TechSparks 2026 speakers include Zakir Khan, Varun Maya, Keshav Reddy and other industry leaders
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TechSparks 2026 speakers include Zakir Khan, Varun Maya, Keshav Reddy and other industry leaders

TechSparks 2026 kicks off in Bengaluru in two days, and the final list of speakers has been published. Among the latest participants are stand-up comedian Zakir Khan, AI entrepreneur Varun Maya, Equal AI founder Keshav Reddy, as well as international diplomats and technology executives working in data, aviation, and digital infrastructure sectors.

The flagship startup and technology summit by YourStory will take place from October 13 to 15 at the Taj Yeshwantpur hotel in Bengaluru under the theme 'The New Technological Order.' In its 17th event, TechSparks will examine how artificial intelligence, deep technologies, and digital infrastructure are transforming business building methods, technology development, and participation in the next wave of innovation.

The three-day summit will feature keynote speeches, fireside chats, panel discussions, masterclasses, workshops, and practical sessions, as well as Tech30, VibeCode30, LiveSparks, and ActionLabs events.

Additional TechSparks 2026 Speakers

Stand-up comedian, writer, and performer Zakir Khan has gained popularity through his observational humor and stories about family, relationships, and daily life. Known by his persona Sakht Launda, he has performed across India and abroad, including Madison Square Garden in New York. At the summit, which is primarily focused on technology and business, he will bring the perspective of an artist and storyteller.

Varun Maya is the founder and CEO of Aeos, a Bengaluru-based company operating in content, media production, and artificial intelligence. As an entrepreneur and content creator, he built a business around digital communities, generative AI, and creator-driven distribution. Aeos merges content creation with AI tools and technology development, and its media network covers audiences in the technology, business, and entertainment spheres. Maya has experience building businesses at the intersection of AI, content, and entrepreneurship.

Yoonmin Cho holds the role of APJ Lead for Snowflake for startups, collaborating with emerging companies that build data and AI-based applications. Snowflake's startup programs provide young companies access to technology, technical support, and opportunities to connect with investors and the wider ecosystem. Cho represents the regional perspective on how startups in the Asia-Pacific region and Japan are developing data-driven products and AI applications.

Dr. Ravi Kumar Surpur is the Secretary of the Department of Information Technology and Communications of the Government of Rajasthan. His work is related to the state's initiatives in technology and digital governance. At TechSparks 2026, he will join discussions on expanding India's startup infrastructure and supporting entrepreneurship outside established tech hubs, including the role of government, capital, networks, and markets.

Amar Dikshit is the CEO of WOI India, an organization focused on supporting founders and networking within India's entrepreneurial ecosystem. His work spans venture development, startup communities, investor networks, and strategic partnerships. He has also been involved in mentoring founders and connecting startups with institutions, enterprises, and investors. At TechSparks, he will discuss improving entrepreneurs' access to necessary resources and networks for building and scaling businesses.

Keshav Reddy is the founder and CEO of Equal AI, a company working on an AI assistant for India. His efforts are directed towards developing AI products for Indian users, addressing issues of accessibility, language, adoption, and indigenous AI capabilities. At TechSparks, he will participate in discussions on how Indian founders can create AI products for the large and diverse domestic market.

Priyanka Arora is the Marketing Director at The Plan Beyond, a company that helps families organize and access important information about their assets and financial affairs. Her work focuses on raising awareness and trust regarding an issue that often becomes apparent during major life changes. At TechSparks, she will speak on the importance of context in a data-rich world and how technology can make fragmented information more accessible and useful.

Luigi Chelmi is the CEO of Lufthansa Systems India and possesses nearly 25 years of experience in aviation and technology. His career includes aircraft management, engineering, and aviation services, as well as building teams and operational structures in India. At Lufthansa Systems India, he leads the company's business in India, leveraging his industry experience in a sector where technology plays a central role in complex global operations.

Jacobs (Jaap) Vermeulen is the Consul General of the Netherlands in India. His participation will add an international diplomatic perspective to TechSparks, where India's connections with global technology markets will also be discussed. The Netherlands is part of a broader network of international technological, research, and business partnerships relevant to Indian companies looking to enter foreign markets.

Divakaran Ullampuja Mana is the APAC Solutions Architect at MongoDB. His work involves corporate database architecture and assisting organizations in developing and implementing technological solutions. As enterprises increasingly adopt AI-based applications, data architecture, scalability, and infrastructure are becoming critical aspects. He will bring a view on enterprise technology to these discussions.

Dr. Christoph Dorfscheld is the Consul General of Germany. His participation adds an international dimension to the summit, as Indian technology enterprises establish connections with foreign markets and institutions. He will join political figures and diplomats in discussing the changing global technological landscape.

The TechSparks 2026 lineup also includes Navin Mistri, co-founder of Globbel; Naren Sham, founder and CEO of Omio Group; Shivarti Bajaj, Managing Partner of RSD Bajaj Global Law Firm; Vijaya Subramaniam, founder and CEO of Collective Artists Network; GSN Aditya, COO of Eloelo Group; Dr. Vignesh Subramaniam, Lead AI Scientist at Intuit; Avinash Mudaliar, Co-founder and CEO of HT Labs; Shashanka Randeva, Founder and General Partner of 247VC; Anvesha Ramineni, Venture Partner at Endiya; Lucas Jablonski, Head of WebPro at Hostinger; Akasha Saxenaa, CEO of Brilyant; and Sagar Kumar, VP of Engineering at PayU.

As the summit is taking place in a few days, TechSparks 2026 will bring together representatives from technology, business, government, and creative industries to discuss current changes and future directions. Join the conversations at TechSparks 2026, taking place from October 13 to 15 at Taj Yeshwantpur in Bengaluru.

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TechSparks 2026 Conference to Gather Founders, Tech Leaders, and Global Politicians to Discuss the New Technological Order
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yourstory.com

TechSparks 2026 Conference to Gather Founders, Tech Leaders, and Global Politicians to Discuss the New Technological Order

Technological development today is determined not only by founders and engineers; politics, global institutions, and industry leaders also play a vital role in this process. The flagship startup and technology summit by YourStory, which will take place as part of TechSparks 2026, will discuss a wide range of topics, including policy, deep tech, artificial intelligence, fintech, aerospace, mobility, and digital infrastructure.

The event, themed 'The New Technological Order,' will examine how artificial intelligence, deep technologies, and new digital infrastructure are transforming methods of creating and scaling technologies. The three-day conference is scheduled for October 13-15 in Bangalore. Speakers announced include Priyank Kharge, Minister of Home Affairs, IT, BT, and e-Governance of the Government of Karnataka, and Krishna Bayre Gowda, Minister of Urban Development of the Government of Karnataka.

Additional TechSparks 2026 Speakers

A number of prominent figures will also be part of the TechSparks 2026 participants. Dr. Angela Honegger, CEO and Consul General of Switzerland and India at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, based in Bangalore, is associated with Swissnex in India—a network of Swiss science and technology connections. Her experience covers work in Switzerland, India, and the USA, as well as entrepreneurship, innovation, and research.

Himatsingh Revant, known as 'Food Pharmer,' is the founder of Only What's Needed, a food and beverage enterprise focused on transparency. He has attracted widespread public attention by emphasizing reading product labels and critically analyzing packaged food marketing. The company develops a brand based on transparency together with consumers, and Himatsingh himself publicly shares information about products and business.

Peter Winter-Schmidt, Consul General of the Danish Consulate General in Bangalore at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represents the relationship between India and Denmark at the conference. His recent activities have focused on strengthening ties between Denmark and Karnataka in the fields of technology, investment, and innovation, as well as establishing contacts between startups, companies, and investors from India and Denmark.

Manu Sale, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India, leads the organization in Bangalore that provides engineering and digital capabilities for Mercedes-Benz's global operations. His public work focuses on people, technology, and AI, including implementing an AI-centric approach across MBRDI. At TechSparks, Sale will discuss how AI and advanced technologies are changing the product creation process from an automotive engineering perspective.

Dip Agarwal, Head of Payments at PhonePe, is involved in developing and scaling the company's payments business. His work includes expanding access to digital payments, such as launching UPI 123Pay for users with basic phone functions, as well as developing digital payment and financial service products.

Priya Narasimhan, Chief Business Officer of Indus Appstore, is involved in creating PhonePe's own application marketplace. Indus Appstore is designed for diverse audiences and developers in India, simplifying app discovery and distribution. She has also participated in discussions on competition in the mobile application ecosystem, touching upon app store choice, developer economics, and the role of alternative stores in India.

Radhika P, founder and CEO of Pinaka Aerospace, previously worked as a scientist at DRDO on electronic warfare and communication systems before founding Pinaka Aerospace in 2007. This Bangalore-based company operates in the defense and aerospace sector, focusing on software verification, equipment maintenance, and manufacturing. Pinaka Aerospace was later acquired by ZETWERK.

Rajagopal Menon, Vice President at WazirX, will bring experience from the cryptocurrency and digital asset industry to the TechSparks program, participating in a broader discussion on the underlying technologies and infrastructure.

Narendra Babu, CTO of PayU, is a technology leader with experience building and managing large-scale technology teams and systems. His recent work at PayU included transforming engineering and applying AI in payment verification within the fintech environment, where security, authentication, fraud prevention, and large-scale payment systems increasingly rely on AI.

Sneha Roy, co-founder of Murf AI, is part of the team behind the voice AI company that develops products based on synthesized speech and voice technologies. She is also the company's COO and has extensive experience in building and scaling businesses, including working at Urban Ladder before co-founding Murf AI in 2020. Murf AI has since entered international markets, and Roy focuses on growing the business around voice AI.

Prasun Kumar, founder and CEO of Oppex AI, addresses post-software deployment challenges. His company creates an AI-powered incident management stack designed to reduce the time taken to detect, investigate, and resolve production failures. Kumar has over twenty years of experience in technology and product development, including time at Capillary Technologies and CommerceIQ. At Oppex AI, he applies this experience to production operations using a native AI-based approach.

The TechSparks 2026 lineup also includes Srividya Srinivasan, CTO of Amagi; Pramoda Varma, co-founder and chief architect of Networks for Humanity; Samira Nigam, founder and CEO of PhonePe; Pratyay Amrit, Chief Secretary of the Government of Bihar; Aniruddha Singh, General Partner at Avataar Venture Partners; and Rajiv Rastogi, VP of Machine Learning at Amazon.

TechSparks 2026 will take place in Bangalore from October 13 to 15. Registration is open for participation in discussions shaping the new technological order.

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