind Toravane, Managing Director of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Limited and Gujarat Gas Limited, revealed that the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 (VGGS) will feature a high-profile seminar on ‘E-Commerce: Business at Fingertips.’The event is scheduled for January 11, at Seminar Hall 9, Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar.

According to a press release, the seminar, designed to delve into the nuances of e-commerce, will be a focal point during VGGS 2024. Toravane outlined the details of the seminar, which will comprise three sessions.The inaugural session will witness the presence of key dignitaries, including Harsh Sanghvi, Minister of State for Industries (Government of Gujarat), Prashant Kumar Singh, CEO, Government e-Marketplace, Sanjeev, Joint Secretary (DPIIT), Som Prakash (IAS) (Retd), and Shirish Joshi, Chief Business Officer, Open Network for Digital Commerce.

The session will set the stage for discussions on digital initiatives, policies, and their impact on the Indian economy.

Panel Session 1 – ‘TechGuard Maestros – Fortifying the Future’- Moderated by Pankaj Mall, Founder and Director of Astitva Welfare Foundation, this session will explore innovation and digitalization in the e-commerce landscape. Panellists include Prof. Triveni Singh, Superintendent of Police, Cyber Crime (Government of Uttar Pradesh), Samar Singla, CEO/Founder of Jungleworks, Vishal Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director, Infibeam Avenues Limited, and Prateek Saxena, Chief Technology Officer, State Bank of Operations Support Services. The focus areas encompass the future of e-commerce, the role of AI, cross-border policy ecosystems, global trends, cyber security, digital platforms, and compliance.

Panel Session 2 – ‘Benefits 4 You – Inclusion of Grassroots’- Moderated by Dr Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Partner at Ernst & Young LLP, this session will feature discussions on grassroots dynamics, implementation, and impact of e-commerce. Panelists include Shirish Joshi, President and Chief Business Officer, of Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), Abhijeet Sinha, Program Director – Of ease of Doing Business, Pankaj Mall, Founder and Director of Astitva Welfare Foundation, Y. K. Pathak, Additional CEO and Chief Buyer Officer-States at Government e-Marketplace, and Ganesh V. Sawaleshwarka, Chief Postmaster General, Department of Posts (Ministry of Communications, Government of India).
The session will address the integration of e-commerce into the value chain, the role of Fintech, and the involvement of MSMEs, entrepreneurs, FPCs, SHGs, small buyers, and sellers.

Toravane emphasized that the seminar aims to empower stakeholders to leverage opportunities in the evolving digital economy.He said, “The key objective of the seminar is to enable the stakeholders to fully benefit from the opportunities being created by progressive digitalization of the domestic economy, and to bring the sectors into the mainstream of our economy is also, through initiatives like Make in India, Digital India, Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and draft e-commerce policy, domestic players in the Indian market are being empowered to sustain themselves in the digital economy and support micro, small and medium enterprises, start-ups, etc.

Enabling and encouraging participation of traders are also the main objectives of this discussion”.Highlighting Gujarat’s commitment to e-commerce, Toravane cited measures such as the launch of IndiaHandmade.com, an online platform for artisan weavers, and partnerships with companies like Flipkart and Amazon.

These initiatives aim to digitize local businesses and showcase ‘Made in India’ products on a global scale.The seminar is expected to serve as a compass in shaping the future of e-commerce in India and contribute to the national vision of Developed India@2047.
Toravane extended a warm invitation to stakeholders, industry experts, and policymakers to participate in this impactful session.