FEATURED SPEAKERS

Aniruddha Mallik  —  Chief Marketing Officer, Sovablu Inc.

Jonathan Haggan  —  Corporate Officer, Digital Garage Inc.

Krishnakumar Sundaram  —  Vice President, Corporate Strategy, Keisoku Ltd.

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On July 23rd, the Tech & Innovation Group within the ICIJ Youth Group hosted “Leading Through Change: Talent, Technology & the Future of Work”, a fireside chat connecting distinguished industry leaders with the next generation of Indian professionals in Japan. The event drew strong interest, with approximately 30 diverse early-to-mid-career professionals in attendance.

The evening was hosted by Mr. Sahil Jain and Ms. Ashita Kumar, with Mr. Sahil Jain moderating a fireside chat featuring three distinguished panelists: Mr. Aniruddha Mallik, Chief Marketing Officer at Sovablu Inc.; Mr. Jonathan Haggan, Corporate Officer at Digital Garage Inc.; and Mr. Krishnakumar Sundaram, Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Keisoku Ltd. Despite representing three distinct disciplines — marketing, engineering, and corporate strategy — the panelists converged on a strikingly consistent message: the future belongs to generalists, not specialists.

The conversation moved fluidly across the evening's core themes — leadership in an AI-enabled world, how to prepare for a career just starting out, what qualities justify investing in people, and how AI compares to past technology cycles. The panelists encouraged attendees to adopt an explorer mindset, to pair creativity with technical fluency, and to treat “learning to unlearn” as seriously as learning itself — staying current means actively discarding old habits and assumptions, not just adding new skills.

On the question of human advantage in an AI-improving world, the panelists were candid: AI should not be feared but embraced, with one important caveat — professionals must develop the judgment to distinguish good AI-generated output from bad. Many attendees noted that they operate without large teams of their own, yet rely heavily on generative AI tools like Claude to deliver value and impact at a scale that once required significantly more headcount. Still, the panel was clear that AI can only provide a skeleton or starting point — it cannot replace ideas, judgment, or communication, which still remain distinctly human. The discussion also touched on Japan's unique position in the AI landscape, with panelists noting that the market's continued need for support and adoption creates real opportunity for those willing to lead.

Following the fireside chat, the floor opened for audience questions — over 20 were collected from participants online, reflecting deep engagement with how these themes apply across marketing, engineering, and corporate strategy. The evening closed with networking, giving attendees the chance to connect directly with the panelists.

Mr. Sanjeev Gupta opened the event with remarks introducing the Tech & Innovation Group and the ICIJ Youth Group's broader mission. Mr. Natarajan Subramania delivered the closing remarks, thanking the speakers and all participants.

 
Thanks again to all the participants, the speakers, and the whole organizing team for making this event a success.