FLAVORS OF CLOUD COMPUTING: BOOSTING EFFICIENCY ACROSS BUSINESS VERTICALS!

AS DIGITAL INNOVATION ACCELERATES, 2025 IS SHAPING UP TO BE A MILESTONE YEAR FOR CLOUD COMPUTING. WITH GROUNDBREAKING ADVANCEMENTS IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI), MULTI-CLOUD STRATEGIES, AND EDGE TECHNOLOGIES, BUSINESSES ARE RESHAPING THEIR IT INFRASTRUCTURE TO STAY COMPETITIVE. THE ADOPTION OF HYBRID CLOUD ENVIRONMENTS, AI-DRIVEN OPTIMIZATIONS, AND SERVERLESS COMPUTING IS TRANSFORMING HOW ORGANIZATIONS OPERATE, OFFERING UNPRECEDENTED FLEXIBILITY, SCALABILITY, AND SECURITY. VARINDIA EXPLORES HOW INDIAN BUSINESSES ARE LEVERAGING THESE TECHNOLOGIES TO DRIVE EFFICIENCY, AGILITY, AND GROWTH.

Indian enterprises are increasingly embracing hybrid and multi-cloud strategies to enhance flexibility and prevent vendor lock-in. With workloads becoming more complex and requiring specialized services, businesses are leveraging multiple cloud providers to optimize performance and cost. This approach allows organizations to distribute workloads across private and public cloud environments, ensuring seamless scalability and minimizing downtime.

Sectors like BFSI, healthcare, and retail are at the forefront of this transformation, adopting hybrid cloud models to maintain compliance with data security regulations while benefiting from the scalability of public clouds. Companies are investing in cloud orchestration tools that enable seamless data movement between different cloud environments, ensuring smooth operations while avoiding dependency on a single vendor.

EDGE COMPUTING: DRIVING REAL-TIME DATA PROCESSING

The demand for real-time insights is fueling the adoption of edge computing in Indian businesses. With IoT adoption surging across industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and smart cities, enterprises need to process data closer to the source rather than relying on centralized cloud data centers. Edge computing solutions enable real-time analytics, reducing latency and enhancing operational efficiency.

For instance, Indian automotive manufacturers are leveraging edge computing to process vehicle sensor data instantly, enabling predictive maintenance and enhancing safety measures. Retail businesses are using edge-powered analytics to deliver personalized customer experiences, optimizing inventory management and in-store operations. The expansion of 5G networks is further driving the integration of edge computing into mainstream business operations.

THE RISE OF SERVERLESS COMPUTING IN DEVELOPMENT

Serverless computing is revolutionizing application development by allowing developers to focus solely on writing code without worrying about underlying infrastructure. Businesses in India are increasingly adopting serverless models to accelerate deployment cycles and reduce operational costs.

With serverless architectures, enterprises can dynamically allocate resources based on demand, leading to better cost efficiency. Industries such as e-commerce and fintech are leveraging serverless solutions to handle unpredictable traffic spikes, ensuring seamless user experiences. Developers benefit from faster iterations, enabling organizations to innovate rapidly without being constrained by hardware limitations.

CYBERSECURITY IN MULTI-CLOUD AND HYBRID CLOUD ENVIRONMENTS

As businesses transition to multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments, cybersecurity remains a top priority. With data traffic increasing exponentially, organizations are deploying advanced security measures to protect sensitive information.

Indian businesses are investing in AI-driven threat detection systems that continuously monitor cloud environments for vulnerabilities. Zero-trust security models are gaining traction, ensuring that access to cloud resources is verified at every step. Additionally, organizations are leveraging encryption, identity management, and compliance frameworks to strengthen data security.

Government regulations such as the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) are also driving businesses to implement robust cloud security measures. As cyber threats become more sophisticated, companies are prioritizing proactive security strategies to safeguard critical business assets.

PREPARING TEAMS FOR CLOUD ADVANCEMENTS

With cloud technologies evolving rapidly, businesses recognize the need to upskill their workforce to stay ahead. Organizations are investing in cloud training programs and certifications to equip employees with the necessary skills to navigate the complexities of cloud computing.

IT teams are being trained on AI-powered cloud automation, security best practices, and multi-cloud management. Companies are also adopting low-code and no-code platforms to enable business users to develop applications without extensive technical expertise. The democratization of cloud technology is empowering teams across departments, fostering a culture of innovation and agility.

INDIAN ENTERPRISES POISED FOR CLOUD GROWTH

The future of cloud computing in India is being shaped by AI, multi-cloud strategies, edge computing, and serverless architectures. As businesses embrace these innovations, they are driving efficiency, scalability, and security while staying resilient in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By adopting hybrid cloud models, implementing real-time data processing, prioritizing cybersecurity, and upskilling their workforce, Indian enterprises are well-positioned to harness the full potential of cloud computing in 2025 and beyond.

Datacenters need mix of Advancing Cloud, Serverless & Edge Computing

ANIL NAMA
CIO, CTRLS DATACENTERS

Our datacenters in key markets enable low-latency connectivity, promoting seamless data transfer and enhancing workload flexibility.

LEVERAGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY

CtrlS Datacenters excels in hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, integrating AI-driven automation for optimized workloads and flexibility. Our serverless computing solutions enable businesses to build scalable applications without infrastructure concerns, using Cloud Connect for high-speed cloud connectivity (1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 100 Gbps) with a 99.5% SLA. Expanding edge computing in Lucknow and Patna, we aim for 20+ Tier-2 & Tier-3 cities, bringing data processing closer to sources for low- latency AI, IoT, and ML workloads.

Our container-based edge datacenters dynamically scale, ensuring efficiency, security, and high-performance computing for modern businesses.

CYBERSECURITY CRITICAL IN CLOUD STRATEGY

At CtrlS, cybersecurity is integral to our multi-cloud and hybrid cloud operations, securing data traffic across 15 datacenters. Our AI-driven security framework integrates MDR capabilities, 24/7 Security Operations Center, and DevSecOps, ensuring proactive threat detection and compliance. We provide sector-specific security for finance, healthcare, and government, enhancing business resilience and digital transformation. Additionally, we foster continuous learning through workshops, certifications, and industry collaborations, keeping our teams ahead in cloud technologies.

Hands-on training at our datacenters enables real-world experimentation, ensuring expertise in emerging security and cloud innovations. Additionally, our investments in next-generation technologies and $2 billion commitment over the next six years empower our employees to stay ahead of the curve and drive innovation in the cloud and datacenter sectors.
 
Optimizing Business Agility with Hybrid, Multi- Cloud, and Emerging Technologies

JASPREET SINGH
CLIENTS & MARKETS LEADER GRANT THORNTON BHARAT LLP

Our organization adopts hybrid and multi-cloud strategies to enhance flexibility, scalability, and resilience while avoiding vendor lock-in. By leveraging multiple cloud providers, we optimize performance, cost, and security, ensuring seamless workload migration and business continuity.

LEVERAGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY

Our organization leverages edge computing to enable real-time data processing, reducing latency and enhancing decision-making, particularly in financial and audit processes. By processing data closer to the source, we optimize bandwidth usage, ensure secure data handling, and improve operational agility. This innovation enhances efficiency and client satisfaction. Additionally, serverless computing simplifies infrastructure management, allowing faster development and scalability. By eliminating server maintenance, teams can focus on innovation. However, challenges such as limited infrastructure control and vendor lock-in exist. We continuously explore solutions to mitigate these risks while maximizing the benefits of serverless architecture for seamless, efficient service delivery.

CYBERSECURITY CRITICAL IN CLOUD STRATEGY

Cybersecurity is integral to our multi-cloud and hybrid strategies as data volumes grow. We implement advanced encryption, access controls, and identity management to protect data and ensure compliance. Multi-cloud distribution reduces breach risks, while continuous monitoring and threat intelligence enhance security. Our multi-layered approach keeps cloud environments secure and resilient. We invest in training programs, certifications, and hands-on learning to keep teams updated on cloud advancements. Collaboration fosters knowledge sharing and smooth adoption of new technologies. Partnering with cloud providers helps us integrate cutting-edge solutions efficiently, enhancing innovation and service excellence.

Harnessing Advanced Cloud and Cybersecurity Strategies for Wind Energy Optimization

DR. JAGANNATH SAHOO
CISO, GUJARAT FLUOROCHEMICALS LTD.

We are a leading producer of Fluoropolymers, Fluorospecialities, Refrigerants and Chemicals for applications in varied industries. We adopt a hybrid multi-cloud strategy, distributing workloads across on-premise, private, and public clouds to enhance flexibility, resilience, and cost efficiency while ensuring security, compliance, and seamless management through automation and unified frameworks.

LEVERAGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY

We deploy edge computing solutions to process data closer to the source, reducing latency and enabling real-time analytics. This enhances operational efficiency, supports AI-driven insights, and ensures faster decision-making, especially in latency-sensitive applications. The Serverless computing has accelerated development by automating scaling, reducing infrastructure management, and optimizing costs with pay-as-you-go pricing. It enables faster deployment and enhances agility. Though we still face cold start latency, vendor dependencies, and limited execution time constraints, which require careful architecture planning and optimization.

CYBERSECURITY CRITICAL IN CLOUD STRATEGY

Cybersecurity is crucial in our hybrid/multi-cloud setup to protect growing data traffic. We implement zero-trust security, unified identity management, encryption, and continuous monitoring to prevent breaches, ensure compliance, and maintain data integrity across diverse cloud environments. We invest in continuous learning through certifications, hands-on training, and cloud sandboxes. Cross-functional collaboration, upskilling in DevSecOps, and staying updated with emerging trends ensure our teams adapt to rapid cloud advancements effectively

Hybrid Cloud and Edge Computing Enhancing Efficiency and Security in Power Sector

SANJEEV SINHA
PRESIDENT – IT & DIGITIZATION, INDIA POWER CORPORATION LTD

India Power - is a power utility company and works in IT and OT domain.

LEVERAGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY

Power utility companies use a hybrid cloud strategy to enhance security, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Their Operational Technology (OT) environment remains air-gapped and hosted in-house for security, while Information Technology (IT) systems primarily operate in private clouds. This approach enables low-latency processing for critical workloads while utilizing public clouds for analytics and storage. A multi-cloud setup ensures flexibility, security, and cost optimization while avoiding vendor lock-in.

With smart grids, power plants, and IoT sensors generating real-time data, edge computing enables local processing for faster responses. IoT- enabled distribution transformers monitor voltage and frequency, while edge devices analyze data at substations to predict and prevent failures. For renewable energy, edge computing balances fluctuating power generation from solar and wind farms, ensuring efficient distribution.

CYBERSECURITY CRITICAL IN CLOUD STRATEGY

As multi-cloud and hybrid cloud adoption grows, cybersecurity is critical. Each provider has different security policies, making consistent enforcement challenging. Zero Trust Architecture is essential to mitigate risks as sensitive data moves across clouds. Managing user roles, API keys, and permissions is complex, necessitating multi-factor authentication. Exposed APIs increase security risks, while monitoring across multiple clouds remains difficult. Continuous training is key—hands-on experience, certifications, sandboxes, and security frameworks like Zero Trust and Shared Responsibility Model are crucial.
 

Innovating Automotive Manufacturing with Advanced Cloud Technologies

SANJEEV KUMAR JAIN
GROUP CIO, KRISHNA MARUTI GROUP

We are a leading automotive component manufacturer specializing in seating comfort, plastic interior parts, and metal components for the automotive industry. Our approach ensures adaptability and innovation, avoiding reliance on any single solution.

LEVERAGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY

We embrace a multi-cloud strategy by assessing each application's adaptability and operational requirements. Cloud provider selection is based on application criticality and the optimal hosting environment—on-premise, private, hybrid, or multi-cloud. After thorough vendor evaluation, we choose the best cloud model for performance, security, and cost efficiency. Serverless computing is set for significant growth over the next two years. While adoption is currently limited, IoT and Industry 4.0 advancements are shifting workloads toward edge computing. As this trend continues, businesses will rely on on-premise solutions with cloud replicas, ensuring seamless digital experiences and efficient operations.

CYBERSECURITY CRITICAL IN CLOUD STRATEGY

Cybersecurity is crucial across all IT environments, whether multi-cloud, hybrid, private cloud, or on-premise. Security isn’t just a cloud- specific concern—exposing servers, regardless of their location, requires strong protection. As digital transformation accelerates, organizations face greater exposure to external threats, making robust cybersecurity essential. Previously, on-premise setups operated within closed networks, minimizing security risks. However, with data now distributed across multiple platforms, safeguarding digital assets is more critical than ever. Post-COVID, digital adoption has surged nearly fourfold, compressing five-year transformation plans into just two years. As businesses expand their digital footprint, cybersecurity remains a top priority to safeguard data and ensure operational resilience.

Solar Industry Embracing Cloud, Edge & Serverless Computing for Competitive Advantage

MANIK PAUL
CIO, SAATVIK SOLAR

Saatvik Solar is one of the fastest growing solar module manufacturing company. We are committed to innovation, quality, and sustainable energy solutions with solutions across the entire supply chain.

LEVERAGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY

Saatvik Solar is accelerating its serverless transformation, prioritizing cloud, edge, and SaaS-based solutions to enhance agility, efficiency, and market expansion. We successfully migrated SAP from On-Premise to SAP OnRise in just 2.5 months with Deloitte, addressing key operational gaps. Additionally, we are implementing Salesforce, SuccessFactors, and IoT-driven automation to streamline digitization.

With edge computing, real-time data is captured on-premise and processed in the cloud, ensuring scalability while reducing costs. This hybrid approach supports our ambitious ₹10,000 crore growth target in two years, including a new manufacturing site in Bhopal. Given our rapid expansion, flexible and scalable IT infrastructure is critical. However, our core strength remains solar energy, not IT, making strategic cloud and serverless adoption essential for sustained growth and operational excellence.

CYBERSECURITY CRITICAL IN CLOUD STRATEGY

Our core strength is solar, not IT. To reduce operational costs and support business growth, we focus on strategic IT adoption rather than in-house management. With the complexity of IT infrastructure—Red Hat, SUSE, Deluxe—finding the right expertise is challenging. Instead of diverting resources, we rely on IT specialists who understand the evolving landscape. By partnering with experts, we ensure seamless, cost- effective digital transformation while staying focused on what we do best—driving innovation in solar energy.

Building a Future-Ready Cloud Strategy

DR. MAKARAND SAWANT
DIRECTOR & CTO, SEAFB

We at Samruddhi Enterprises AFB bridge the gap between farmers and consumers by providing eco-friendly, nutritious, and innovative solutions. To enhance operational flexibility and prevent vendor lock-in, we have strategically adopted a hybrid cloud approach. Mission-critical applications are hosted on the cloud, while sensitive data remains on-premise. Our SaaS applications operate on a multi-cloud environment, dictated by vendor requirements. This approach ensures resilience, scalability, and seamless integration across platforms.

LEVERAGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY

Our Industry 4.0 systems utilize edge computing to enable real-time data collection and processing, ensuring minimal delays. IT and OT integration further streamlines operations, with an added security layer for data protection. While serverless computing enhances efficiency, managing middleware for IT-OT integration presents challenges in compatibility and compliance.

CYBERSECURITY CRITICAL IN CLOUD STRATEGY

Cybersecurity remains a top priority in our cloud strategy. We leverage threat intelligence and cloud vendor security services to safeguard data, adopting the SASE framework for comprehensive protection. To stay ahead of evolving technologies, our teams actively participate in vendor-led training programs and leverage LMS platforms to track skill development. By continuously upgrading expertise, we ensure a seamless transition into the future of cloud computing.
 

Driving Innovation with a Scalable and Secure Cloud Strategy

PRINCE JOSEPH
GROUP CIO, SFO TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD. (NEST GROUP)

SFO delivers products and services across Healthcare, Communication, Industrial, and Transport sectors. We leverage a hybrid multi-cloud approach with Azure and AWS for flexibility, redundancy, and cost efficiency. Our cloud-agnostic strategy enables workload portability across platforms, enhancing resilience and avoiding vendor lock-in. This strategy enables scalability, agility, and cost control while ensuring secure, real-time manufacturing data access.

LEVERAGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY

Edge computing plays a vital role in real-time manufacturing, IoT-driven monitoring, and predictive analytics by processing time-sensitive workloads locally before syncing with the cloud. This enhances agility, decision-making, and security while reducing reliance on centralized processing. Additionally, we leverage serverless computing (Azure Functions, AWS Lambda) to optimize resource utilization, minimize infrastructure management, and improve scalability. This approach accelerates development cycles, enhances cost efficiency, and ensures compliance while we continuously refine monitoring, debugging, and security best practices.

CYBERSECURITY CRITICAL IN CLOUD STRATEGY

Cybersecurity is at the core of our cloud strategy, given the high volume of sensitive data, cross-cloud integrations, and distributed workloads. With increasing data movement across multi-cloud environments, proactive security measures, compliance alignment, and AI- driven threat intelligence remain critical to our cloud strategy. We have established a structured, competency-driven approach to ensure our teams stay ahead in cloud technologies, DevSecOps, and AI/ML integration. By combining formal training, hands-on projects, and mentorship, we ensure that our teams are well-equipped to adopt, implement, and innovate with emerging cloud technologies.

Strengthening IT and Security for a Future-Ready Real Estate Business

NITIN GUPTA
CIO, SMART WORLD

I lead the IT division at Smart World, a four-year-old real estate development company under our parent organization, M3M. As a real estate developer, we are seeking expertise in the IT domain to enhance our technological capabilities.

LEVERAGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY

We currently operate on a private cloud, but it does not provide adequate security. To address this, we are exploring a hybrid cloud approach that offers enhanced data protection and safeguards against phishing and other cyber threats. Our focus is on strengthening both application and infrastructure security, and we are seeking expertise from technology partners such as Delta IT or Lenovo.

Since our core business revolves around real estate, customer data security is a top priority. With frequent communications and data exchanges, ensuring the secure transmission and storage of customer information is crucial for us.

CYBERSECURITY CRITICAL IN CLOUD STRATEGY

To streamline operations and enhance security, especially with the upcoming DAVP Act, we prioritize data protection in the real estate sector, where customer data is vast and highly sensitive. Any compromise could be detrimental, so we are actively exploring advanced security tools and solutions to mitigate risks effectively. Currently, a small in-house team manages our data, but given our growing database, we seek specialized expertise from external consultants and cloud partners. While we maintain data center (DC) and disaster recovery (DR) setups, a robust cloud infrastructure is crucial for ensuring security, scalability, and operational efficiency as cloud adoption expands.

Centralized Management Simplifies Organisations’ Security Operations

GAURAV VIJ
CIO & CTO, STAYCAY ABODE SOLUTIONS PVT. LTD.

Our mission is to provide secure and affordable stay for students. Organizations in the digital age depend heavily on the cloud for everything from storing data to running critical business applications, and we are no different.

LEVERAGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY

HooLiv leverages cloud, edge, and serverless computing to enhance scalability, efficiency, and resilience. By adopting a multi-cloud strategy, HooLiv avoids vendor lock-in, distributing workloads across multiple providers while deploying primary operations in a Tier 3 private cloud. Backups and redundancies are maintained on a separate cloud, ensuring business continuity in case of failures. HooLiv integrates SaaS and PaaS solutions for AI, analytics, and storage, optimizing cost and performance. Edge computing enables real-time data processing, reducing latency and enhancing user experiences. Serverless computing further streamlines operations by automating infrastructure management. This hybrid approach allows us to maximize technology benefits, ensuring a robust, cost-effective, and future-ready architecture for its digital platforms.

CYBERSECURITY CRITICAL IN CLOUD STRATEGY

Cybersecurity is central to HooLiv’s enterprise architecture, ensuring the security, integrity, and availability of digital assets. Using a multi-cloud strategy, we integrate centralized security measures to safeguard employee data, business operations, and legal records. With authentication, encryption, and access controls, HooLiv mitigates cyber threats while ensuring compliance. Real-time monitoring, automated threat detection, and proactive risk management strengthen its cloud security. By prioritizing data protection, operational efficiency, and business continuity, we maintain seamless security while adhering to industry regulations and internal policies in the evolving digital landscape.