Posted by Mumbai: GS1 India hosted the GS1 General Assembly 2025, with a vision to build a future powered by trusted data and a better tomorrow, especially as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digitisation gain momentum.
“The world is relying on digitisation more than ever. The growing use of AI is leading the way, and in this AI-driven economy, data quality is not an option – it’s mandatory. It’s everything,” said Mark Batenic, Chairman of the GS1 Management Board, in his address at the Assembly.
“When data can be trusted and shared seamlessly, the possibilities are infinite – for society, for businesses, for consumers, and for patients in healthcare. This week is important to discuss how we respond to this challenge and build a future together,” Batenic added.
This year’s theme for the GS1 General Assembly 2025, ‘Building bridges for a better tomorrow’, underscores the importance of trust, collaboration, and digital transformation in today’s AI-driven economy. As GS1 celebrates 50+ years since the adoption of the barcode, it looks ahead to GS1 Vision 2030 – a future where trusted data empowers businesses, consumers, and society at large.
This is the first time GS1, a global not-for-profit standards development organisation, organised its General Assembly 2025 in India. The gathering witnessed global leaders, innovators, and delegates on a shared mission of data integrity and collaboration.
Among others, Reliance Retail‘s Director V. Subramaniam, Fractal Analytics‘ Co-Founder Srikanth Velamkanni, Network Science‘s CEO Sandeep Hardikar, Stellaro Brands‘ CEO Himanshu Chakrawarti and Dr Maluk Mohammed, Co-founder and VP Research of Twin Health, attended the event on Wednesday.
“Today, how can we thrive in an AI world where trusted real-time data is essential to operate, trade and innovate? This is possible if we work collaboratively with industry, with governments, and across the GS1 organisation. We need to address the challenges industry faces globally across sectors such as retail and healthcare, and also expanding into agriculture, construction, rail, transport and logistics,” said Renaud De Barbuat, President and CEO of GS1.
“We also need to strengthen the foundation of GS1 standards and services anchored in trusted identification, building a future of high-quality, interoperability and trusted data sharing,” De Barbuat added.
GS1 has been working closely with the retail industry to build registries.
“When GS1 India started in 1996, retailing was at a very nascent stage. Now, organised modern retailing is at about 13–14%. Trusted data is a need today in every area, every sector. So GS1 has been working closely with the industry to embark on the journey of building registries for the last decade. A centralised registry is a crucial ask from the industry as we ensure trust within the ecosystem,” said S Swaminathan, CEO, GS1 India.
“Also, we are seeing an increase in digitisation and regulations, which is demanding more than ever for the next generation to be barcoded,” Swaminathan added.
“India is on the cusp of becoming the third-largest economy in the world, and along with this rapid economic growth comes a transformation in every sector – from healthcare and logistics to retail and e-commerce. As a nation, India is not only embracing digital technology, but also leading. GS1 India has been actively contributing to this vision, ensuring that global standards underpin the robustness and efficiency of the system,” said Vimal Anand, President, GS1 India and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The GS1 General Assembly 2025, which attracted more than 150 leaders from GS1 Member Organisations, industry partners, regulators, and technology experts will conclude on Thursday (22 May 2025) in Mumbai.