India’s First User Research Conference, IGNITE 2025, Concludes Successfully

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.