AI-led R&D, Future-ready Skills, and Smart Manufacturing take center stage on Day 2 of CII INNOVERGE 2025
Bengaluru, October 11, 2025. The 21st edition of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) flagship India Innovation Summit – CII INNOVERGE 2025 concluded today at The Taj West End, Bengaluru, with a focus on strengthening India’s innovation ecosystem through AI-led R&D, skill development, and advanced manufacturing. Delivering the Special Address, Dr Selvakumar S, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Commerce & Industries, Government of Karnataka, highlighted the pivotal role of research, innovation clusters, and public-private partnerships in strengthening India’s R&D capabilities. He emphasized that Karnataka continues to anchor the nation’s innovation landscape through progressive policies, strategic investments in technology infrastructure, and a robust academic ecosystem. “Karnataka is at the forefront of India’s innovation journey, transforming talent into intellectual property. With over 400 R&D centres, AI and Data Sciences initiatives, and Industry 4.0 programs for SMEs, we are fostering homegrown solutions and extending innovation beyond Bengaluru to Hubballi, Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Belagavi through strong public-private partnerships,” he remarked.
Mr Manoj Kumar Meena, IAS, Secretary to Government, Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, Government of Karnataka emphasized “Karnataka is building a unified, future-ready skill ecosystem through the Karnataka Skill Policy 2025–2032, seamlessly connecting education, skilling, and employment. With initiatives like industry-led ITIs under the PM Setu scheme, an AI-driven Skill Connect Portal linking talent with industry demand, and programs such as Nanavritti Nanna Ika, Kalika Jotege Kaushalya, and CM Kaushalya Karnataka Yojana, we are making skilling aspirational, inclusive, and aligned with emerging sectors like green, digital, and creative industries.”
Mr Kamal Bali, Past Chairman, CII Southern Region; Chairman, CII India INNOVERGE 2025 & President & Managing Director, Volvo Group India, in his opening remarks, highlighted the transformative role of collaboration between government, industry, and academia in shaping India’s next decade of innovation. Partnership is the future of leadership — we must move from an obsession with competition to an obsession with collaboration. To become a product-first nation, India must increase R&D investment, accelerate productization and commercialisation, and scale AI-driven solutions across supply chains and clean-energy systems. That transition will only succeed when collaboration is built on transparency and trust between industry, academia and government so ideas convert into real impact.
Mr Rabindra Srikantan, Chairman, CII Karnataka State Council 2025–26 & Managing Director, ASM Technologies cited with India’s demographic advantage comes immense responsibility to align education, skills, and innovation for a future-ready workforce. India’s youth, talent, and innovation ecosystem are our greatest assets. At CII Innoverge 2025 highlights how partnerships across industry, academia, and government can harness these strengths to build a self-reliant, AI-powered, and inclusive Karnataka.
Mr Guruprasad Mudlapur, Vice Chairman, CII Karnataka State Council 2025–26 & President, Bosch Group in India; Managing Director, Bosch Ltd, in his remarks, emphasized that India’s transition to a product-led economy depends on the strength of its R&D investment, industrial digitisation, and skilling ecosystem. Karnataka’s competitive edge is collaborative execution when government, industry and academia align on skilling, digitisation and cluster investments, we create scalable and sustainable manufacturing. Technologies such as AIoT and robotics are already reshaping production and supply chains; our immediate priority is to convert pilots into widescale industrial adoption, strengthen MSME competitiveness, and scale regional innovation hubs beyond Bengaluru.”
In a thought-provoking fireside discussion titled “Innovation and Strategy in Warfare – Operation Sindoor”, Maj Gen Ravi Murugan (Retd), PVSM, AVSM, shed light on how the Indian Army’s technological preparedness, AI integration, and innovation mindset shaped modern warfare and national security strategy. Reflected on how technology has always been — and remains — the key driver of the battlefield. He underlined the value of curiosity, data-driven learning, and the need for India to accelerate advancements in defence manufacturing to stay ahead in an evolving global landscape.
Day 2 of CII INNOVERGE 2025 reaffirmed India’s innovation momentum and the collaborative efforts required to position the nation as a global technology and manufacturing leader under the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
Companies associated with the Summit are Volvo Group, RSB Transmission (India) Ltd, Maini Group, Kennametal India Ltd, 3M India Ltd, State of Bavaria, India Office, Pardeep Phosphates Ltd, ASM Technologies Ltd , Bosch Ltd, Hitachi Energy India Limited, Infosys Ltd, Manipal Hospital, AGI Milltec- Milltec Machinery Private Limited, Kauvery Hospital Group, Sona Valliapa Group, Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL), Lakshmi Machine Works Limited, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd (TKM), ITC Hotels, Bharat Clouds Private Limited, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Private Limited, Zing HR & Gifting Partners – KANARA CONSUMER PRODUCTS LIMITED. Academic Partner Welingkar Institute of Management who also shared and showcased their insights which was attended by over 150 industry CXO’s and stakeholders across sectors.
About CII
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering Industry, Government, and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.
CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led, and industry-managed organization, with around 9,000 members from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 365,000 enterprises from 294 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.
For more than 125 years, CII has been engaged in shaping India’s development journey and works proactively on transforming Indian Industry’s engagement in national development. CII charts change by working closely with Government on policy issues, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness, and business opportunities for industry through a range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. It also provides a platform for consensus-building and networking on key issues.
Through its dedicated Centres of Excellence and Industry competitiveness initiatives, promotion of innovation and technology adoption, and partnerships for sustainability, CII plays a transformative part in shaping the future of the nation. Extending its agenda beyond business, CII assists industry to identify and execute corporate citizenship programmes across diverse domains including affirmative action, livelihoods, diversity management, skill development, empowerment of women, and sustainable development, to name a few.
For 2024-25, CII has identified “Globally Competitive India: Partnerships for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth” as its Theme, prioritizing 5 key pillars. During the year, it would align its initiatives and activities to facilitate strategic actions for driving India’s global competitiveness and growth through a robust and resilient Indian industry.
With 70 offices, including 12 Centres of Excellence, in India, and 8 overseas offices in Australia, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, UAE, UK, and USA, as well as institutional partnerships with about 300 counterpart organizations in almost 100 countries, CII serves as a reference point for Indian industry and the international business community.
