India’s 75th Independence Day: The Tech Industry’s Vision for the Next 25 years
Over the last 75 years, India has become a bedrock for innovation in the technology sector. We are currently a major drive of the software-as-a-service revolution, a startup innovation hotbed with over 100 unicorns, a quick adopter of services centred on cutting-edge technologies like AI and ML, and above all a world leader in IT Services.
As we celebrate India’s 75th Independence Day, technology leaders from across verticals share their views on the progress made so far, and their vision for the next 25 years.
“As we celebrate the milestone 75th year of India’s Independence, this is not only a time for us to bask in the glory of our achievements, but also to reflect on where we are headed.
When India embarked on its Digital India initiative, no one could have predicted the speed at which digital transformation would impact our daily lives! Many of the ambitious projects which were envisioned such as Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Aadhaar, Ayshuman Bharat, and CoWin, have already transformed our day-to-day experiences.
As we plan for the next 25 years, India’s growth story will hinge on its ability to extract maximum value from data. According to estimates, data and AI could potentially add up to USD 500 billion to India’s GDP by 2025. Even if we are to mine a portion of data in a trusted ecosystem exchange between the public and private sectors, there lies an enormous scope for innovation. The next two and a half decades will be defined by how we approach the use of data in a big way to increase productivity, create new opportunities, enhance public services, and establish the country as a leader in the next wave of innovation.” – Puneet Gupta, Managing Director & VP India/SAARC, NetApp India Marketing and Services
“On August 15, India will celebrate the 75th year of the country’s independence. It is the time when we all should introspect what freedom means to us as a country and at an individual level. Over the years, the definition of freedom has evolved, and means different things to different people. The way cybercrime has advanced in the last couple of years, organizations today surely need freedom from cyberattacks. Cybercriminals are launching complex attacks on Indian organizations of all sizes.
The second most important freedom that Indian organizations need is – the freedom from the cybersecurity skills gap. Sophos’ recent survey, ‘The future of cybersecurity in Asia and Japan’, revealed that 75% of Indian organisations believe recruitment of cybersecurity professionals will be a challenge in the next 24 months.
Amidst this, Cybersecurity-as-a-Service is a much needed effort for freedom against cybercrime. This will help organizations continuously evaluate their cybersecurity strategy and quickly make adjustments, to ensure the level of protection is proportionate to their respective risk profiles.” – Sunil Sharma, managing director – sales, India & SAARC
“This Independence Day, I can proudly say that SaaS is an area where Indian startups are creating a mark globally, and the entire community is working hard towards accelerating this growth! Growing at a CAGR of 30% according to a NASSCOM report, Indian SaaS revenues were around $4 billion in FY 2021. And more than 75% of these revenues come from international markets. There are more than 200 Indian SaaS companies generating an ARR (annual recurring revenue) of more than 1 million and this number is growing rapidly. The Indian IT services wave was the first one that brought Indian technology talent to the global limelight. Strong technology colleges in India and a massive population studying and shining abroad have resulted in a pool of extremely smart Indians running global tech businesses. By 2025, I am optimistic that Indian SaaS revenues would be north of $15 billion and the number of SaaS startups will also double.” – Dhruvil Sanghvi, CEO, LogiNext
“In these past seven decades, India’s technology capabilities have surpassed expectations, placing our country on the global map. Be it our Digital India drive or the consistent innovation by the startup ecosystem and tech giants, India is today well recognized as a hotbed for emerging technologies. As we celebrate the milestone 75th Independence Day, it allows us to bask in the glory of our achievements while also reflecting on where we are headed over the next 25 years.
As we plan for the next significant year, i.e., our 100th Independence Day, the government is on a clear mission to accelerate the current growth rate to ensure citizens can extract the maximum value from this growth. At Fulcrum Digital, we are also in line with this objective. We aim to accelerate customers’ businesses while improving lives through the power of our digital platforms. We are keen on strengthening the Digital India narrative and being part of India’s fast-paced techade by bringing technologically advanced and future-ready products to the market through our integrated platform suite, digital engineering services, and technology consulting. The next few years will be a significant turning point in our country’s history, and we hope to play a vital role in this transformation.” – Rajesh Sinha, Chairman & Founder, Fulcrum Digital
“As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our independence, we must acknowledge and appreciate the advancement the country has experienced. Having the third largest startup sector in the world with over 75,000 businesses, the Prime Minister has labelled startups as the “backbone” of New India. Now, as we chart our course for the coming era, we believe it’s crucial to develop solutions that help maintain a sustainable future for the country. For this purpose, there must be a focus on upgrading to sustainable solutions, investing in automation, and garnering visibility for the country on global platforms.
At Pi Green, we believe in making clean air accessible to all. We have developed patented filter-less technology that helps provide cleaner air .we are committed to establish a greener future for the country through sustainable solutions.” – Mr. Irfan Pathan, Founder & CEO, Pi Green Innovations
“As India’s 75th year of Independence approaches, it is essential to celebrate the development that the country has witnessed- once a simple under-developed country to being considered one of the world’s largest economies. With increasing investments, initiatives such as Make In India, and the overall advancement of technology, the Indian manufacturing sector is at the forefront of evolution. Over the years, Honorable PM Narendra Modi Ji continues to emphasize the need for energy consciousness in the country. While we focus on transcending our modern infrastructure, there remains a prominent need to adopt a holistic approach to energy conservation.
At Syska, we have always focused on creating and delivering technology-led products that are sustainable and focused on conserving energy. Now that we step into a new era of independence, we look forward to consistently delivering on our promise to contribute to a modern and sustainable tomorrow that complements the fast pace development that India continues to enjoy.” – Rajesh Uttamchandani, Director at Syska
“On this momentous occasion of India’s 75th year of Independence, we wish all our fellow Indians, a very Happy ‘Azadi Ka Amrith Mahotsav’. 75 years ago, when India awoke to life and to freedom, the Nation counted only as many as 84,000 telephone lines for its 350mn people. Today, our young Nation has a telecom user base of over 116.69 crore and internet connections that’ve crossed 834.29mn! Today, our digital IT and telecommunication technologies have made it possible for people in the remotest villages in India to have global access.
@75, India is the fastest growing economy in the world; India is the fastest growing telecom market in the world; have the second biggest education system in the world; we are among the topmost countries in the world in the area of scientific research; one of the top five nations in the field for space exploration; one of the biggest consumers of data worldwide; the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world.
As an innovative wireless communication solutions company, there is nothing but pride when we look at what we have achieved in the past and impatient excitement to meet the future that awaits us.
Jai Hind!” – Preetham Uthaiah, EVP – Marketing & Strategy, Saankhya Labs
“It is a proud moment for all of us as we celebrate the 75th year of Independence. The ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is a commendable initiative by the government to encourage participation from people all over the country and to celebrate this historic moment. Over the years, the manufacturing sector has seen an indispensable growth and the ‘Make In India’ movement is only here to make it stronger. We at RR Kabel have also seen an incredible growth and potential in this country and are truly a proud Make In India company and hope that we continue to make our country proud for the next 75 years and beyond. According to Technavio’s report, the wire and cables market in India has the potential to grow by USD 1.65 billion during 2021-2025, and the market’s growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 3.80. The rising investments in underground cables and the growth of renewable energy are set to escalate the adoption of wires and cables.” – Mr. Shreegopal Kabra, Managing Director, RR Global:
“We would like to congratulate every citizen of India on this historic moment of completing 75 years of independence. Today, the youth of the country are leading and establishing their presence in all the sectors. India is one of the leading countries in technology developments and tech-enabled solutions that aim to revolutionize many sectors including the parking automation sector in India. The integration of ICT solution and the use of IOT and data have improved the overall efficiency of the Indian parking industry also making it an eco-friendly option compared to the traditional parking systems. On this day of independence, we are grateful to have this opportunity to cater to the citizens of the country and offer them solutions that will help the country solve one of the biggest issues of urbanisation. In the next 75 years, RR Parkon aspires to make the country a sustainable place to live in with the advancement of technology in parking solutions” – Mr. Rajesh Kabra, Managing Director, RR Parkon
“The Indian economy is on the path of high-track growth fuelled by a younger population, increased urbanisation, digital transformation, high internet penetration, and industrial growth. We have officially entered the ‘Digital Era,’ in which technological disruptions have spawned numerous trends, while numerous socioeconomic trends have generated technological advancement, resulting in an interdependent ecosystem. The country’s digital transformation is propelling companies to embrace the cloud to meet business and customer demands. Look at the scale of projects taking place today: UPI, ONDC, PM Gati Shakti, Income Tax modernisation, digital currency – they are all powered by cloud.
It is no contradiction to say that transformation has now become business as usual. We see tremendous opportunity for cloud in India – the market is growing fast. Dominant sectors for growth will be BFSI, public sector, telecom, manufacturing. Then there are emerging sectors like e-commerce and retail, professional services, and the startup space – be it edtech, fintech, or healthtech – there’s already great momentum we are experiencing. Organisations are reimagining their strategies to compete better in response to digital disruptions. Businesses are investing more and more into modernising their IT infrastructure and backend systems, to be able to support business growth and also plan for unknown scenarios – like the pandemic threw upon all of us. Hence, smart technology investments have become a boardroom discussion where CIOs and CEOs debate and define important business decisions. Technology players, like Oracle, play an important role in assisting organisations as they navigate this digital ecosystem. Businesses must be able to choose the right technology partner.
We have an important role to play in helping businesses elevate their narratives, and this applies to organisations and agencies in the Public and Private sectors who are contributing towards building a modern and digitally inclusive India. Oracle, as a cloud provider to businesses across industries, is at the forefront of assisting customers in the face of disruptions. We provide continuous innovation and strategic solutions that fundamentally change the way business is done and that supports business growth.” – Shailender Kumar, Senior VP and regional managing director of Oracle India and NetSuite JAPAC
“Digital transformation today is now a ‘must-have’ and no longer just a ‘nice to have’, and every industry is now heavily tech focused considering how it is paving the way for disruption and transformation in India and more importantly fostering innovation to deliver best-in-class customer solutions. In fact, India‘s IT and business services market is projected to reach US$ 19.93 billion by 2025.
In this ‘techade’ a clear business priority will be about how to manage, analyse and secure data and improve infrastructure such as cloud capabilities. This is largely because of some of the following trends we need to keep a track of such as – how AI & ML will continue to reinvent user experiences which essentially means understanding the customer intent and behaviour in almost real time so that customers can be given the promised benefit as soon as possible. Intuit’s strategy to become an AI-driven expert platform is where we and our partners use technology to solve our customers’ most important financial problems. This enables our customers to quickly access the insights and expert advice they need to make the best decisions for themselves, their businesses, and their families. Another trend that will continue to evolve is the adoption of virtual solutions in everything we do. In fact, Intuit is investing in making it simpler for customers to connect to experts virtually. In this online world, accessing ways to achieve financial freedom for customers by leveraging digital money offerings & platforms is important and so unlocking smart money decisions is another priority for us. To enable this kind of growth and automation, establishing trust with both your technologists and customers, precision and agility will take precedence. So, for a successful always-on strategy, it is important to encourage a continuous fail-fast and learn faster mindset to fuel innovation and create a culture where engineers can do the best work of their lives.
India’s technology strengths and its vast pool of technology talent will put us at the forefront of tech innovation in the next decade. At Intuit, we are always developing new ways to innovate and create greater value for our customers when it comes to using Intuit’s products. It is this passion that we look for in aspiring talent as well. Some of the significant roles where Intuit is seeing growth are software engineering, product design, product and program management, data science, risk analytics and business analytics roles and the corresponding capabilities that will see growth include artificial intelligence/machine learning, data science, cloud, open source and natural language understanding (NLU).
Increasingly, digital and AI-enabled technology is transforming workplaces, requiring employees to learn new skills and adapt to future careers. Aspiring techies need strong technical skills like programming, an understanding of analytical tools to leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as non-technical skills, business acumen, problem-solving skills and a passion for innovation that translate into success in today’s fast-paced environment.” – Saurabh Saxena, Intuit India Site Leader & Vice President, Product Development.
“The pandemic has further underscored the dire need to seek transformational change towards a more sustainable tomorrow. I firmly believe that young minds across the globe have the power to lead this evolutionary change. We are currently living in the era of purpose and youth is our ‘Parth Saarthi’, navigating the chariot of the economy around undulating bends. They can shoulder the responsibility of creating a new world that is resilient and sustainable. From time immemorial, their intellect and undefeatable spirit have anchored nations to safety in troubled situations. On this International Youth Day, I urge the young minds to vigorously engage their passion, ability, aptitude, and intellect in gaining relevant skills to lead the change from the front and remain in sync with the innovation-driven world. I also call upon the industry, academia, and the government to collaborate to provide the perfect mix of ‘industry-ready’ skill sets to the youth that can empower them to become job generators rather than job seekers. A collaborative approach is the key to address the skill gap for the creation of a new tomorrow.” – CP Gurnani, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Tech Mahindra
“India’s most treasured asset is its youth population, our demographic dividend in terms of youth population is a key factor that is expected to propel economic growth, innovation, drive culture, and diversity. The large youth population offers great workforce and entrepreneurship opportunities in domestic and international markets contributing significantly in digital natives and new age skills. Attractive proposition of youths in India can provide a host of services to several countries in various sectors such as disruptive technologies, IT, pharmaceuticals, healthcare etc. Current working Indian population presents multiple unique and interesting possibilities forournation’s future, in terms of economic growth, social mobility, and diverse cultural fabric. This International Youth Day lets pledge to enable our youth with new age technologies, encourage learning and acquisition of skills, creating technology-powered world aimed at achieving global sustainability and driving social impact.” – Rajiv Bhalla, Vice President Sales, Large Video Wall Experience, Barco APAC
“The youth are the embodiment of energy, positivity, creativity and an innovative spirit. They possess huge potential in solving the most difficult challenges of the world, provided they are given the right direction and training at the right time. The significance of geospatial technologies in creating a more sustainable world for everyone cannot be stressed enough, and as a leader in GIS software and solutions, we are strongly inclined to inculcate the necessary knowledge and skills in the youth so that they can make a measurable impact in the future. Along with working with 800+ universities, we strive to empower the youth with technical competence through unique initiatives like the Esri India Young Scholar program, GeoInnovation, etc. A major part of our workforce comprises of young talent, and by nurturing them, we hope to make a significant contribution towards building a stronger digital India.” – Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India
“On the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, it is incredible to see the digital transformation that is being spearheaded by both the public institutions as well as organisations across many industry verticals. Over the 75 years, India has advanced from being in the middle ranks of industrial nations to an information technology powerhouse and a global leader in building innovative platforms like UPI and ONDC that are unparalleled in their scale and transformational impact. While technology and technologists have been the critical accelerators for this growth, it is safe to say that India would not have earned its place on the global innovation map without the strong support and leadership from the government in enabling this growth. From an India Inc. perspective, organisations in key sectors like financial services, telecom, healthcare are actively leveraging the India stack and enabling platforms like Aadhar to drive innovation and scale that has enhanced both the impact as well as further democratization of digital services. At Aurionpro, we aim to be a key contributor in accelerating this digital adoption even further by continuing our focus on building highly differentiated, IP-led solutions that keep pushing the boundaries of innovation for the industry and our customers globally. We are committed to leading the industry in innovating, adapting, and leveraging emerging tech to build globally competitive yet locally relevant products and platforms that help India in achieving its objective of becoming a digital-first nation with a USD 1 trillion digital economy.” – Ashish Rai, Vice Chairman & President of Aurionpro Solutions Ltd.
“This landmark 75th Independence Day is a reflection of the incredible strength India has demonstrated all these years. In the last 2 years, we came to the aid of the world during the pandemic. The demand for digital transformation is clear. Even in the face of market fluctuations, businesses will invest in technology to acquire a digital edge and be future proof. India is in a sweet spot because of diverse tech talent, robust government programs like Digital India, and a flourishing start-up ecosystem. These factors will catalyse India’s pivot from a service destination to a product destination, helping us get closer to our dream of becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2025.
Post pandemic, Indian organizations have been investing in talent and building a culture that is kinetic. These enterprises have realized that the future will belong to doers who can break through legacy constructs – even if it means replacing what they’re good at with new capabilities. As we step into the fourth 25-year journey of Independent India, we are breaking free from being the global back office, well on our path to becoming the lab of the world. We will continue to help global clients achieve their digital vision using our strong talent base in India. To meet the growing demand for our services globally, we will be doubling our hiring by tapping into tier 2 and tier 3 cities, unlocking potential from across the length and breadth of the nation. BCT is committed to the dream of “Make in India” a reality, and a country that’s stronger than ever!.” – Durgaprasad, Co-Founder, Director, and Group CEO, Bahwan CyberTek
“The transportation industry is reinventing itself to create products focused on zero-emission and software lead innovation. With technology changing at a faster pace than ever before, sustainability and digitization will be the driving mantra for the industry. With rapid advances in the segment, carbon-free trucks and buses with autonomous driving technology will be the next big thing in the coming years. The future CV will be electric and autonomous, powered by an array of connected services like predictive maintenance, driver monitoring, IoT-based track and trace solutions, over-the-air updates, etc. In the future, the powertrain for electric trucks will match the rate of electrification by battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in urban driving, relying on hybrid strategies to accelerate the transformation.
With data availability, AI and analytics have proven a game-changer in garnering actionable insights, predictive maintenance and superior customer experience. At DTICI, our priority is to place equal focus on strategic imperatives and a transformation of the commercial vehicle (CV) industry through local innovation that has a global impact. We are focused on investing in people skills and leveraging our strength and capabilities to reimagine cutting-edge solutions as the industry goes through a massive digital transformation. DTICI values India as a great source of talent and innovation, and our combined strength in product engineering, IT, and the rich talent pool here will enable us to deliver solutions to customers worldwide.
Innovation is at the core of what we do and we are leading from the front in developing emission-free technology solutions, automated driving and connectivity solutions that are radically transforming the sector. I am confident that India will play a key role in reshaping the trucks of tomorrow.” – Raghavendra Vaidya, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Daimler Truck Innovation Center India
“Five years ago, the Supreme Court had passed a judgement that the right to privacy is a fundamental right under the frame of Article 21 – the ‘right to life’ – in the Indian Constitution. When you change the frame of reference from the physical to the virtual world – the internet – then we can see that a privacy law also needs to exist to protect the rights of every citizen’s ‘digital property’ in India. While the Indian IT Act is getting updated, the Data Protection Bill makes an attempt to address pertinent issues and also pre-empt ones that will crop up as the technology landscape evolves.
Every country has its own privacy and security laws, a basic framework on what personal information can be collected and processed. Currently Web 3.0 is touted as the next generation of the internet; it is a new decentralised model where users have more control. Of course, this will evolve greatly over the next 25 years, but we hope this evolution leads to a version that allows every citizen to take complete control over their data, without the fear of being tracked or profiled by private entities. Moreover, we hope that 25 years on, Indian citizens are more aware of their digital rights, need for privacy and have the right to demand it.
The first step towards such a future is a private ‘digital property’ online that users can own – a property that is not tracked or targeted with advertisements. This property is their safe house where they can store personal data and even communicate with other known members in the gated online community, free from the fear that their activities are being tracked.
Cut to 25 years later, we envision an India that is more aware about its fundamental rights – both in the physical as well as the virtual world. Where online privacy is taken as seriously as security at home or the bank. “ – Mr. Bijaei Jayaraj, Founder & CEO, Houm Technology Private Limited.
“The country is all set to celebrate ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to commemorate 75 years of its independence. Under the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, the government aims to inculcate the feeling of patriotism in the masses. On this occasion, we intend to make a small contribution to upskilling our youth and working professionals with our various courses. We are offering a Rs. 15,000 concession on our courses for the first 75 applicants to register. As India continues to advance to become a USD 5 trillion economy, we at Learnbay aim to play a key role in this progressive journey by making our youth future-proof in the field of technology.” – Abhishek Gupta, Co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Learnbay Institute
“As one of the leading companies committed to our country, we at Navitas Solar have enthusiastically supported the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. We distributed flags to our employees and others and urged them to join in the initiative. Promoting the tricolour flag as a symbol of pride and of our nation is one way that we hope to increase the already huge popularity of this event. Let us commemorate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav by pledging to use more renewable energy and live greener lives.” – Aditya Singhania is the Director (Engineering) and Co-Founder of Navitas green solutions private limited.
“We would like to congratulate everybody on this momentous occasion of our country’s 75th anniversary of independence. Over the past seven decades, India’s technological prowess has grown and outperformed expectations, earning itself a position of focus on the global map. Today, India is widely acknowledged as a hub for developing technologies, and our focus is to continue to innovate in every field.
At Apexon, we aspire to play a crucial part in this transformation in the coming years by contributing to a multitude of sectors that make up India Inc. We aim to complement and contribute to the Digital India initiative, which soon will mark a critical turning point in the history of our nation.” – Sriniketh Chakravarthi, Chief Executive Officer, Apexon India
“Celebration of the glorious journey of India since its Independence, the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav has infused a new vigour in its people. The InMobi group is humbled, being honoured by the Government of India as a key milestone in India’s innovation history. Much like the reason for India’s success in the 75 years since Independence, it is India’s hard work, dedication, talent, and unbridled passion for creating impact at scale which have brought us this far. Historically, we looked to the West for technology. We have now actively proven that world-class tech products can be built out of India, thanks to our multi-faceted talent, engineering prowess, creativity, design, and uniquely innovative Indian mindset. Technology has been critical to the progress we have made as a nation, leapfrogging over several developmental stages into the future. Nations are built on the backs of such an innovation-first mindset. Our impact is not limited to any particular industry but has cut across various systems to create ground-level changes that are meaningful at a societal and individual level. In the next 25 years, we must build together upon the work we have done so far to take Indian innovation to new heights. As we step into this new stage of India’s evolution, being data intelligent, innovating responsibly, and building a framework where innovation results in inclusive experiences for all, is critical to our success. We are at the forefront of moving the human race forward in ways as yet unimagined. This is an exciting moment in history and we are better suited to meet it as a strong and united nation more than ever before. InMobi remains committed to building a brand with purpose and fostering innovation for all, building a new India for all young Indians where we move forward with pride and dignity embracing our roots and yet poised to design for the world! InMobi salutes and celebrates the spirit of India and wishes all Indians a very Happy Independence Day as we start the year-long celebrations of Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and lay the roadmap for the next 25 for India@100.” – Naveen Tiwari, Founder & CEO, The InMobi Group.
