Indian Tech businesses reaffirming their commitment to harness the transformative power of AI

National Technology Day serves as a reminder of the pivotal role technology plays in a nation's progress and development. Celebrated on May 11th every year, this day gives a platform to acknowledge the contributions of engineers, scientists, researchers, and innovators, who have achieved significant breakthroughs in many fields, while also serving as an occasion to raise awareness about the importance of technology in addressing societal challenges and fostering economic growth.

To celebrate May as a month of ‘Technology’, VARINDIA makes an attempt to understand from the corporates and business technology leaders on how they look at innovations in IT as they reflect on the nation's digital evolution and their roadmap for Digital Transformation and AI revolution.

Tarun Chhabra, Country Manager, Nokia India contends that National Technology Day is a celebration of innovation and contribution of the youth for driving the same. “India has already positioned itself as one of the key economies in the world driven by technological innovation over the last few year. We believe that the next decade will be marked by unparalleled technological progress in AI, cloud, and connectivity presenting new opportunities for India to strengthen its foothold in the global technology landscape. At Nokia, we are actively building a global ecosystem by leveraging our innovation platforms, communities, and physical labs, where we unite partners and technologies to shape the digital services and applications of tomorrow,” he says.

“It is important to celebrate the new frontiers discovered with technology while celebrating Technology Day,” says Amit Choudhary, Chief Operating Officer, Wipro Limited. “However, we must also recognise the people – the scientists and engineers – that work tirelessly to take humankind to new heights every single day. The technology of today is AI, which has a plethora of benefits for professionals. As it takes on more routine and monotonous tasks, the workforce of tomorrow will have far more time to focus on other aspects of their jobs – strategic planning, innovation, problem-solving, and creativity. In this new era, companies must renew their commitment to fostering a culture of continuous learning and development, where employees can acquire new skills and adapt to the changing demands of the marketplace.”

"Over the past decade, India has matured into global leadership in technological innovation. Today, India is on a steady path to realize its vision for a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, and the role of technology comes into sharp focus with greater responsibility than ever before,” observes Aalok Kumar, Corporate Officer & Sr. VP - Head of the Global Smart City Business, NEC Corporation and President & CEO, NEC Corporation India. “India's unique position as a rapidly urbanizing nation undergoing large-scale digital transformation presents an unparalleled opportunity as a testing ground for innovative solutions that can be adapted to various markets worldwide.”

Sanjoy Bhattacharya, Director of Sales & Marketing, IT Business, ViewSonic India believes that celebrating Technology Day is not just about celebrating and acknowledging the advancements in the digital world, but it is a time to remember its significant influence in all aspects of life, including reshaping industries, innovations and redefining tech potential.

“In celebrating the changing power of technology, ViewSonic stands tall as a leader that keeps showing what is attainable. For us to fully understand our environment, ViewSonic never tires in its pursuit of perfection, forever evolving how we interact with our customers,” Sanjoy explains.

"In India's unwavering commitment to technological progress, Thales stands proudly by its side as a trusted partner in this remarkable journey,” says Ashish Saraf, VP and Country Director, Thales in India. “With our global expertise, we support India's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and actively collaborate with local industry and academia to develop advanced solutions under Make in India. Our robust capabilities in Defence, Aerospace, Cybersecurity and digital identity, combined with R&D efforts in Open Hardware Research play a key role in advancing the country's growth in these critical domains.”

“Technology is a tool for progress - a catalyst for positive change that improves human lives by levelling the field of opportunities,” says Ajeya Motaganahalli, VP Engineering & Managing Director, India R&D, Pure Storage. “Today, technology influences every facet of our lives, from communication and healthcare to transportation and entertainment. Take for instance the pivotal role technology played in accelerating recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic by leaps and bounds. Going forward, technological advancements promise to further bolster our resilience.  Pure Storage honors the contributions of scientists, engineers, innovators, and researchers from the science and technology community in shaping a sustainable future.”

TIME TO SEAL THE SKILL GAP
The rapid digital transformation that India has undergone in the recent years has also resulted in a skills gap in a number of industries. This also means that there are more jobs available than there are people qualified to fill in the technology industry.

Ravi Chhabria, Managing Director, NetApp India points out that while there is a readiness seen among enterprises to accept new technologies, there is still the need for a heavier push towards education and skilling in deeptech. “Education and mentorship play an incomparable role in nurturing innovation across the tech sector. To train them young, we are committed to empowering teens through initiatives such as the NetApp Data Explorers program, equipping them with critical data skills – with an aim to provide opportunities for exploration and problem-solving. Our effort towards mentorship extends through NetApp Excellerator, where we engage with deep-tech startups, offering them our expertise in intelligent data infrastructure solutions.”

As much as the skill gap is still a major loophole in the industry, the scarcity of cybersecurity experts strains those already in the field, leading to exhaustion and missed opportunities. With advent in tech innovation, the spectre of ransomware attacks and data breaches grows to be ever more ominous and so does the scarcity of talent.

“The Sophos’ Future of Cybersecurity in APJ survey revealed that 83% of cybersecurity professionals are affected with burnout and fatigue. However, amidst these challenges, lies a solution in education and mentorship. By equipping the next generation of tech professionals with essential skills and guidance, we can bolster our defenses against cyber threats and pave the way for a secure digital future. Let us join forces in safeguarding our nation's technological advancement, one mentoring relationship at a time,” says Geetha Ramanna, Director, Software Development and Network Security, Sophos.

“Amidst the challenges we face, Acer places a strong emphasis on sustainability,” cites Sooraj Balakrishnan, Associate Director and Head of Marketing, Acer India. “Acer echoes this sentiment through this year's theme: 'School to Startups - Igniting Young Minds to Innovate.' Acer embarks on an inspiring journey to motivate and empower young minds to embrace technology, cultivating an innovative spirit that resonates from classrooms to professional settings. As we celebrate National Technology Day, let's reaffirm our dedication to progress, innovation, and the transformative power of technology to instigate positive change."  

INDIA RISING AS AN AI POWERHOUSE
India is positioned to emerge as a global AI powerhouse, with AI spending projected to undergo a swift expansion. Buoyed by 20% of the world's data and AI talent, India's strategic advantage is further reinforced by its robust developer community and skill penetration, positioning it to surpass even the US in AI leadership.

Tanuj Mittal, Senior Director - Sales, Customer Process Experience of Dassault Systèmes, India says that the company believes in using AI in three complementary ways - for sustainability, by developing environmentally efficient products using circular business processes and maximizing value chains; for operational excellence, delivering efficiency and redirecting resources towards innovation for a more competitive business; and for the workforce of the future, upskilling with augmented contextual skills, knowledge and know-how and role guidance. 

“While data science and AI are very hot topics, our work with AI started many years ago: our users have already augmented with AI through our Industry Solution Experiences. We are leveraging the current acceleration of AI to continue maximising the virtualisation of knowledge and know-how to open new values and potential for our customers, their businesses, and people, demonstrating the power of Virtual Twin Experiences Powered by AI,” he says.

ADI India is committed to staying ahead in AI innovation through several strategies. The company is developing AI ecosystems to unlock more innovation, increase productivity, and develop products and solutions for the Intelligent Edge.

“ADI is deploying enterprise-scale generative AI platforms to make AI pervasive across its operations. The company is heavily investing in the AI market, providing a comprehensive portfolio of solutions for power-efficient AI systems. Deploying enterprise-scale generative AI platforms such as SambaNova Suite globally integrates AI into every aspect of operations, from product development to manufacturing,” explains Srinivas Prasad, Senior Director and India Site Head, Analog Devices.

“This National Technology Day, we should acknowledge India's remarkable rise as a tech leader, particularly in Artificial Intelligence (AI),” says Sanket Atal, Managing Director - Operations and Site Lead - Technology, Product, at Salesforce India.  “A recent report by NASSCOM predicts that the Indian AI market will reach $17 billion by 2027, highlighting its immense potential. Our country is well-positioned for sustained economic growth, with digital transformation serving as a key driver. Moreover, India's focus on AI's rapidly evolving innovation cycle further strengthens its growth potential. With a large talent pool and supportive government policies, India possesses some of the richest data sets for AI innovation. This represents a golden moment for India, with Salesforce as its digital partner committed to building a future where AI empowers individuals and fosters a truly inclusive digital economy.”

“Innovation and entrepreneurship are fundamental principles driving our mission at UiPath,” says Jared Danaraj, Vice President, Sales and Solutions Engineering, Asia Pacific and Japan, UiPath.  “Initiatives such as Community Edition, UiPath Academy, and UiPath Marketplace empower individuals and organizations to leverage AI and automation in a way that fuels creativity and drives digital transformation. We continue to work towards enabling automation across all knowledge work in India to accelerate human achievement. Our dynamic ecosystem of 2 million developers’ communities, partners, and customers fosters co-creation, enabling us to remain at the forefront of technological innovation. UiPath continues to push the boundaries of what's possible with automation and AI.”

According to Manoj Paul, Managing Director for India, Equinix, data is the new oil for any economy and Artificial Intelligence is going to be key for success for enterprises and countries, in the years to come. “We understand the unique challenges and opportunities that businesses face in this dynamic market. As the world’s digital infrastructure company with 260 data centers across 71 metros, Equinix plays a crucial role in providing the robust digital infrastructure necessary for enterprises to drive their digital transformation initiatives forward. With our partnership with leading technology providers for AI, we are ready to support organization planning to realize the power of AI for providing better services to their customers.”

A BURGEONING START-UP ECOSYSTEM  

With a rising focus on the digital economy and technology being the unifying factor here, the start-up ecosystem in the country is growing rapidly. Technology innovations enable start-ups to introduce new solutions, with focused expertise and local market knowledge. With an aim to fulfil growing demand and to refine outputs beyond the prebuild prompt, startups leverage emerging technologies to create differentiation as they develop their own native or embedded solutions.

“Startups are furthering the reach of innovative technologies while pushing deeper into societal challenges, with imperatives such as outcome-based value, data safety and actionable ethics,” says Apoorva Chhabra, Senior Principal Analyst, Gartner. “Companies are investing with consideration to inject ethics into governance, business decisions, service design and product management. Tech innovations are being pursued for specific use cases with quantifiable value while minimizing risk exposure. Companies need to identify and explore points of ethical decision risk across business processes and develop human-tech synergies.”

QUOTES FROM THE INDUSTRY

Digital Factory technology - a facilitator to transform Indian Manufacturing companies

“India is making huge strides in the manufacturing and ER&D space, with government's initiatives such as Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, and Digital India encouraging significant boost in domestic production. Towards making our PM’s Vision of Make in India successful and contributing to making India a global manufacturing hub, we at Neilsoft, are developing Technology/IP-led solutions tailored to the needs of the Indian industry, focusing on improving quality and productivity. We have identified India as a major focus for us with our Pune-based facilities dedicated to developing Quality Inspection solutions for Manufacturing companies and Energy Management Solution for large facilities like factories, industrial buildings, hospitals, data centers, etc. to reduce energy consumption. We also believe that Digital Factory technology has the potential to transform Indian Manufacturing companies. We are already engaged with several companies to devise and implement these solutions in India.”

Prashanth Chunduri 
Sr. VP - Strategy & Alliances/Partnerships; Managing Director - Neilsoft

Ozonetel believes in 'AI for Everyone' through storytelling

“National Technology Day celebrates the transformative power of technology. This year's theme, "From Schools to Startups," perfectly captures its role in igniting innovation within young minds. Integrating AI into education can empower students to transcend passive learning, fostering proactive problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Ozonetel’s recent partnership with Swecha (NGO) engaged 10,000 students in digitizing Telugu folk tales, resulting in the first-ever Telugu language storytelling application. This project not only preserved cultural heritage but also provided students with valuable hands-on AI development experience. Building on this success, our "Summer of AI" internship program empowers 100,000 students to collaborate on building a comprehensive Telugu Language Model (LLM). This program fosters exploration of AI and development of Text-to-Speech models. Engaging students in real-world projects equips them with the skills to become future-ready entrepreneurs and tech leaders who will contribute significantly to the AI-driven workforce. By embracing AI on National Technology Day, we empower young minds to become passionate innovators, shaping the future of technology itself.”

Chaitanya Chokkareddy  
co-founder and chief technology officer, Ozonetel Communications

Championing inclusivity and shaping a future of technological progress

“National Technology Day celebrates not just technological advancements, but also the widespread accessibility of innovation. In this era, enterprise AI serves as a pivotal force, driving the digital transformation of businesses across all scales, enabling them to flourish amidst heightened competition. This underscores the significance of AI in the ongoing evolution of technology, revolutionizing how businesses operate and innovate in the modern landscape. The widespread adoption of enterprise AI is leveling the playing field, enabling even MSMEs to stand toe to toe with global competitors. Through intelligent automation, predictive analytics, and personalized insights, AI equips these companies with the tools to optimize operations, enhance productivity, and deliver unparalleled value to their customers. Beyond its capacity to optimize business operations, AI today also emerges as the great equalizer, bridging gaps between individuals and communities like never before. It transcends boundaries, providing ease of access to information, education, and opportunity, thus paving the way for inclusive growth and empowerment. As we commemorate National Technology Day, let us recognize the transformative power of AI and share enthusiasm for the continuous strides being made in space, contributing to India's tech journey.”

Sachin Panicker  
Chief AI Officer, Fulcrum Digital

Avaali continuously working on finding, developing, and refining AI solutions

“A steadfast commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship lies at the heart of our organizational ethos. We periodically assemble innovation teams, drawing from a diverse pool of talents across our organization. These teams are tasked with exploring new solution areas, challenging the status quo, and harnessing collective creativity to conceptualize breakthrough ideas. The recommendations generated by these teams form the bedrock of our novel launches, ensuring that innovation is not just a buzzword but a tangible action plan leading to market-leading solutions.

Our organizational culture is intentionally designed to promote ownership and entrepreneurial thinking at every level. This mindset is integral to our identity, driving us to challenge the conventional and pursue excellence relentlessly. This commitment to challenging the status quo is what sets us apart and drives our innovation. At Avaali, we believe in educating to empower. The Kamala Neela Trust, an initiative by Avaali, aims to break barriers by providing quality education to underprivileged girls. Our vision is to create a world where every girl, regardless of background, has equal opportunities to thrive and excel.”

Srividya Kannan  
Founder & CEO - Avaali Solutions

Technology powers Meesho’s success

“On National Technology Day, let’s celebrate India's tech journey filled with challenges and triumphs, just like any personal growth story. From startups to e-commerce, technology fuels our progress, reshaping businesses with AI, efficient logistics, and data-driven strategies. At Meesho, technology powers our success, connecting entrepreneurs nationwide. We're committed to using tech to empower the next generation. As we mark this day, let's embrace tech's potential to bridge divides, fuel growth, and propel India forward.”

Debdoot Mukherjee  
Chief Data Scientist, Head of AI and Demand Engineering, Meesho 

“Technology Day reminds us of innovation's pivotal role in our society”

"Innovation lies at the heart of progress, driving companies forward and shaping the future of industries. At o9, an AI-powered planning and decision-making software company, staying at the forefront of innovation is not just a choice for us but a necessity to continuously deliver value to our customers. New Technology Day reminds us of innovation's pivotal role in our society, particularly for the youth. Many initiatives, like our annual hackathon, stand as a testament to the power of innovation. It's a platform where bright minds converge, fueled by creativity and technology, to solve real-world challenges. Through this event, we witness the transformative potential of technology in the hands of young innovators. Seeing how their fresh perspectives and inventive solutions push the boundaries of what's possible is inspiring. Another example to showcase innovation is events like o9's Involve event, where academics, leaders of businesses, and practitioners come together to discuss the latest trends to drive future innovation and create sustainable impacts on the world.”

Narasimha Kamath  
Executive Vice President, R&D, o9 Solutions

Commitment to innovation ingrained in the culture of Lendingkart

“Lendingkart is not just a financial services company - we are a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship. We have created an environment that nurtures the spirit of the MSMEs and embraces technology, empowering entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to life and scale their ventures effectively. Our tailored solutions and support are designed to bridge the digital divide in India, ensuring that finance on the back of technology is accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances.

AI innovation is not just about staying ahead it's about redefining what's possible. With availability of off-the-shelf AI tools, platforms, and API, even those with limited technical expertise can leverage advanced AI capabilities to solve complex problems and innovate. To top it off, we are continually investing in AI research to enhance our services, streamline processes, and offer personalized solutions. This commitment to innovation is ingrained in our culture; it's how we stay at the forefront of financial services in India. Our goal isn't just profitability; it's about making a meaningful impact. We believe in leveraging technology for positive change, empowering individuals, and businesses to thrive in the digital age.”

Manish Bhatia  
President - Technology, Analytics and Capabilities, Lendingkart

Innovation is the lifeblood of progress at Wayfair India

“Wayfair fosters an environment that encourages entrepreneurial drive, empowering engineers to assume ownership, challenge conventional models, and influence the trajectory of global online shopping. This distinctive fusion of a startup atmosphere within a well-established corporation provides the Indian team with artistic liberty, resource accessibility, and exposure to a diverse talent pool worldwide, facilitating them to innovate and propel advancements in the continuously evolving digital realm. Our innovation initiatives span developing cutting-edge AI technologies to make expertise accessible on-demand through natural conversations.  Bridging the digital divide is a key priority for us to ensure all sections of Indian society can leverage technology's transformative potential. Our India TDC aims to provide opportunities to talent all across India to hone their potential and nurture underrepresented talent pipelines.

Our roadmap focuses on leveraging AI to provide expert guidance, visualize products in real environments, and streamline support through intelligent automation. We are extremely excited about AI's ability to make specialized knowledge accessible on-demand through user-friendly interfaces. The Indian center is strategically focused on shaping AI that enhances human capabilities rather than replacing them. We nurture skills like critical thinking to evaluate AI outputs, articulating nuanced prompts, and creative visioning as AI handles routine tasks.”

Rohit Kaila  
Head of Technology and Site Leader, Wayfair India TDC

Committed to leveraging advanced technologies to support and care for seniors

“As a geriatric care provider, KITES Senior Care is committed to leveraging advanced technologies to support and care for seniors. With the launch of ‘seniorshield’ app platform, we are a healthtech company as well which is a testament to this commitment, offering seniors user-friendly tech to enhance their health and quality of life.  With the launch of this app platform, we have broken the perceived technology barrier for seniors and have brought them closer to a better quality of life. Our ultimate goal of launching ‘seniorshield’ app platform is to leverage the power of data and AI to predict outcomes. With this we are in a position to deliver tailored solutions to ensure that the senior stays ahead of the curve and are able to lead a healthy and active life.

We at KITES Senior Care are passionate about innovation and are pioneering the concept of ‘out of hospital’ geriatric care in India. 

Rajagopal G  
Co-Founder and CEO, KITES Senior Care

Leegality’s focus relies on integrating AI to streamline and strengthen document processes

“Being India's first Document Infrastructure Platform, we support entrepreneurs by enabling them to digitise their paperwork processes through innovative solutions such as eSign, eStamp, and document automation. This enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and minimises errors, which helps businesses to be more agile and inculcate an innovative operational environment. Our team is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs by providing tools that streamline paperwork, so they can focus on growing their businesses. Accessibility is not an afterthought for us, it is a principle that guides our product development from the ground up. Given the digital transformation that Leegality is bringing about in financial services in the country, it’s very important that we build our product for the length and breadth of our country. We are consciously aware of the Digital Divide that exists, and we go to great lengths to ensure that we are helping bridge it. Documents and eSigning flows in 10+ Indian languages, optimising for 2G and 3G bandwidth network connections, allowing multiple users to eSign using the same phone etc are just some of our product capabilities that ensure that financial services can reach even rural and underserved areas.”

Shivam Singla  
Founder and CEO, Leegality

Scanning for opportunities for top-line growth through GenAI

“At ABI, we recognize the transformative potential of GenAI and its capacity to drive significant change within our organization. We are also cognizant of the need for a measured approach when dealing with such disruptive technologies. This entails fostering an environment of excitement while judiciously allocating our resources, investments, and time toward initiatives that yield considerable returns. Over the last year, AB InBev GCC has identified over 100+ opportunities through our GenAI initiative, aimed at enhancing productivity or driving top-line growth across various business functions. 

ABI has strategically focused on promising areas for GenAI application, including Backoffice Transformation, Software Development, Employee Productivity, and Insights Support. As we continue to expand our pilot projects with a primary emphasis on Productivity, we are also venturing into exploring opportunities for Top-line growth through GenAI. It is crucial to recognize that Gen AI represents only a fraction of the engineering required for comprehensive solutions. When Gen AI is integrated into a process, it necessitates a redesign of the operating model. It is imperative to phase out or limit old manual assets to prevent reverting to them out of habit.”

Sajith Kurup  
Global Director, Analytics, AB InBev GCC India

Fostering a culture of innovation by encouraging collaboration and resource sharing

“At Marlabs, we fuel innovation and entrepreneurship by diving into tech trends to spark cutting-edge ideas. Our hackathons encourage brainstorming and prototyping new solutions, while our incubation programs turn high-potential, employee-led projects into reality with the right resources and mentorship. We also partner with startups and external innovators to stay fresh. As a tech company, we ensure fair access to technology in India by partnering with the government, nonprofits, and local groups to set up tech hubs and training in underserved areas. We focus on making tech affordable and user-friendly, developing gadgets and apps for places with limited internet and for non-tech-savvy users. We are dedicated to using our skills for good, ensuring tech benefits everyone and no one gets left behind. Our strategic approach to AI innovation combines research, collaboration, talent development, and agility to stay ahead of emerging trends. We have established an AI council to monitor the latest in AI, focusing on machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. Continuous learning is key, with training programs to keep our team’s AI skills sharp. In essence, our game plan is to stay curious, connected, and ahead of the curve in AI innovation”.

Nandish Mahadevappa  
Senior Vice President, Enterprise Architecture, Marlabs

B Square ensures transparency and ethical AI practices

“Recognizing the need for businesses to stay ahead of the curve, we have developed Pothera ERP to help them leverage technology for management and analysis and do a lot more. The development of Pothera ERP was a group-up initiative from our team stemming from extensive market research, a thorough understanding of the market requirements, and its needs and wants. B-Square gives solutions to the customers. As a technology company, our vision is to bridge the digital divide by enabling every enterprise, regardless of size or industry, to unleash the power of IT and digitize their business processes through our world-class software solutions. To achieve this vision, we have developed affordable, easy-to-use, quick-to-implement, and scalable software solutions. Our offerings include both smartphone and web applications with APIs for multipurpose usage, ensuring accessibility across various devices and platforms. Our mission is to become the preferred software solution provider for the Indian MSME sector, aiming for a user base of one million by 2025. Through our innovative solutions and commitment to accessibility and security, we are dedicated to empowering businesses of all sizes and sectors to thrive in the digital era.”

Payal Nambiar  
Founder and CEO, B Square

Alstom’s contribution to sustainability is closely tied to the business it is in

“Alstom’s ambition is to accelerate innovation in sustainable mobility and move the world closer towards clean and green transport. In this regard, we have committed to make active social investments through our partnership with NSRCEL-IIMB, to nurture virtuous partnerships, accelerate local development, and support inspiring and transformative projects. At Alstom, we are not just working on trains and technologies of today; we are shaping the future of mobility. We have pioneered the evolution of the railways across the world and continue to be a strategic partner in supporting India’s transition towards sustainable modes of mass mobility. Today, we are the only rail player offering the entire range of low-emission rail technologies, including hydrogen (H2) trains, battery trains, electrification & world’s most advanced signalling systems such as ETCS Hybrid Level 3 over LTE or Train to Train communication-based metro systems. AI and data analytics are set to play a pivotal role in modernizing the railways and making them more intelligent, efficient, and sustainable. The recently inaugurated Namo Bharat has been designed to reduce travel time by 40%, from 100 minutes to 60 minutes, enabling passengers to spend less time.”

Thameem Kamaldeen  
Managing Director - Signalling and Infrastructure, Alstom India

Committed to bridging the digital divide and ensuring technology access to everyone

“At Consistent Infosystems, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship is at the core of our ethos. We actively promote a culture of innovation by encouraging our employees to think outside the box, explore new ideas, and take calculated risks. Our dedicated innovation programs and initiatives provide a platform for employees to showcase their creativity and collaborate across departments to develop groundbreaking solutions. We also conduct internship and training programs where we take college pass-outs from various IT colleges/ universities and help them in developing and enhancing their technical skills through our special in-house training plus absorption program providing them with employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. Additionally, we also support entrepreneurship by partnering with startups and providing them with access to our extensive network and resources to help them bring their ideas to market."  

Yogesh Agrawal  
CEO and Co-founder, CONSISTENT INFOSYSTEMS 

Creating a more inclusive, innovative, and human-centric society with help of AI

"AI advancements have been transformative, reshaping industries and driving innovation at an unprecedented pace. The evolution of AI technologies has significantly altered processes and redefined human-machine interactions, ushering in a new era of more intuitive and natural engagements with technology. Across industries, advancements in AI have facilitated a profound shift towards more human-like interactions with technology. Through techniques like natural language processing and sentiment analysis, AI systems are now capable of understanding and responding to human emotions and preferences, fostering deeper connections, and enhancing user experiences. Domain knowledge plays a crucial role in harnessing the full power of AI, enabling organizations to leverage specialized insights across various industries. By combining domain expertise with AI-powered analytics and decision-making tools, organizations can augment human capabilities and democratize access to insights previously confined to specialized domains. Adaptability, continuous learning, and a human-centred approach will be key to thrive. Embracing a growth mindset and cultivating digital literacy will be paramount, enabling individuals to harness the full potential of AI technologies and navigate the evolving digital ecosystem effectively."

Pankaj Sachdeva  
Vice President, Data Science & Analytics and Managing Director, India Innovation, Pitney Bowes

India’s tech sector set to play a pivotal role on the global stage

"In today's digital era, where data has emerged as the lifeblood of organizations and a prime target for cybercriminals, ensuring data security and privacy has become imperative for any organization here in India. The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and the emergence of cutting-edge algorithms have further expanded the cyber-threat landscape at an unprecedented pace, posing formidable challenges for organizations across India. With threat actors leveraging sophisticated AI algorithms to develop potent and evasive cyber attacks capable of circumventing traditional security measures, there's a heightened awareness and an urgent need to augment cyber budgets. As India navigates these challenges, its tech sector is set to play an increasingly pivotal role on the global stage."

Sanjeev Chabbra  
Managing Director & CEO, Beetel Teletech Ltd

Security and privacy to give better data protection 

"In the digital age, where data is often referred to as the ‘new oil’ but I say it as ‘new water’.  Just as water is vital for the survival of living organisms, data is crucial for the functioning and growth of businesses, economies, and societies in the digital age. This has gained immense significance as it emphasizes the need for individuals, organizations, and governments to take proactive steps in safeguarding data privacy.

Every individual is constantly generating and sharing vast amounts of personal information on digital platforms. Our digital footprint is extensive, from online transactions and social media interactions to healthcare records and smart device usage.

Data Privacy emphasizes fundamental principles guiding the responsible handling of personal information. These principles include user consent, transparency, security measures, data residency and data minimization. It is essential to uphold these principles for ethical data practices and ensure the protection of individuals' privacy rights."  

Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu   
Publisher & Editor-in-chief, VARINDIA 

Maintaining Synechron’s leadership in AI innovation through a strategic approach

“At Synechron, we foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Through initiatives like Synechron Innovation Labs and Synechron FinLabs, we provide platforms for showcasing cutting-edge technologies and supporting startups to scale their innovations. We are deeply committed to bridging the digital divide and ensuring equitable access to technology across all sections of Indian society. Some of our key initiatives include providing skill development training to differently abled and rural youth through partnerships with organizations like the Indian Association for the Blind (IAB). By collaborating with NGOs and government agencies, we deliver digital services and solutions to marginalized groups, including essential services like health information, financial inclusion, and e-governance. Furthermore, our advocacy efforts extend to creating awareness campaigns promoting digital rights and inclusion. These campaigns cover crucial topics such as online safety, data privacy, and digital citizenship, striving to empower individuals and communities to fully participate in the digital age. Looking to the future, Synechron plans to maintain its leadership in AI innovation through a strategic approach centered on innovation, collaboration, and acceleration.”

Prabhakar Srinivasan  
Director - Co-Lead of Artificial Intelligence Practice, Synechron

As tech advances, foundational skills to become crucial

“Advancements in AI, especially with Generative AI, are making interactions with technology more human-like. This allows communications service providers (CSPs) to develop prototypes and platforms to overcome key challenges like streamlining business operations, ensuring effective network throughput and optimizing the service for customer satisfaction. This ability to anticipate and adapt to market changes can significantly increase CSP’s competitive edge and potential for growth.

AI, particularly Gen AI, opens doors to knowledge and technical skills that were once inaccessible. This democratization of AI empowers users without a technical background, equipping them with the benefits of technology. Making AI technologies more accessible broadens the horizons of what businesses can achieve. For instance, it enables businesses to enhance their employees' skills, boosting productivity. However, it is crucial for development tools to establish safe and responsible AI standards to prevent inaccurate data and bias.”

Samit Banerjee  
Division President, Cloud Operations Services & Head of Customer Service Unit, Amdocs

TTBS pioneering smart digital solutions

“On this National Technology Day, we celebrate the transformative power of technology in reshaping connectivity and elevating customer experiences. At Tata Tele Business Services (TTBS), we are at the heart of this digital revolution, pioneering smart digital solutions that empower businesses to enhance operational efficiency and thrive in an increasingly connected world. Our unwavering commitment to harnessing new age technology like AI drives us to innovate continuously, delivering personalized experiences that truly resonate with our customers.”

Pravir Dahiya  
CTO, Tata Teleservices

Park Place Technologies prioritizes staying abreast of the latest advancements and trends

Justin Reed, Director, Data Engineering, Park Place Technologies

“At Park Place we understand that worthy innovation should never be stifled or solely dictated by a corporate headquarters based thousands of miles away. In our organization, we firmly believe, acknowledge, and foster the understanding that some of the most promising ideas for digital advancement originate not solely from our highly skilled engineers and developers within our R&D teams (although they certainly make significant contributions too), but also emerge from various departments within our global employee and customer communities. These ‘internal’ digital entrepreneurs constantly question if there may be a better way to deliver technology and are often at the coal face of usage across the globe.  We are fortunate that our organization fosters a culture where innovation takes precedence in our delivery approach.

To do so, we offer and support a framework that allows for ongoing exploration and development in AI; focusing on nurturing new ideas and potential breakthrough technologies. This includes facilitating local partnerships and collaborations that also foster these goals, while also promoting internal initiatives and mechanisms that drive forward-thinking solutions.

Park Place Technologies is committed to tackling the issue of fair access to technology regardless of backdrop or geography. We positively advocate initiatives that enhance accessibility for people from all walks of life and who have varying levels of digital skills within both our workforce and our customer base. We use digital collaboration tools to support cross functional ideas regardless of location, timezones, or levels of digital competency to create workflows that address real-life problems.

To remain competitive in the AI domain, we prioritize staying abreast of the latest advancements and trends. Our strategy involves continuous education and training for our teams, active engagement with the global tech community, and a proactive approach to integrating new technologies and methodologies that augment our AI capabilities. We employ agile development processes and methods to facilitate seamless integration. Importantly, we consistently incorporate Ethical AI principles, ensuring that our tools are transparent, accountable, fair, and free from bias.”

Exploring ways to leverage the power of Gen AI to enhance its solutions

Sriram Kanuri, Founder and CEO, Arteria Technologies

“At Arteria Technologies, we promote innovation and entrepreneurship through our approach to problem solving by having the latest technologies at the core of our solution. 
Through our software, FinesseArt, we empower businesses by helping them manage their supply chain processes end to end while they focus on core expansion and business growth. Through our suite of tools and software, entrepreneurs can shift their attention to the creation of new products and services, thereby fostering innovation, while Arteria handles the necessary management to keep the business running effectively and smoothly. 

Through Arteria's innovative cloud-based SaaS platform, we offer user-friendly solutions that are accessible to businesses of all sizes, from large enterprises to small-scale entrepreneurs. By providing affordable and easy-to-use technology, we empower individuals from diverse backgrounds to leverage the benefits of advanced logistics and supply chain management tools. From renowned banks to the lesser known entrepreneurs, our platform is made for all and most importantly supply chain financing provided by financial institutions using FinessArt platform is solely with the objective of ensuring the unbanked come to the mainstream of the society. Currently, our platform utilizes Gen AI to optimize ordering across the distribution network, ensuring efficient and effective market capture for our clients.” 

eScan develops accessible cybersecurity solutions catering to diverse users' needs
Govind Rammurthy, CEO and Managing Director, eScan

“eScan is deeply committed to promoting innovation within its teams and the cybersecurity industry. We strive to create a culture of creativity and continuous improvement, encouraging our teams to explore new ideas, technologies, and solutions that push the boundaries of cybersecurity excellence. Not only do we actively engage with budding engineers by providing mentorship, but we also try to provide resources, and opportunities, that will help their talent to thrive in this extremely complex cybersecurity ecosystem. Additionally, a significant portion of our investment goes into research and development to ensure we remain at the forefront of technological advancements. This focus allows us to drive innovation in cybersecurity solutions that effectively address emerging threats and challenges.

eScan, as a technology company, recognizes the importance of bridging the digital divide and ensuring equitable access to technology for all sections of Indian society. We are committed to initiatives that promote digital literacy, skill development, proactive training and technology adoption across diverse communities. eScan consistently partners with government agencies to provide cybersecurity training, share threat intelligence, and create awareness programs.”