Embracing Innovation and Continuous Learning: Suresh Khadakbhavi at the 9th Corporate Summit

The 9th Corporate Summit at Jaipuria Institute of Management witnessed an insightful address by Mr. Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation, who shared his journey of innovation and the importance of customer-centric product development.

The Genesis of a Seamless Travel Experience

Suresh Khadakbhavi began his narrative with the conception of a seamless travel experience. He recounted the early days of brainstorming sessions where the goal was to innovate and revolutionize the passenger experience at airports. The idea was to enable passengers to navigate through the various airport processes without interruptions, using biometrics for a seamless journey.

From Prototype to Nationwide Platform

The story of Digi Yatra is a classic example of scaling innovation. Khadakbhavi detailed the transition from a successful prototype to implementing a scalable, nationwide platform. Despite the success of the initial stages, he emphasized that the real challenge lay in expanding the service to a broader demographic and integrating various stakeholders into the process.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

A key takeaway from Mr. Khadakbhavi’s experience was the power of collaboration. He highlighted how bringing together ministry officials, regulatory authorities, and various industry experts helped in brainstorming and identifying the multifaceted requirements of a pan-India scale project. This collaborative effort, he noted, was crucial in making Digi Yatra a collective initiative rather than an individual endeavor.

Overcoming Challenges with Resilience

The Digi Yatra journey wasn’t without its obstacles. The onset of the pandemic posed significant challenges to the aviation industry, but it was resilience and adaptability that kept the initiative afloat. Pivoting to a decentralized system using technology like self-sovereign identity, Digi Yatra found innovative ways to eliminate the need for data storage and instead validated credentials securely.

Continuous Innovation and Expansion

Looking to the future, Mr. Khadakbhavi outlined plans to broaden the scope of Digi Yatra, extending seamless identity validation services beyond airports to other sectors like hospitality. This expansion underscores the importance of never resting on one’s laurels but instead continuously seeking innovation and improvement.

A Message to Future Leaders

In his closing remarks, Suresh Khadakbhavi imparted a message of lifelong learning to the students, the future leaders in the audience. He urged them to keep learning and evolving, as the pace of technological change is swift, and staying updated is crucial for success.

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Mr. Suresh Khadakbhavi’s address at the 9th Corporate Summit was not just a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration, but also a clarion call for continuous learning and adaptation. As the students at Jaipuria Institute of Management forge ahead in their careers, his experiences with Digi Yatra serve as a beacon, guiding them towards creating value-driven, customer-centric solutions that keep pace with the ever-changing technological landscape.