If you have a car in one of the metros with a commercial number plate chances are it’s “ache din” for you. Uber, Ola, Meru, the list is endless as is the money raining on these apps from global investors like Sequoia , ABG Capital, Accel Partners, Mauritius Investments, Tiger and other. It has changed the fortunes of taxi drivers in the metros. Ola for instance is funded by DST Global in it’s latest round to the tune, standing at a valuation of $3.5 billion.Your Personal DriverI didn’t know I had a personal driver until I was introduced to everyone’s private driver i.e. Uber, by my economist friend, a professor at ISB. He is a no nonsense person and coming from him anything really seems of value. Little did I know this introduction will turn into a relationship in the coming days. As destiny would have it, I had an accident and with my car at the workshop it was time for me to Uber for the next 2 weeks. The Great Income SurveyIt took less than 5 minutes for the first Uber to arrive at my gate. Curious to know how it’s all working and why are the rates what they are @Rs 9 for a brand new sedan, I ended up asking the driver two questions, the ownership and income. I won’t dare ask these questions to anyone else but I guess some curious part in me wanting to understand the logic between increasing fuel prices and decreasing cab prices got the better of me. Puneet MehrotraHaving used a double figure of these cabs via apps, I can safely answer these questions with authority. The average Uber driver earns between Rs.60,000 and Rs 1,00,000 per month in the UberX category depending on how active they are. The ownership has been 100 per cent driver owned. The wiser drivers have tied with up Uber, Ola, Taxiforsure and others. The Power of AppsMore startling revelations. One evening on a ride back home, I was playing the anti-tech guy. I asked the cab driver apps like Uber don’t even have a call centre number in India to look into your complaints, what good are they really in the Indian reality? The answer was startling. The cab driver said, the app is so friendly, why do you want to call up a phone number at all? These days everyone uses apps, you don’t you use apps or what? That answer felt like the Flipkart advertisement on TV in which the petrol attendant tells the urban, educated guy in afancy car, hassled over weekend family purchasing, “Flipkart ka app download kiya kya”. Technology & Apps: The LevellerBeing privy to research reports on technology I can safely say the average Indian on the road is far more tech savvy than the research predicts. The benefits of technology and apps is startling to trickle down to the man on the street. Technology is no longer some exquisite diamond in the possession of the elite. It is becoming the leveller. Think about it. Today the average smartphone in our hands is at least tens or hundreds a time smarter than the super computer of 70’s at less than 10000th the cost. STD booths in 80’s 90’s created more employment than any government scheme aimed at that. Technology and apps are not just powering but also facilitating self employment. The Last WordThe trail of money is fascinating. Some pensioner in the United States or maybe in the United Kingdom, invests in some mutual fund. The mutual fund in turn invests into smaller venture funds and yet smaller funds are funding someone’s vision which he had in the dormitory and the taxi driver’s income is increasing by almost 500 to 1000 per cent in India. The logical part in me may ask “how will they make money if at all they will ever make money?” Business Insider in a article said Uber will generate $10 billion in revenue by 2015 end. Predicting the future based on present would be re-creating the present. The future is another time, another story. Who knows what will be sparked off in the neuro-pathways of the founders and inventors? Or even revenue models? Let’s wait and watch. When the perfect sculpture is etched, a lot of stone is wasted. What matters is the perfection. We remember Michelangelo for the perfection he created and not the waste that he threw away in it’s making. In 2015, we remember Google not the Altavistas of the 2000’s. Puneet Mehrotra writes on business and technology. email puneet@tbe.in
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Rumours abound on an upgrade to iPhone 6s with a better camera and specs The rumour mills are overheating again as the possibility of a refresh to the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6s, as early as August comes up, according to the Cult of Mac. All the speculation is sparked off by leaks that come all the way from China, where the iPhone is manufactured. Supply chain workers talk about components and schedules, galvanizing Apple-watchers into a state of excitement. It’s nothing new – and yet it always is. One of the main things being talked about, thanks to China analyst Kevin Wong’s comments on Weibo, China’s Facebook, is the next iPhone’s camera. Apple has stuck to its 8 megapixel camera since the iPhone 4, although it improved the optics a great deal for the iPhone 4s. But now it’s said to be moving on to 12 megapixels, at least for the rear camera, with smaller pixels being used in the images. Nothing seems to be known about the front camera, though the selfie phenomenon started on the iPhone and it would be safe to assume the front camera too receives a bump. The iPhone camera is still considered by all Apple fans and a significant portion of others as being one of the best cameras on a smartphone, if not the absolute best. On the face of it, there may be no real need to change it or join the megapixels race that Android phones are engaged in: 13, 16 and 20 megapixels being the norm on these devices that have mostly left the 8 megapixel standard behind, unless it’s a very cheap phone. Of course, few of these match the 8-megapixel iPhone in its optics. It’s just the top flaghsips that are compared with the iPhone with regards to the camera capability. The iPhone has been singlehandedly responsible for sparking off a phone photography revolution. It even has a name, “iPhonography” and is the reason social networks like Insstagram even exist. But the prospect of a camera that is even better would likely give iPhone users a really strong reason to upgrade to the new iPhone 6s, if these rumours and leaks are anything to go by. The “s” upgrades have also not tended to be minor, expect perhaps in the case of the 5 to 5s, which was much more of a tweaking. Other specs are rumoured to be getting significant upgrades as well. According to Business Insider, “Force Touch” could be one of the new features coming to the iPhone 6s: a detection of extent of pressure of a touch on the screen. The phone will also be optimized in many ways to make it work in tandem with the Apple Watch. All basic specs are also expected to be enhanced now. Rumours on the iPhone do pan out to be true, and if they do this time round as well, we could see iPhone 6s and 6s Plus sales extended Apple’s phenomenal reach even further.
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As a part of Panasonic India’s efforts in continuing to focus on product differentiation coupled with developing innovative technological solutions, the company on Wednesday (20 May) announced the launch of its fully-rugged, 5-inch handheld tablet Toughpad FZ-E1/X1 and its semi-rugged Toughbook CF-54. With smart business users demanding access to data anytime and anywhere, mobility devices are becoming integral components of the overall technology landscape. In line with this, the new Panasonic handheld tablet Toughpad FZ-E1, powered by Windows Embedded 8.1 Handheld and the Toughpad FZ-X1, running on Android 4.2.2 operating system are enterprise-class devices priced at Rs 119,000 and Rs 109,000 respectively. These devices are purpose-built to improve efficiency and productivity for professionals working in the field of defense, public safety, logistics, utilities, manufacturing, retail and field services. Created for usage in the automotive diagnostic industry and field work, mainly for indoor maintenance, the new semi-rugged Toughbook CF-54 priced at Rs 139,000 is the thinnest and lightest semi-rugged PC in its category.Hide Harada, Managing Officer in charge of Mobile Business Division, Director of IT Products Business Division (ITPBD), AVC Networks Company, Panasonic Corporation said, “With mobility increasingly becoming a crucial factor in determining business success today, the launch of these products is a strategic step towards enhancing our focus on the mobility segment. We are among the few device manufacturers to offer complete customization for our rugged-devices, with everything in-house.Gunjan Sachdev, National Business Head - Toughbook, Panasonic India, further added, “The launch of these products will certainly enhance our portfolio catering to the enterprise segment. With the broadest range of configuration options available in their class, industry-leading reliability and enterprise-grade feature sets, the Toughpad FZ-E1 and Toughpad FZ-X1 are ideal tools for a host of usage scenarios in the industry.” Start Your FirstRun with Gul Panag!MobieFit announces the launch of FirstRun App at Sofitel Mumbai BKC. FirstRun is MobieFit’s first mobile app designed to make runners out of those who’ve never run before in their lives. The app is available on the Google Play Store for free, including all premium features. FirstRun is the debut product of MobieFit, a company founded by Gourav Jaswal with Gul Pang as co-founder and born out of Prototyze, an incubator for technology-centered businesses. Gul Panag, co-founder, MobieFit said, “I wish I had access to this kind of technology when I started running. If I had the support of a fantastic app like FirstRun, I would have definitely struggled less to run my first 3 miles.”Euroclear Finland Launches InfinityTata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, announced that its client - Euroclear Finland - the central securities depository (CSD) for the Finnish capital markets, has launched a new transaction processing platform known as ‘Infinity’. Infinity’s processing capabilities for fixed-income was recently unveiled, following a 22 month implementation of this first phase. The next phases will be rolled out in the course of 2016 and the processing environment will also feature a new central register as well as equity processing capabilities. R. Vivekanand, Vice President, TCS, said, “TCS has been providing mission critical solutions to market infrastructure institutions for over 20 years. TCS BaNCS is unique in its multi-asset class capability which enables our customers to replace multiple platforms with our solution. We have also created a strong roadmap for T2S to help our customers adapt to this transformation, and leverage it to become more competitive. Euroclear's selection of TCS BaNCS and the successful rollout of the first phase of Infinity is an affirmation of our commitment to this space.”CRISP International Faculty Development ProgrammeCentre for Research and Industrial Staff Performance (CRISP) in association with HRware Consulting Services, UAE will organize an International faculty development programme on Leading towards excellence in Education from 3rd to 11th June 2015 in Bhopal & Bangkok, Thailand. This program is especially meant for the people associated with the academic and higher educational institutions like; college professors, HOD’s, lecturers and others concerning the educational sector. Mukesh Sharma, CEO, CRISP said that,"This training program will help the teachers learn about modern teaching methodologies, so that they can teach the students efficiently. This will also imbibe the scientific concept of connecting the student in a better way to make the student more curious".ZNetLive & Microsoft To Make It Easier For SMBsMicrosoft and ZNetLive, a leading technology provider have come together to empower SMBs in Rajasthan to take their business online, for as low as INR 199*. With this offering they aim to help over 20,000 SMBs in Rajasthan reach more customers globally, while making the business more discoverable, keeping the identity secure and enabling collaboration. This partnership will enable all small and big businesses to host and publish their website in less than 45 seconds, and enhance their sales output by connecting with more customers digitally. “Our association with Microsoft will help SMBs take their businesses online at an affordable price of INR 199 per month. Our offer will not just provide them with website solutions, but also make them more collaborative and productive. We want businesses today, to recognize the power of web and cloud, and translate it to growth,” said Munesh Jadoun, CEO, ZNetLive.
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Panasonic India has launched HC-WX970 and HC-VX870 Ultra HD camcorders to help consumers capture the most cherished moments from your travels.Both the new variants feature the advanced Twin Camera functions. The Twin camera and wireless Twin camera provide picture-in-picture twin camera recording. Adding to the experience of getting multiple shots at one time, the models include a rotatable sub camera that lets the user take shots two different angles at once. Specifically designed to capture 4K or high speed HD images, the 4K photo mode lets the user choose a single frame to capture a decisive moment making it convenient for amateur photographers to grab impressive moments in still or video footage. The 4K photo mode further enables delivery of true-to-life images for a wide variety of shooting situations, in extremely high detail. Both the models support AVCHD and a variety of other high-bit-rate recording modes for added versatility. The models also incorporate a MOS image sensor with more pixels for high-definition images and High-speed readout for reduced Rolling Shutter distortion. The BSI sensor provides great shots in dim locations and new NR enables to capture clear, high-contrast images. Digital Vidya Acquires Digital Academy IndiaFollowing in the footsteps of consolidation in digital marketing agency space in India, digital marketing training sector sees its first M&A deal with acquisition of Digital Academy India, a leading Indian digital marketing education firm by Digital Vidya, one of Asia’s leading digital marketing training companies.Speaking on this acquisition, Digital Vidya’s CEO & Co-founder Pradeep Chopra said, “Having Digital Academy India as a part of our family will further strengthen our leadership position in digital marketing training industry. This acquisition will help us expand our reach and further enhance the quality of our digital marketing certification programs for our customers and partners by leveraging the strengths and experience of Digital Academy India.”Akosha Raises Series B FundAkosha, a messaging platform for all consumer-to-business interactions, today announced that Sequoia is leading a new Rs.100 crore Series B round. This new round of financing will be used to hire over 200 software engineers and product managers to build out the platform, and fund the exponential growth of Akosha’s new mobile app for connecting users and businesses.Says Ankur Singla, Chief Executive Officer, Akosha, “We started 4 years ago to help consumers with post purchase issues. With the growth of mobile, we aim at building a messaging platform for all interactions between consumers and businesses including discovery, buying, appointments and customer service. We hope to be doing 100,000 customer interactions/day within 3 months.Nokia Networks Shrinks Entire LTE Network Into A BoxNokia Networks is launching a compact, rapidly deployable LTE network in a box with macro site capacity and coverage to provide real-time communication services. Nokia Network in a box can serve as a dedicated small network for major industrial sites. It also enables vital public safety communications to be implemented at emergency scenes where wide area network coverage is not available. In addition, mobile operators can use the miniature LTE network to bring high-bandwidth connectivity to rural and remote areas.Deepak Harie, Vice President of Systems Integration Services at Nokia Networks, said: "We've combined our award-winning Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station with integrated core network software to build a very compact Network in a box. It allows for easy implementation of a dedicated stand-alone LTE network in next to no time. Nokia Network in a box can be used in multiple ways - to provide network connectivity in remote areas, as a stand-alone communications network for enterprises like oil rigs and to support public safety communications."Piaggio Vespa Available On SnapdealPiaggio Vehicles and Snapdeal, India’s largest online marketplace has announced the launch of Vespa Scooters through an exclusive online store on Snapdeal’s marketplace platform. Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. – the wholly owned Indian subsidiary of the Italian Piaggio Group has partnered with Snapdeal, to create a platform to reach out to its internet savvy customers of Vespa. The exclusive Vespa brand store will showcase the entire range of Vespa scooters. Vespa fans will now be able to book their Vespa on a click of a button.Speaking about the new partnership, Sanjeev Goyle Executive Vice President - 2W Business, Piaggio Vehicles Private Limited (India) said, “The brand Vespa has a global appeal and has been the most stylish 2 wheeler around the world. Our premium product Vespa has received a lot of recognition since its launch in the Indian market. From the launch of Vespa LX to the launch of sporty Vespa S, our endeavour as a brand has been to offer ultra-modern and sleek designs that appeal to the youth segment. Today’s generation loves online shopping and prefers brands that provide buyer friendly shopping options. Hence we decided to launch a virtual store that will offer the fastest possible Vespa buying experience.” Nubia Announces Its Entry In Indianubia, on Tuesday (19 May), announced its debut in India with the launch of the much anticipated nubia Z9 mini. The nubia Z9 mini with its promise to allow user to “unlimit yourself” boasts a DSLR quality camera and striking design made of aircraft grade alloy for absolute robustness and rigidity. The strong structure is encased in a stunningly beautiful metal body to ensure style and substance along with top of the line specs at a disruptive price point. The nubia Z9 mini will be exclusively available to consumers across India through Amazon.in. The device, for which the pre-bookings just opened, will go on sale on Amazon.in starting May 19, 2015. Amazon.in would also offer consumers nubia Z9 mini accessories including high quality headphones and custom swap covers, exclusively available through them.Commenting on nubia’s foray in to the Indian market, Yuan Kang, (CEO Terminal Sales South Asia), said “We are excited to be entering India. We believe this is the perfect time for a brand like us launch here given the high paced economic growth and focus on developing the highest quality communications infrastructure nationally to support the new government’s “Make in India” vision.”
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What? All that for just Rs 19,999? Well, even less, if you look around online for even better deals. The Swipe Ultimate 3G Tab was showcased at CES earlier this year, and is one of a number of affordable hybrid tablet-laptops coming out now. Look at all it’s got going for it… The Swipe 3G is of course, 3G SIM enabled. You can’t make cellular calls on it, but you can of course, get internet access via the SIM and Wi-Fi. It’s a nice 10.1 inch tablet, a bit heavy but usable, and it attaches at the hinge to a keyboard when you get into laptop – or rather, netbook – mode. When you close the screen-lid of the device, you have a wrap around case which not only looks good but lets you carry it off like a file. When the screen is lifted, the back of the case has flaps that provide the backrest for it to be upright. Here’s where you do have to be a little careful though. Someone knocking into the tented flaps could bring the screen down with a thud on whatever surface you’re using it on. When you lift the screen out of the hinge, it’s a tablet. So you have the best of both worlds for a good price. Because it’s a tablet, it’s obviously touchscreen, which works out just fine for Windows 8.1 which is free on this device, along with Microsoft Office, for a year. There’s nothing cheap about either the 1280x800 IPS screen or the keyboard. The viewing angles have often been awful on smaller machines, but not on this one. The keys have often been horribly plasticky on cheaper devices, but not on this one. The Swipe Ultimate isn’t a workhorse of a machine but it’s just fine as a basic tablet-notebook. It works on an Intel 1.86GHz processor with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Email, browsing, video, working with Office documents, reading, are what this device is great for. And it’s got a 5 and 2MP set of cameras for your video calling needs. There are lots of connectivity options, including Bluetooth 4.0, Mini HDMI, USB, OTG and support for a dongle. You don’t have a microSD slot though and will need to use cloud storage to add to the onboard space. It’s also silent, because there’s no fan to contend with. All in all, it’s a great deal for those who can be careful not to let the screen or tablet part fall while moving positions.
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Windows 8/8.1 was a big attempt by Microsoft to bring in a new ecosystem that could work on touch devices as well as the traditional PC. Sadly it has faced a lot of criticism due to the clunky interface and the repeated failures of trying to use your finger as a cursor. This (still) did not stop OEMs to stop venturing into making Windows based touch devices. One of the newest members added to the Microsoft family is Micromax. After claiming the throne for the biggest smartphone manufacturer in India, the company went on to make LED TVs last year and now it has come up with a convertible tablet called the Canvas LapTab. Ignoring the lazy name, the device promises a value for money package. Not only do you run full-fledged Windows on it, but you get free 1TB of cloud storage on OneDrive and a one year subscription of Office 2013 with three licences. For Rs 14,999 you get a 10.1-inch HD display (1280x800) which offers great viewing angles and a good amount of brightness. Sadly the bezels are quite large and the glass panel on top of the display gets smudged very easily, fingerprint haters should stay away. The front also houses a capacitive Windows key, the front camera and an LED notification light. The back is a combination of metal and some rubber-like plastic accents to accommodate the stereo speakers, the rear camera and all the ports and buttons. The overall finish of the tablet looks good until you get to the supplied docking keyboard. The quality here is quite bad. Firstly, the keyboard is just too cramped up, especially if you are coming down form a proper full-sized keyboard and you will end up hitting the wrong keys, but that’s just a matter of usage. Secondly the touchpad is horrible, apart from being very flimsy and unresponsive; it does random swipes and selections. Lastly the docking mechanism, which seems fairly simple, just place it on the groove and the tablet fixes itself with magnets. But the problem here is, it stays at just one angle, you cannot tilt it at all as it moves from the docking point and disconnects from the keyboard. So the laptop mode is only useful if you are using the LapTab on a flat surface. On the inside there is an Intel Atom processor clocked at 1.8GHz with 2GB of RAM and there is 32GB of storage onboard along with expansion. There is also a SIM card slot, in case you want to use cellular data. The performance is smooth and the hardware provides good enough power to watch HD movies however the onboard speakers are very low on volume so you better plug in some earphones or an external speaker. The cameras are dull and didn’t impress due to the lack of proper software. The battery backup is claimed to be about 8 hours but it didn’t live upto its expectations as it ran for about 6 hours straight after fully charging it, which took about 5 hours itself. The LapTab seems like an attractive alternative to a notebook, but sadly it needs lot of improvements. The design is not very attractive or practical and the overall user experience is not appealing. At a similar price point there are much better alternatives like the HP Stream 11, Asus Eeebook and even the Notion Ink Cain.
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If you have a car in one of the metros with a commercial number plate chances are it’s “ache din” for you. Uber, Ola, Meru, the list is endless as is the money raining on these apps from global investors like Sequoia , ABG Capital, Accel Partners, Mauritius Investments, Tiger and other. It has changed the fortunes of taxi drivers in the metros. Ola for instance is funded by DST Global in it’s latest round to the tune, standing at a valuation of $3.5 billion. Your Personal DriverI didn’t know I had a personal driver until I was introduced to everyone’s private rriver i.e. Uber, by my economist friend, a professor at ISB. He is a no nonsense person and coming from him anything really seems of value. Little did I know this introduction will turn into a relationship in the coming days. As destiny would have it, I had an accident and with my car at the workshop it was time for me to Uber for the next 2 weeks. The Great Income SurveyPuneet MehrotraIt took less than 5 minutes for the first Uber to arrive at my gate. Curious to know how it’s all working and why are the rates what they are @Rs.9 for a brand new sedan, I ended up asking the driver two questions, the ownership and income. I won’t dare ask these questions to anyone else but I guess some curious part in me wanting to understand the logic between increasing fuel prices and decreasing cab prices got the better of me. Having used a double figure of these cabs via apps, I can safely answer these questions with authority. The average Uber driver earns between Rs 60,000 and Rs 1,00,000 per month in the UberX category depending on how active they are. The ownership has been 100 per cent driver owned. The wiser drivers have tied with up Uber, Ola, Taxiforsure and others. The Power of AppsMore startling revelations. One evening on a ride back home, I was playing the anti-tech guy. I asked the cab driver apps like Uber don’t even have a call centre number in India to look into your complaints, what good are they really in the Indian reality? The answer was startling. The cab driver said, the app is so friendly, why do you want to call up a phone number at all? These days everyone uses apps, you don’t you use apps or what? That answer felt like the Flipkart advertisement on TV in which the petrol attendant tells the urban, educated guy in afancy car, hassled over weekend family purchasing, “Flipkart ka app download kiya kya”. Technology & Apps: The LevellerBeing privy to research reports on technology I can safely say the average Indian on the road is far more tech savvy than the research predicts. The benefits of technology and apps is startling to trickle down to the man on the street. Technology is no longer some exquisite diamond in the possession of the elite. It is becoming the leveller. Think about it. Today the average smartphone in our hands is at least tens or hundreds a time smarter than the super computer of 70’s at less than 10000th the cost. STD booths in 80’s 90’s created more employment than any government scheme aimed at that. Technology and apps are not just powering but also facilitating self employment. The Last WordThe trail of money is fascinating. Some pensioner in the United States or maybe in the United Kingdom, invests in some mutual fund. The mutual fund in turn invests into smaller venture funds and yet smaller funds are funding someone’s vision which he had in the dormitory and the taxi driver’s income increasing almost by 500 to 1000 per cent in India. The logical part in me may ask “how will they make money if at all they will ever make money?” Business Insider in a article said Uber will generate $10 billion in revenue by 2015 end. Predicting the future based on present would be re-creating the present. The future is another time, another story. Who knows what will be sparked off in the neuro-pathways of the founders and inventors? Or even revenue models? Let’s wait and watch. When the perfect sculpture is etched, a lot of stone is wasted. What matters is the perfection. We remember Michelangelo for the perfection he created and not the waste that he threw away in it’s making. In 2015, we remember Google not the Altavistas of the 2000’s. The author, Puneet Mehrotra, writes on business and technology.email puneet@tbe.in
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For millions of Indian consumers in cities and rural areas, “being digital” has become a way of life. Similar to what’s happening in more and more households around the world, many Indians wake up in the morning and, the first thing they latch on to are their smart phones to check email or review their friends’ Facebook posts and Twitter feeds. At cafés and bus stops, conversations between friends are increasingly peppered with verbs such as “Googling”, “Tweeting” and “Facebooking” fromlingua digital. Accelerated penetration of smart phones and mobile broadband across the nation will only bring in larger swaths of Indian populace under the digital fold. IDC predicts that the Indian smart-phone market will witness growth levels higher than any other top markets in the world—as much as 460 percent during 2013-2017 alone. And according eMarketer, starting in 2017, India is expected to become home to the world's largest population of Facebook users and will emerge as the second-largest mobile broadband market. But consumers aren’t the only ones going digital. Indian workers are doing the same. Witness the rapidly digitising talent pools in Indian organizations, leveraging the power of sharing, networking and gaming. A new layer of connected intelligence is augmenting employees’ skills, automating processes and incorporating machines into lives of customer and workforce. Today’s digital consumers and digitized employees are constantly connected and more informed than ever. As such, they no longer just passively accept the products and services that companies have to offeror the practices and opportunities that employers and workplaces have to offer. Just as digital customers areaggressively shaping companies’ offerings, digitised workers are redefining the way work gets done. When it comes to serving digital consumers, gone are the days when companies could still succeed even if they kept customers waiting. Now, thanks to the increasing penetration of e-commerce, digital consumers can pick and choose the businesses they want to engage with. And the businesses they select will be those that providethe offerings that customers want—when and where they want them. Likewise, companies can’t expect to recruit and retain the best talent if they ignore the ‘digital personality’ of the more-digitsing employee. To profitably serve the growing mass of digital consumers as well as win and retain digitised talent, Indian companies can’t rely on simply tweaking productivity- and efficiency-enhancing strategies deployed in what we call the IT Era and Industrial IT Era. Instead, they will have to embrace digitalisation—whereby digitized resources (such as online channels, machines equipped with digital sensors and cloud-based software) are transformed into new sources of profitable revenue. Digitalisation involves recognition of connections among the information, motivations, decisions and actions driving customers’ decisions. It is about formulation of an “outside-in” strategy for making digital customers—whether consumers or other businesses—co-creators and shapers of experiences. From a talent perspective, digitalisation is about building flexible technology framework capable of combiningthe power of digital talent with the digital ecosystem within and outside organizations to quickly deliver new value to customers. To understand the intent, interest and intensity within companies based in India towards embracing digitalisation, Accenture conducted a detailed survey and in-depth interview based research. We had conversations with more than 100 C-suite executives across large, medium and small companies in a diverse array of sectors. To sum up the results in one line, we witnessed much talk, but less planned action. Nine out of 10 executives we surveyed said that digitalsation will be a strategic imperative for their companies over the next five years. To avoid missing the “digital bus,” numerous companies have rushed to adopt digital technologies such as social media and cloud technologies. Focused on earning quick returns on these investments, such businesses are working to pluck “low-hanging fruit” such as process efficiencies and productivity gains. As a result, they have not taken time to create a roadmap for using their digital resources to develop new-to-market offerings — the true value inherent in digitalization. Equally sobering, they have put their current and future digital gains at risk. A large number of executives surveyed have already started seeing the gains they’ve made from digital adoption hit a plateau. What they aren’t realizing isthat such outcomes stem from the practice of “bolting” digital technologies onto their existing operating and business model.For instance, 86percent of the companies in our survey that haven’t defined a clear digital roadmap complained that because of the high costs of digital adoption and digital transactions, combined with infrastructure deficits,they haven’t captured digital technologies’ full potential. Clearly, while companies are aware of the importance of digitalization and keen to embrace it, many are going about it the wrong way. To help companies embrace digitalization systematically, we have defined a framework for achieving efficient as well as profitable digitalization. To develop this framework, we analyzed the experiences of firms that have begun finding their feet in this effort. While they have encountered their share of surprises and setbacks, these companies are also benefiting by taking a methodical approach to digitalization. The proposed framework comprises three steps: 1) Create awareness and ownership around digitalisation.To approach digitasation strategically, organisations must make a paradigm shift in thinking, culture and behavior. As the first step, the CEO of the firm must create awareness of what digitalization is and what advantages it offers, and foster a sense of ownership around digitalization at the highest level. The CEO must encourage top leaders across all key business functions to have “skin in the game” and to drive digitalisation collectively.2) Design a digitalisation roadmap.Firms must develop a digitalization roadmap. They must put customers at the center of this roadmap and include tactics for using digital technologies to strengthen their understanding of existing and future customers. Fostering participation of leaders from all ranks, companies must design a “digital business value tree” (discussed more fully below) as well as consider potential digital operating models. While designing this roadmap, leadership must also detail the technology and skills required to harness the true power of digital assets towards delivering the desired customer value.3) Digitalise your business model. Companies must digitalise their business model, which requires making the right choices about their customer value proposition, resources, profit formula and performance metrics. They must nurture the capabilities and culture needed to support their business model and thus transform digitalization into a driver of profitable growth. To follow these steps, especially the second and the third, Indian companies will need to customize the activities associated with each step to suit their unique business realities. Moreover, they should not abruptly jettison all of their efficiency-focused digitisation initiatives. Instead, they need to find ways to leverage new efficiencies to craft a digitalisation strategy that makes them more competitive in their chosen markets. Indeed, the digitalisation journey will not be easy. However, by breaking it down into stages and taking a disciplined approach, Indian businesses can go beyond merely “doing better.” Ultimately, they can transform their businesses by activating new sources of revenue that take full advantage of the nation’s rapid digital growth. (Avinash Vashistha and Raghav Narsalay) (Avinash Vashistha is the Chairman and Senior Managing Director for Accenture’s India geography. Raghav Narsalay is a Managing Director with the Accenture Institute for High Performance)
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