English business news channel CNBC-TV18 hosted WeWork India presents CNBC-TV18 The Titans Summit at the Jio Convention Centre on 12th May 2026. The event brought together business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and industry voices for an evening focused on the future of India’s growth journey.
The summit commenced with a welcome address by Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18, who spoke about India’s emergence as a global centre for innovation, enterprise and capital. A special musical performance featuring three generations of the Bangash Gharana, Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, and the young twins Zohaan and Abeer Ali Bangash was part of the proceedings.
Karan Virwani, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, WeWork India delivered the opening address.
Karan Virwani, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, WeWork India said, “For years, India has helped build global businesses. Today, global businesses are being built from India and that shift is far bigger than most people realise. For the first time, all the ingredients are coming together at once: talent, capital, infrastructure, and the confidence to create for the world.
“India doesn’t need to become the next Silicon Valley; it needs to become the first India. WeWork no longer sees itself as just an office space provider anymore. We want to build the infrastructure layer that enables India’s next generation of entrepreneurs to start, scale, and grow globally from India. Platforms like this become meaningful when they bring together the people shaping India’s next decade of enterprise and innovation,” Virwani said.
One of the key sessions of the evening, ‘The Next Phase of India’s Investment Cycle’ brought together investment voices including Rishabh Mariwala, Founder and Managing Partner, Sharrp Ventures; Manish Kejriwal, Founder and Managing Partner, Kedaara Capital; Gopal Jain, Managing Director and CEO, Gaja Capital; and Krishna Ramachandran, Managing Partner and COO, TVS Capital Funds. The discussion explored capital allocation, emerging sectors, founder resilience and India’s long term consumption and innovation story.
Manish Kejriwal, Founder and Managing Partner, Kedaara Capital said, “Sustainable growth is built on strong fundamentals, and sometimes the discipline to say ‘this is not something we understand well enough’ is just as important as identifying the right opportunity.”
Gopal Jain, Managing Director and CEO, Gaja Capital said, “AI is here to stay, but real value will come from companies that combine proprietary data, customisation, and deep contextual understanding to solve meaningful business problems.
“The next wave of value creation will be driven by businesses using AI to build stronger operations and better margins,” Jain added.
The session ‘Building Experience as a Business’ featured hospitality and experience economy leaders; Anuraag Bhatnagar, CEO and Whole-Time Director, The Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts; Puneet Chatwal, Managing Director and CEO, IHCL; and Rahul Ganjoo, CEO, District by Zomato. The discussion focused on how businesses are moving beyond products and services to create immersive, differentiated experiences.
In another conversation, Building Knowledge-Driven Enterprises, Anand Bhushan, Saint-Gobain GCC Leader and Arindam Sen, Partner and GCC Sector Leader(TMT), EY India, discussed the importance of specialised talent, intellectual capital and institutional knowledge.
The summit also explored the transformation in India’s commercial real estate ecosystem through the session ‘The Rise of Flex Spaces and Hybrid Real Estate’. The session featured Karan Virwani, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, WeWork India; Gulam Zia, International Partner, Senior Executive Director, Knight Frank India; and Niranjan Hiranandani, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Hiranandani Group.
Niranjan Hiranandani, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Hiranandani Group said, “India’s residential real estate sector remains on a strong growth path, driven by consolidation, rising aspirations, and evolving consumer behaviour.
“At the same time, the way India works and lives is reshaping commercial real estate, with flexible workspaces becoming an increasingly important part of the future office ecosystem,” Hiranandani continued.
The evening concluded with a discussion on ‘Winning in Markets That Didn’t Exist Before’, featuring Harshil Salot, Co-Founder, The Sleep Company; Ankush Grover, Co-Founder and Global CEO, Rebel Foods; and Pranav Maheshwari, Co-Founder, StayVista. The session highlighted how entrepreneurs are creating new consumer categories by identifying untapped opportunities.
