Hyderabad,
21st February, 2025 : User Connect Consultancy
(UCC), a global leader in user research, proudly concluded IGNITE 2025, India’s
first-ever user research conference, held last week at T-Hub, Hyderabad. The
two-day event brought together industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers
to explore the evolving role of user research in shaping products, services,
and governance.
The conference
featured IAS Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary of I&C and IT,
Telangana Government, as the Chief Guest, alongside Keynote Speaker Uday
Dandavate and experts from Microsoft, Google, Flipkart, and premier
institutions such as NID, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, and BITS. Their
discussions emphasized the impact of user research on innovation, design and
strategy-building.
Speaking at the
event, IAS Jayesh Ranjan announced
the government’s vision for integrating user research into policy-making, “At Telangana, we are soon launching CODE
(Center of Design Excellence), and I would like it to become the fulcrum of
design in Hyderabad and in Telangana and possibly in the entire country to.
This will help us promote User Research in order to bring more professionalism
and science into this particular domain and I would like to very seriously
engage with this community present here.”
IGNITE 2025 was
more than a conference—it was a collaborative platform for knowledge exchange
and partnerships. Reflecting on the event’s impact, Shipra Bhutada, Founder of UCC & IGNITE, shared, "The conversations sparked at IGNITE on
how User Research can shape policy, societies, businesses, education, and
governance are not just ideas but opportunities waiting to be realized. The
path forward is clear: User Research must play a bigger role in shaping our
future. And together, we can make that happen."
Attendees also
participated in four hands-on workshops,
covering topics like The Art &
Science of UX, Mastering the Art of
Decoding Users, and User Research for
Product Success. One of the participants shared their experience: "The workshops provided practical
insights that I can immediately apply in my work. It was inspiring to engage
with experts and peers who are just as passionate about user research."
IGNITE will
continue as a thriving community for user research, hosting workshops, online
and offline, across India. The second edition of the conference is set to
return next year, building on this year’s momentum to drive meaningful change
in the field.
For further
updates and upcoming events, visit https://ignitecon.in.