India is going through a digital transformation

Digitalisation is positively impacting our world by opening up unprecedented opportunities on a scale unheard of in the past.  Digitalisation refers to the smart consumption of digital assets with an aim to enhance processes, maximise operational excellence, monetize internal resources, and enhance the customer experience.

Digital disruptions are seeding changes across a range of industries forcing businesses to change their goals, processes or even outcomes. The outcomes of the grind to adapt smartly to these disruptions are resulting in Digital Transformation.

Now let’s see what change Digitalization is bringing to society:

—Technological innovations are more impactful than ever before.

—Customers are demanding simplicity in dealing with businesses.

—Ecosystem-induced: economical changes, demands from partners wanting you to adapt, regulatory changes, and so many other aspects… the list is kind of endless.

—Uberisation of the economy: combining several existing technologies into one innovative service that automated the matching of supply and demand. 

At the same time from a digital technology perspective, there is continuous shift which it has got:

—Digital Transformation is a result of transitioning to Software defined everything.

—From The Web to Mobile, from Data Center to Cloud, Mobile to Wearables, Machines to Sensors, AI to Automation Robots etc.

—Lowering memory cost, cheaper and powerful broadband services along with growth and expansion of seamless mobile connectivity have reduced the cost and acquisition time of data.

—From digital technology perspective, what transformation is it bringing in India

As a vastly dynamic country, India faces many challenges like last mile connectivity for communication and education, Cash based society leading to many challenges including the logistics of passing benefits to citizens, education, Power distribution, Primary healthcare, Security & Agriculture to name a few.

India has nonetheless started its digital transformation journey in various contours of life and business. As a nation state and a marketplace, India possesses immense potential for transforming lives, business, economy, society and knowledge through the intelligent use of digital services and solutions.

This is reflected at the core of the Digital India, Make in India programme which has been a key driver across all plans devised by the Indian government. Out of the nine pillars identified in Digital India Initiative, we are already seeing a major transformation happening in below areas.

Initiatives like Start-up India, which has made India a destination for Innovation and Digital Transformation hub. This initiative aims at filling the gaps in the economy for the growth and development of start-ups and to boost digital entrepreneurship at the grassroots.

—Innovative applications of Aadhaar such as JAM (Jan-Dhan Yojana-Aadhaar-Mobile trinity) and Digital Lockers.

—Private enterprises are adopting digital solutions quite aggressively with banking and telecom industries being front runners in this race and sectors like Healthcare, Media & Entertainment, Retail and other sectors are following suit.

—Public sector institutions are not isolated as in the past and have also realized the need to transform digitally like Smart Cities initiatives.

—Digital Payments – various initiatives to convert 100 per cent Government – Citizen Transactions to the digital platform. Studies revel Indian digital payments industry to grow to $500 billion by 2020, contributing to 15per cent of GDP.

Conclusion: India’s march towards inclusive economic prosperity would hinge on digital transformation. This transformation will enable the social and economic transformation of its citizens.

Successful Digital Transformation depends not only on implementing new technologies but also from transforming a country to take advantage of the possibilities that new technologies provide. However, for digital technologies to confer their full benefit on society, it is vital to close the digital divide, especially in Internet access to spur greater digital adoption.

While we are typically adopting the best practices from Digital visionaries in other parts of the globe, it is important to lay emphasis on formulating indigenous digital business models and digital economic systems to handle the nuances of India to carve out our own niche methods and pathways to build a truly digital society.

—by Milind Kamat, CEO Atos India and Purshottam Purswani, Chief Architect of Business technology and Innovation Center (BTIC) and Member of the Atos scientific Community.