Role of open standards in taking India's Science and Technology (S&T) ecosystem to the next level

Dr. Manjula Das

Deputy Director & Chief of Operations, CPDTRI Laboratory Director, ADRC PI, Molecular Immunology, Mazumdar Shaw Medical Foundation (MSMF) Director, Beyond Antibody LLP

Data Designs Diagnostics and Drugs

Till the late 20th century healthcare has been the forte of biology evading the clutches of mathematics. The new millennium digitised life and sciences therein leading to data-explosion. How digitization and data is propelling healthcare for public good will be discussed with specific examples from the world of diagnostics and therapeutics.

Session Chair

Prof. Debnath Pal

Professor, Indian Institute of Science, Co-founder ReneLife, Research Consultant

DPDP Act and its Impact on Healthcare

The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act 2023 creates a legal framework for the secured use of personal digital data to eliminate abuse. However, the Act’s provisions appear to have been drafted primarily with the e-commerce websites, personal data-based applications, and other digital customers in mind, not the healthcare community. Healthcare in the digital era requires communicating sensitive patient information over the web with clinicians for responsive advice and consultation. The consequences of such data-sharing involving medical personnel are not clear. Besides, the growth of digital health technologies requires patient data to be accessible anonymously and in de-identified form. Elimination of personal information alone does not guarantee de-identification. Also, to what specific detail one must describe the intended use of data for research and technology development is not articulated. Thus, the gray areas in the Act pose a challenge for the Indian medical ecosystem, which could incur penalties under the DPDP Act 2023.

Sunita Nadhamuni

Chairperson, Arghyam

Implementing a Data-centric Public Health Technology System

This topic covers the development of a data-centric public health technology system, with insights from the NCD Portal for the National Non-communicable diseases program. The NCD Portal is used in 31 states and has more than 45 million people on treatment for hypertension and diabetes.

It explores the role of data in four key phases of the technology system: design, platform development, operations, and field adoption. In the design phase, data-driven insights, such as search patterns of frontline workers and medical officers optimize the user interface for speed and efficiency.

Platform development focuses on secure management and rule-based access control of data coming through APIs and data streams, transformed and cleaned, and going to the data warehouse for reporting needs.

Daily operations leverage Application Performance Monitoring (APM) tools and telemetry to identify and resolve performance issues proactively. Field adoption is enhanced through data analytics, guiding weekly reports for program review and feedback loops to prioritize feature development.

Embedding data-centricity throughout the system lifecycle supports large-scale, efficient and secure public health service delivery.

Naresh Soni

CEO, DeepMatrix

Geospatial Data Democracy: A Technical Perspective

In this talk, titled “Geospatial Data Democracy: A Technical Perspective,” we will explore how advancements in technology can enable broader access to geospatial data for public good. From open data platforms to cutting-edge tools that lower barriers for non-experts, this session will dive into the technical innovations that have potential to democratizing geospatial information. We will also address the challenges of data privacy, standardization, and infrastructure, and discuss how these obstacles can be overcome. By giving some real-world case studies and future directions, this talk will provide a comprehensive technical outlook on how geospatial data can empower communities, enhance public services, and foster transparent governance.

Nikhil Kumar

President, Geospatial Business at MapmyIndia

Geospatial Data: Policy, Infrastructure and Adoption

We see a growing need for geospatial data & solutions for situational awareness, informed decision-making and smart governance. The geo continuum of Capture, Create, Model, Visualize, Analyze and Share involve diverse frameworks and workflows driving variety of applications for Public good. Liberalization of Geospatial sector coupled with a series of Impactful Initiatives triggered the growth & adoption of geospatial data accelerating the country’s digital transformation journey.

Sasikumar Ganesan

Head of Engineering, Modular Open Source Identity Platform (MOSIP)

Building practical security and privacy in large-scale DPI

The quad of Awareness, Law, Policy, and Technology. In securing and safeguarding privacy on a grand scale, we encounter an interplay of four pivotal elements: Awareness, Law, Policy, and Technology. This quadrivium represents not merely a technical or administrative framework but a philosophical foundation that shapes our approach to managing and protecting information in an increasingly complex digital world.

Workshop 7 – Data for Urban Good: Perspectives on Data Science and MLOps

This session will cover two important aspects of using data for urban good:

• State-of-the-art techniques used to extract meaning from the madness of data
• Methods for architecting data processing systems to deal with large volumes

We will discuss various ML techniques that can be used to benefit people in the urban context. For these techniques we then describe the state of the art data processing architectures for an end-to-end MLOps pipeline that can accommodate a diverse variety of data use cases. By way of illustration, we explore three interesting application domains, namely, Air Quality, Solid Waste Management and Geospatial Satellite Image processing.

Workshop 6 – Healthcare Knowledge Graphs and Analytics

The workshop on Healthcare Knowledge Graphs and Analytics will explore how data modelling for healthcare, and NLP techniques can revolutionise healthcare by standardising data and analytics paving the way to building comprehensive knowledge graphs with ability for semantic reasoning and machine interpretable data and machine automatable algorithms. Participants will gain insights into the development and application of knowledge graphs in healthcare settings, focusing on real-world case studies and cutting-edge research.

Dr. V S S Kiran

Founder and CEO, Garudalytics

GeoAI for Agriculture with the Available Data

This presentation will focus on the application of GeoAI technologies in agriculture and how available data can be utilised to drive innovation and efficiency in farming practices. Emphasising the capabilities of Garudalytics’ smart mapping and AI solutions, we will explore how these tools enhance agricultural decision-making through advanced spatial analysis and predictive modelling. The discussion will include real-world examples where GeoAI has improved crop monitoring, yield prediction, resource management, and overall yield optimization. We will also address the practical challenges of integrating GeoAI into existing agricultural systems and offer strategies for maximising its benefits. Additionally, the talk will cover how GeoAI can leverage both structured and unstructured datasets to enhance agricultural outcomes, with a focus on Garudalytics’ Agri AI solution for integrating diverse datasets, including in-situ data.

Shekar Sivasubramanian

CEO, Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence

AI for Social Impact

We work in the social space, focusing on Applied AI. The space presents unique challenges and constructs that offer an excellent opportunity to have the best minds work through complex problems. The talk focuses on AI in this sector, using a case study-based approach and abstract principles that we present through our doing. This talk is a substrate of our experience in a “learn by doing” approach that we have found to be meaningful.

Pratima Joshi

Founder & Executive Director, Shelter Associates

Data Driven Development

“Accurate data is the lifeblood of good policies and decision making”

As nations and organisations strive to solve social problems around the world, the lack of accurate data has often been cited as a primary reason why policies do not translate into effective on-ground solutions. The reality in urban informal settlements is no different. They manifest multidimensional deprivation, characterised by a lack of secure tenure, inaccessibility, and inadequate sanitation and health services which marginalises the slum dwellers. Governments and NGOs also find it extremely difficult to effectively target vulnerable communities due to the lack of reliable data. Data on slum settlements is crucial for the inclusion of these underserved communities in city level development plans.

Realising the dire need for safe and hygienic sanitation facilities and practices, Pratima started leveraging data and technology since the late 90s when she realised that data with the Urban Local Bodies was inconclusive and disjointed with the on-ground reality. This propelled the need for a data system that would provide unfailing results. A year of continuous efforts and iterations resulted in a well-tailored Geographical Information System (GIS). It catered to the needs of slum mapping, and spatial layout formation. It also helped to link the socio-economic surveys taken to individual dwellings/house structures that were mapped on GIS. Our granular spatial data harnesses the power of geo-visualisation for effective planning and monitoring of our Sanitation, Housing and Covid-relief projects.

The communities form the backbone of Shelter Associates’ data-driven approach, as they are involved in conducting survey, creating awareness and making sure the data sets are inclusive. This spatial data is then shared with the respective Urban Local Bodies for validation. Once the process is complete, the data is made public on our website while it is also linked to the ULB’s website making it freely available for all to use.

The co-created data helps immensely in bridging the information gap. SA gives slum-dwellers a voice by arming them with data about their community, empowering them to make decisions making them partners in the developmental process.

Meera k

Founder & Trustee, Oorvani Foundation

Datajams for Public Problem Solving

OpenCity.in is a leading urban data platform that democratises city data across India by enhancing transparency, fostering understanding and facilitating civic engagement. Alongside hosting an urban open data repository, we work to build a strong open data community.

OpenCity collaborative events or “jams” enable citizens to participate in finding solutions to urban issues; they serve as an effective tool for public problem solving. These events bring together participants from diverse and multidisciplinary backgrounds to open up data, analyse it, and derive actionable insights. From water management to urban mobility, our crowdsourcing projects, datajams, hackathons, and solution jams, have become instrumental in breaking down data silos, revealing patterns, and constructing “what-if” scenarios to propose innovative solutions to pressing public issues.

Through these initiatives, OpenCity provides opportunities for the public to engage with urban issues, which can lead to actionable insights and potential solutions. Our approach brings the power of collective intelligence to drive civic action for better cities.

K. V. S. Hari

Director, Centre for Brain Research, IISc, Bangalore

Challenges Faced with Longitudinal Studies in Healthcare’

The talk will present details of two longitudinal cohort studies in the context of ageing brain research. One study is in the urban area and the other in a rural area. The challenges of sustaining a large cohort of several thousand participants over several years along with the handling of large data that is generated from such studies will be presented.

Workshop 2 – Harnessing the Power of Remote Sensing Data

The workshop on Harnessing the Power of Remote Sensing Data will delve into the transformative potential of remote sensing technologies in various sectors, including environmental monitoring, urban planning, and disaster management. Participants will explore techniques for data acquisition, processing, and analysis, gaining hands-on experience with tools that enable precise, large-scale observations of the Earth’s surface. This session will provide valuable insights into how remote sensing data can be effectively utilised to drive informed decision-making and innovation.

Workshop 5 – Geospatial Data Processing on the Geospatial Data Exchange (GSX) Platform

This workshop will introduce participants to a pivotal geospatial data exchange platform that supports the National Geospatial Policy (NGP 2022). Attendees will explore the platform’s capabilities, including data exploration, user-consumer interactions, and analytics. This hands-on session is essential for anyone involved in geospatial data, offering practical insights into how to build innovative applications using the geospatial data exchange.

Workshop 3 – Demos on Secure Data Handling Using Privacy Enhancing Technologies

The workshop on Demos on Secure Data Handling Using Privacy Enhancing Technologies will showcase practical demonstrations of cutting-edge privacy-enhancing technologies, including Differential Privacy, Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) and Secure Multiparty Computation (SMPC). Participants will gain practical insights into how these technologies can be integrated into industry solutions and government systems, enabling secure collaboration and innovation while adhering to regulatory requirements. This session is ideal for those looking to explore new applications in the area of secure computing and privacy-preserving data analysis.

Workshop 4 – Young Researchers’s Forum on Data and AI for Public Good

The Young Researchers’ Forum on Data and AI for Public Good will feature engaging poster sessions from early-career researchers, including Postdocs, PhD students, and Master’s by Research candidates. This symposium provides a platform for emerging scholars to showcase their innovative research on leveraging data and AI to address public good challenges, fostering discussions and networking opportunities with peers and experts in the field.

Workshop 6 – Data for Urban Good: IUDX Dashboards and Sandboxes

The IUDX Dashboards and Sandboxes workshop will highlight the transformative potential of the India Urban Data Exchange platform, deployed in over 50 cities across India. This session will demonstrate how IUDX can be leveraged to create data-driven dashboards for city governance, focusing on impactful use cases in traffic management, solid waste management, and green corridor management, integrating data analytics and geospatial technologies.

Workshop 1 – Education and Training for Responsible AI

The Education and Training for Responsible AI will have leading educators and practitioners from industry and academia to examine how teaching and training occurs in this fast moving space, and how flexible, life-long learning is inculcated in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP). This will cover both degree-based training universities, certifications through edtech companies, and internal training imparted by the learning teams within companies. The unique needs of training on data and AI for public good will be explored.

Dr. Prasanta Ghosh

Associate Professor, IISc

Capturing the Spoken Language Landscape of India for an Inclusive Digital India

Digital interfaces and communications have become critical for access to information, entertainment, economic opportunities and even essential services such as healthcare. Speech is the most natural form of communication, and most Indians are not digital natives comfortable with typing or English. We need spoken language interfaces that work for all variations and dialects. But such data barely exists. IISc-ARTPARK’s umbrella of open-source speech data initiatives are capturing the true diversity of India’s spoken languages to propel language AI technologies and content for an inclusive digital India, in collaboration with Bhashini, MEITY.

Abhilash Soudararajan

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Raghu Dharmaraju

CEO, ARTPARK, IISc

MIDAS India: Building a National System for High-Quality Data in Health – Why, What, How

High-quality data is the key to realizing the promise of AI in healthcare. ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research), IISc and ARTPARK are building MIDAS India, a national system for gold standard datasets to enable research, validation and deployment of AI-based solutions. It is a DPI (digital public infrastructure)-enabled, thematic hubs-and-spokes system through which purpose-appropriate datasets that reflect the diversity of India’s population, settings and needs can be collected, curated and made available. The effort has been kicked off in collaboration with AIIMS New Delhi and several other institutions across the country, starting with Oral Cancer screening.

Geospatial Data Applications – The Perspectives from Practitioners

The invited talks session on Geospatial Data Applications: Perspectives from Practitioners will offer insights from industry experts on the practical applications of geospatial data in various sectors. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how geospatial technologies are being leveraged for real-world problem-solving, from urban planning to environmental management. In addition, the practitioners will speak on the challenges they speak and how a geospatial data exchange can help in accessing the data and shorten the product development cycle.

Rajesh Gupta

General Manager, Strategic Accounts, Invas Technologies (P) Ltd.

SmartKheti – Improving Farm Productivity and Life of Farmers

SMARTKHETI is a One M2M based integrated platform designed to revolutionise modern farming by providing farmers with comprehensive tools for automation, real-time visibility, and market access. This proposal outlines a cutting-edge system that combines Internet of Things (IoT) technology with web-based applications to offer farmers advanced capabilities, including farm automation, real-time crop monitoring, weather updates, government alerts, market pricing, and equipment rental services. Smart Kheti is certified by ICAR, Delhi

Dr. Aniruddha Roy

CTO, Genesys International Corporation Ltd

Genesys Content Program: Transforming Cities into Digital Twins through Technological Innovation

The advent of 3D urban spatial Digital Twins marks a significant milestone in the management of modern cities. This presentation will delve into the transformative potential of these technologies, particularly in the context of India’s National Geospatial Policy 2022. By exploring how Genesys’ content program is spearheading the creation of detailed, city-centric datasets, the talk will highlight the practical applications of these Digital Twins. These datasets not only enhance urban planning and infrastructure management but also foster a new paradigm in how cities are monitored, maintained and developed. Attendees will gain insights into the critical role geospatial data plays in shaping smarter, more resilient urban environments for the future.

Dr. Abhay Sharma

CTO, CDPG

Incorporating Privacy Enhancing Technologies in Computation and Exchange of Sensitive Data

As organisations increasingly rely on data-driven insights to fuel innovation, collaboration and decision-making, the need to process sensitive data, such as data containing PII, confidential business information etc., securely has become more critical than ever. Further, the organisations are increasingly tasked with balancing the utility of data with the need to protect individual privacy. Traditional methods of data protection and data anonymization often fall short, especially when computations are performed on datasets containing sensitive information. Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) offer a transformative technological approach, enabling secure computation and further, enabling balancing privacy and utility while working with the underlying data.

This talk will explore the integration of PETs into computational processes involving sensitive and private data, and securing data in its different states: at rest, in transit, in-use and post-use. We will discuss the role of foundational PETs such as Confidential computation with hardware based Secure Enclaves, secure multi-party computation, homomorphic encryption, and federated learning, examining how these technologies protect data across its lifecycle, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure whether it is stored, transmitted, actively processed or released after undergoing some aggregation transformation. We will also discuss implementation, performance and deployment issues concerning PETs. We will present different use cases where secure computation is paramount and PETs become a key enabler. Overall the talk will provide a good overview on how PETs can be effectively incorporated into computational workflows to enhance data privacy across all stages and provide some actionable insights on leveraging PETs to securely manage and compute sensitive data in your organization.

Usha

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Workshop 9 – Hackathon Finale

The Hackathon Finale will bring together the brightest minds who have been competing to develop cutting-edge solutions for the urban mobility problem in Bengaluru. During this session, the top teams will present their innovative projects, demonstrating how they’ve created solutions to given problem statements of the hackathon. Judges will evaluate the solutions based on the accuracy of the results, novelty, and feasibility, leading to the announcement of the winning teams. Join us for an inspiring showcase of innovation and a glimpse into the future of tech-driven problem-solving.

Abhijeet Sinha

Program Director – Ease of Doing Business, Project Director- NHEV, President – CPOS India, Director DIISHA

Panel Discussion – Roadblocks to Achieving Sustainable Mobility

The panel discussion on “Roadblocks to Achieving Sustainable Mobility” will explore the critical challenges hindering the transition to sustainable transportation systems. Experts from various sectors will examine barriers such as inadequate infrastructure, policy gaps, technological limitations, and societal resistance. The discussion will also focus on innovative solutions and collaborative approaches needed to overcome these obstacles, ensuring a more sustainable and equitable mobility future for all.