Bengaluru, India – September 2025: The Symposium on Data for Public Good, India’s premier forum on data, AI and digital public infrastructure (DPI), returns for its third edition on October 14-15, 2025 at the JN Tata Auditorium, IISc Bengaluru.

Organised by the Centre of Data for Public Good (CDPG), the Symposium has quickly grown into a landmark platform. Last year’s edition featured over 50 speakers and attracted more than 1,000 participants from government, academia, and industry. 

This year’s speaker lineup includes leaders from MeitY, Microsoft Research India, Google DeepMind, global standards bodies such as OGC, Gaia-X, FIWARE, ETSI, GLEIF, and multilateral institutions like the World Bank.

Themes and tracks

The 2025 program revolves around four high-priority themes:

• Data Spaces & Digital Product Passport: Secure, interoperable, trusted data exchange
• Mobility: Shared, data-driven, sustainable transport ecosystems
• WebSciX: Localized web science for regional digital challenges
• Privacy & Security for the Future of India: Trust-by-design for a digital society

Across keynotes, panels, and workshops, participants will explore the interplay of technology, governance, and society – translating bold ideas into scalable, actionable solutions.

Program highlights – what you can expect

Keynotes by

• S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY – Driving the Future: The Role of Government in Accelerating Data Science and AI Innovation
• Sharad Sharma, Co-Founder, iSPIRT Foundation – Why India’s Data Economy matters to the World
• V. Srinivas, Secretary, DARPG – Data-Driven Governance: Harnessing Innovation for Citizen-Centric Public Services
• Peter Rabley, CEO, Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) – AI: Will It Eat Geospatial?
  

Practical discussions and roadmaps from thought leaders, including:

• Vikas Kanungo, Advisor to World Bank Group
• Pierre Gronlier, CIO, Gaia-X
• Chandrashekar Reddy Challagonda, CEO, FIWARE Foundation; Board Member, Gaia-X AISBL
• Franck Le Gall, CEO, EGM; ETSI TC DATA Vice Chair
• Vikas Panwar, Country Business Manager – India, GLEIF and WRI India
• Nishanth Chandran and Amit Sharma from Microsoft Research India
• Shweta Pandey, Vice President & General Counsel, Mercedes-Benz
• Experts from GIZ, WRI India, CiSTUP–IISc and CDPG, joined by Namma Yatri, Tummoc, startups and agencies like CUMTA.

Two hackathons to watch

• The Bengaluru Last Mile Challenge 2025
  Co-organised with BMTC and Namma Yatri, with Maruti Suzuki as Prize Sponsor.
  Focused on bold, data-driven ideas to improve Bengaluru’s transport system.
  Finals and awards will take place at the Symposium.
• 2025 Hackathon on Interoperability of Digital Public Infrastructure
  Held 11–13 October 2025 (hybrid: Bengaluru + online), organised by INPACE and FIWARE with technical support from Gaia-X and GLEIF.
  

Winning teams will present their solutions at major DPI events in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

“The Symposium is about connecting ideas with action, ensuring that data strengthens trust, supports innovation, and serves society,” said Inder Gopal, Chairman, CDPG & Research Professor, IISc. “In 2025, our themes reflect sharper priorities, across data spaces, mobility, security, and so on, which are critical not just for India, but for global progress.” 

The 2025 Symposium is supported by leading academic institutions, industry partners, and government bodies, underscoring its role as a neutral platform for collaboration. 

Event co-organisers: 

FIWARE

WRI India 

IIIT Bangalore 

Giz India 

Media partner:

Elets 

For registrations and more details, please visit: https://dataforpublicgood.org.in/symposium-2025/. 

About CDPG

The Centre of Data for Public Good (CDPG) is a pioneering initiative under FSID (Foundation for Science Innovation and Development), IISc Bengaluru, committed to leveraging data and technology for societal impact. We work at the intersection of technology, policy, and society, enabling responsible data sharing and innovation across sectors such as urban development, agriculture, geospatial services, healthcare and more. 

We foster collaboration between academia, industry, and government to address pressing challenges across sectors and empower stakeholders to develop solutions that drive equitable and sustainable progress. Anchored in translational research and real-world applications, our software platforms, AI/ML models, innovative applications and data policies facilitate the use of data for public good.

Website: https://dataforpublicgood.org.in/

Media Contact: Centre of Data for Public Good (CDPG), IISc – namrata.agrawal@cdpg.org.in