Chief digital officers eat chief information officers for breakfast

Back in 2016, the Internet and Mobile Association of India set up an all new club for what was then a very small cohort of digital leaders in corporate India. It was called the all-India Chief Digital Officer club. 

Back then, there were only about five-six CDOs that were members. The point of the initiative was to give legitimacy to this new, emerging role. But soon enough, the initiative fizzled out. Not because the role didn’t take off or anything. Actually, the opposite. The initiative became redundant because the role became even more popular than they had anticipated. So it started with 5-6 members, but within the next four years its membership rose to 50 and then doubled the next year. 

You see, digital transformation has become THE buzzword for corporate India. And in the process, the CDO has become part of the companies top leadership. 

But the question is — where does that leave the CIO? 

Tune in. 

*This episode was originally published on 18 December, 2024 

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