The future of jobs in the technology industry will increasingly lie at the intersection of deep domain expertise and advanced technology capabilities, a theme that resonated across discussions at the 33rd HYSEA Annual Summit & Awards 2026 hosted by Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association. On Thursday, the summit explored how AI-driven systems, intelligent software, and deep technologies are transforming enterprises, products, and talent models across industries.
Held at the Novotel HICC, the event brought together over 1,200 technology leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, analysts, investors, and startup founders to discuss the next phase of global technology transformation.
The event was attended by G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Coal and Mines, along with several leaders from industry and academia.
During the summit, HYSEA unveiled its coffee table book Making IT Happen, developed in collaboration with The Times of India, tracing the evolution of Hyderabad’s IT industry and the ecosystem behind the city’s rise as a global technology destination.
HYSEA also released the second edition of the Scale@Hyderabad – Global Technology Destination Report, prepared with the Government of Telangana, KPMG in India, CBRE, and Aon, highlighting the city’s continued growth as a global technology hub.
Another key release was a knowledge report developed with PwC titled “How IT & GCC Organisations in Telangana are Advancing the Global AI Edge,” capturing industry insights on how organisations are leveraging artificial intelligence to boost competitiveness, drive innovation, and build globally relevant capabilities.
Speaking at the summit, Prashanth Nandella, President of the Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association, said Hyderabad’s technology journey has been defined by its ability to adapt and lead through successive waves of technological change.
“As intelligence becomes embedded across systems, products, and enterprise operations, Hyderabad is well positioned to play a larger role in the next phase of global technology innovation. HYSEA continues to focus on strengthening the ecosystem through member engagement, talent development, and policy advocacy in collaboration with the government,” he said.
The summit featured keynote sessions, panel discussions, analyst insights, practitioner talks, AI masterclasses, and a Startup & Product Expo showcasing emerging technology solutions.
Key discussions explored themes such as deep tech adoption in enterprises, the evolving role of Global Capability Centres, talent transformation in the age of AI, cybersecurity in an agent-driven technology landscape, and the future of software and SaaS platforms.
A fireside conversation between HYSEA President Prashanth Nandella and Rajesh Varrier explored how enterprises are turning rapid advances in AI into measurable business outcomes and how Global Capability Centres are evolving into engines of engineering and innovation.
During the evening ceremony, HYSEA Industry Awards recognised companies for excellence in exports, business growth, employment generation, and women workforce advancement.
HYSEA also presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Srinivasa Raju Chintalapati for his contributions to entrepreneurship, venture investment, and India’s innovation ecosystem through iLABS Group.
The HYSEA 10X Product Awards, one of the country’s largest startup recognition platforms, received 294 nominations, including 272 startups and 32 established companies. A jury of over 50 industry experts shortlisted 40 finalists, who showcased their solutions at the summit expo.
The startups reflected the ecosystem’s growing maturity, with 36% securing institutional funding and 12% crossing USD 1 million in annual recurring revenue, alongside a strong presence of B2B and enterprise technology ventures.
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