Gadgets Now Awards 2024 jury meet: “It was really a difficult task to choose the winner”, says CP Gurnani

The Gadgets Now Awards 2024 witnessed a gathering of leading technological minds who assembled to perform a comprehensive review of the years most impressive digital innovations. This distinguished panel, composed of influential figures in the technology industry, conducted a thorough examination of the current state of technological advancement.

A key member of this esteemed jury was CP Gurnani, the co-founder and executive vice chairman of AIonOS. Gurnani, a visionary leader in the field of technological innovation, offered invaluable strategic insights during the evaluation process. While participating in the jury meeting, Gurnani expressed his admiration for the remarkable innovation demonstrated by the showcased products, noting that selecting a winner from such a competitive pool proved to be a challenging endeavor.

“You know, on one end, I would say.. an amazing product range. Clearly when it came to innovation in design, innovation in features, innovation led by AI, and the power of the chipsets. It was really a difficult task to choose the winner,” Gurnani told the Times of India-Gadgets Now team.

CP Gurnani’s “dil mange more” moment Gurnani expressed a desire for even more ambitious and impactful innovation, particularly in the area of environmental sustainability. “But you know, theres always this “dil mange more” moment. And I would have been happy if it was a green innovation contest. For me, the dream would be, ‘every gadget that we ever sell or supply in Delhi, should come in with those miniaturised air purifiers. If you can convert a watch into a phone; And if you can convert a phone into a TV studio. I dont see a reason why we cannot dream big and think of features, which are more software-driven, more electronics-driven and can be miniaturised,” he added. Which innovation impressed CP Gurnani the most Gurnani analysed the innovation seen in different gadget categories, highlighting both progress and areas needing further development. “Clearly every category has got its own range of innovation or maturity of innovation. For example, the foldable category – whether it was the Flip or the fold category, the level of integration of hardware software, and the sophistication of hardware is very impressive, the form factor is becoming better and more importantly, the weight of the device has become a lot better,” he said. “Similarly, in the desktops or in the laptop categories, the power of the chip, the power of a gaming console or a PC console, becoming similar and even the power of not only the laptops but also that you could do a multi-fold screen right on the same device, I think it is a great innovation,” Gurnani noted. “Number three on the devices, whether it was the robotics or whether it was small improvements of noise cancellation on the earbuds, I think there is a definitive progress. Where many of us still carry those battery chargers, I think we need to improve the battery life,” he added. CP Gurnani on AI Gurnani also shared his view on AI – the buzzword in todays tech industry. “AI will come into the design. AI will come into the use cases. Hopefully the medical devices industry will die as the camera industry died. At one stage, because if all your testing can be done on your smartwatch or your phone, I dont see any reason why a CT scan cannot be done through one of the devices,” he added. Other jury members included Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), who lent his expertise on manufacturing and market trends, offering a crucial perspective on the industrys trajectory. Prasanto Kumar Roy, technology advisor at FTI Consulting, contributed decades of experience in technology journalism to the panels deliberations. Paavan Nanda, CEO of WinZO Games, enriched the discussion with his specialised knowledge of digital entertainment and gaming technologies. Prasad Sanyal, Business Head of Times Internet Ltd, lent his keen acumen to the jury, providing a crucial analytical perspective to the selection process. Manisha Singh, Technology Editor of TOI Online, expertly moderated the jury meeting, ensuring a comprehensive and insightful review of the nominated innovations. The winners for the Jurys Choice Awards, along with the Popular Choice Awards—for which voting is open until February 7, 2025 – will be announced on February 14.

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