KTX 2025: Here Are The List Of Speakers

Kozhikode, Kerala: As the Kerala Technology Expo 2025 (KTX 2025) is all set to welcome dignitaries and experts from across the industry, tech buffs are eager to be a witness to insightful sessions and listen to thought leadership about future potential. The three-day international technology summit draws top tech leaders, influential policymakers, and investors worldwide to drive forward-looking solutions and partnerships that transcend borders.

The expo will kick start on February 13 at the Calicut Trade Centre and will continue till February 15.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the historic event, and during the inaugural session, the following dignitaries are expected to present their insightful perspectives on future tech solutions and possibilities:

Read Also: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan To Inaugurate Kerala Technology Expo 2025

1. Rathan U. Kelkar, IAS

A 2003-batch IAS officer, Rathan U. Kelkar is the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala, who assumed office after the abrupt departure of Pranabjyoti Nath. Kelkar has over 16 years of diverse administrative experience, making him emerge as a leader in various fields. While serving as Executive Director of Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust in Karnataka, he played a pivotal role in orchestrating the convergence of state schemes for effective healthcare delivery. Hailed for being a visionary, innovative, problem-solving, and having a collaborative spirit, Kelkar’s leadership has proved worthy in many other fields.

Rathan U. Kelkar, IAS, Secretary, E&ITD, Government of Kerala

2. Manoj Raghavan

Manoj Raghavan is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of Tata Elxsi, who has been known for delivering cutting-edge tech services to global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). With over 22 years of industry experience at Tata Elxsi, a leading design and technology services provider, Raghavan has been credited with driving the company’s vision and operational strategy, making the company a global player that is also at the forefront of leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, spearheading projects in driverless cars, among others.

Manoj Raghavan, MD & CEO, Tata Elxsi

3. Erik Af Hallstrom

Erik Af Hallstrom is the Consul General of Finland who got appointed in Mumbai in January 2023. He is currently serving in special assignments at the Foreign Ministry’s Department for the Americas and Asia. Erik Af Hallstrom previously served as Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland in New Delhi from 2018 to 2021. From 2016 to 18, he was a desk officer and director in the unit for UN and General Global Affairs. He has also held important positions in Finland’s embassies in Brazil and The Hague and in Finland’s permanent representation in Geneva. He has a master’s degree in social sciences. In June 2024, Erik Af Hallstrom visited Kerala along with a high-level delegation conducting insightful sessions and setting the stage for potential partnerships.

Erik Af Hallstrom, Consul General of Finland

4. Eske Rosenberg

Eske Rosenberg is the head of mission at the Consulate General of Denmark in Bangalore and regional coordinator for tech & energy, serving to promote Indian and Danish interests. With a master’s in management of innovation & business development from Copenhagen Business School, he has gained vast experience with leadership, diplomacy, innovation, business development, trade, and communication, among other things, over the years. From 2018 to 2021, he served as the science and innovation counsellor at the Danish Embassy in South Korea. At present, Rosenberg collaborates across industries, academia, and research through Innovation Centre Denmark.

Eske Rosenberg, Consul General of Denmark

Read Also: Kozhikode Gears Up To Host Kerala Technology Expo 2025

Key Speakers of the Technology Expo 2025

1. Anoop Ambika

Anoop Ambika is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kerala Startup Mission, which has transformed the startup landscape in the state. He previously served as the CEO of Genpro Research and Cognub Decision Solutions. Anoop has an impressive background: a master’s degree in biomathematics, bioinformatics, and computational biology from the University of Kerala; an MBA in entrepreneurship/entrepreneurial studies from Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business; a BTech in computer science from the University of Kerala; and an ISC from St. Thomas Residential School. He also has an extensive track record working in data sciences and using AI and advanced analytics.

Anoop Ambika, CEO, Kerala Startup Mission

2. Susanth Kurunthil

Susanth Kurunthil is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Infopark Kerala and a seasoned entrepreneur in the IT industry. After completing a BTech in Computer Science from Government Engineering College, Thrissur, and an MBA degree from San Jose State University, USA, Kurunthil acquired more than three decades of experience in leadership, software development, consulting, and entrepreneurship.  Kurunthil has worked as the country head of a US-based software company, apart from setting up and operating three different firms.

Susanth Kurunthil, CEO, Infopark Kerala

3. Balagopal Chandrasekhar

Balagopal Chandrasekhar is the Chairman of the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation. After a brief stint in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), he quit from government service and started a biomedical devices company. While running his company and after selling it, Chandrasekhar is engaging in mentoring several startups. He is an economics graduate from Loyola College, Madras University.

Balagopal Chandrasekhar, Chairman, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation

4. Jayakumar Mohanachandran

A notable keynote speaker and thought leader, Jayakumar Mohanachandran is the president of the CIO Association in the United Arab Emirates. A cloud evangelist and technologist with global corporate experience, he has helped businesses succeed through innovative organizational process, and technological advancements. A three-time CIO of the Year within the GCC, he was praised for his contributions to bridging technology and businesses.

Jayakumar Mohanachandran, President, CIO Association

5. Dinesh Venugopal

Dinesh Venugopal is the Vice President and Head of Artificial Intelligence at Tech Mahindra. Having completed a bachelor of engineering in mechanical engineering from Madras University and an MBA from ADSU, USA, Venugopal has been working in IT sector for over 23 years. A visionary leader in the field of AI, the metaverse, big data, and test automation, he has delivered thought leadership and strategic direction to various clients in building centres of excellence and implementing processes and strategies for Fortune 500 companies.

Dinesh Venugopal, Vice President and Head – Artificial Intelligence, Tech Mahindra

6. Cherian Varghese

Currently leading Oracle’s business across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, Cherian Varghese is the Senior Vice President of AI, Cloud Infrastructure, Growth Markets, ISV & MySQL Business, and Oracle, Dubai. Over 25 years of experience working across the Middle East in the field has made him an IT thought leader. He has served in a variety of roles, including product and brand management and leading sales teams, among others. Varghese’s prodigy is providing leadership and resolving issues that have been known.

Cherian Varghese, Senior Vice President – AI, Oracle, Dubai

7. Lakshmi Das

A BTech graduate in Computer Science Engineering from Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology, Kochi, Lakshmi Das is the co-founder of Prophaze and strategic director to companies. Prophaze is a cloud security, providing adaptive cybersecurity solutions to firms. Honed skills while working at Infosys for over six years as a systems engineer, Das evolved into a resourceful expert in various industries, including banking, healthcare, cybersecurity, retail, and logistics. She is also well-versed in data security and international regulations, making her insights and advice more worthy, which itself led to Prophaze’s early progress.

Lakshmi Das, Co-founder, Prophaze

8. G Levin

G Levin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kerala Space Park (KSPACE), is a graduate in BSc engineering and mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum. Before becoming CEO of Kerala Space Park, Levin worked in Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, a subsidiary of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Trivandrum, for 37 years, eventually retiring as deputy director. An expert in solid propulsion systems played a key role in the design, development, and qualification of solid motors for PSLV, GSLV, MKIII, SSLV, etc.

G Levin, CEO, Kerala Space Park (KSPACE)

9. Satish Shekar

Satish Shekar is an MSc graduate in purchasing and supply chain management from the University of Westminster, London, and a certified expert from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Chain Management (CIPS), UK. He worked for over a decade in building technology products in the field of supply chain management to digitize various manual documentation and processes into digital form for a seamless process. Currently, Shekar is the co-founder of the Culky Foundation, which works to safeguard cultural and heritage sites and monuments.

Satish Shekar, Co-Founder, Culky Foundation

10. Prashant Sachan

Prashant Sachan is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AppsForBharat. An internet entrepreneur based out of Bangalore, Sachan is building AppsForBharat to assist billions in India. The team’s flagship project, Sri Mandir, went live in early 2021. After completing a BTech in Mechanical Engineering from Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Sachan did a Master of Design in Interaction Design from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Earlier, he had co-founded ‘Trell’ with a few alumni from IIT Bombay. He has also worked on Cortana at Microsoft R&D and ChatOn Messenger and TizenOS at Samsung R&D, earning significant insights.

Prashant Sachan, Founder & CEO, AppsForBharat