Techade: Is India Ready For a Change? In the last few years there has been a technology avalanche, be it The Internet of Things (IoT), artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), connectivity; India has a captive usage ground for all. Experts share their views on the sidelines of Entrepreneur India's Tech and Innovation Summit

Amongst all the latest innovations, the 5G network is taking the Indian market by storm. Private 5th Generation (5G) mobile networks can help enable low latency, high bandwidth and seamless secure wireless connectivity in manufacturing, logistics and warehousing, third-party providers and municipalities. This is the premise on which a demand for such an arrangement was sought. According to a Ericsson Mobility Report, 5G subscriptions in the India region are expected to reach around 690 million by the end of 2028.

Is Make in India pushing the country towards technology adoption or was it always there? Are we really moving towards a techade? "Earlier we used to Make In India for the world, now, we innovate, research, design and then Make In India both for the world and us," said Monika Gupta, vice-president - 5G/telecom, Capgemini, a consulting, technology services and digital transformation firm.

In the last few years there has been a technology avalanche: Be it The Internet of Things (IoT), artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), connectivity; India has a captive usage ground.

India has all the basic building blocks required to develop and adopt technology at different levels. "There is a difference between an idea/concept and a commercial product/solution. That's the journey we all have to travel, which needs prerequisites that we have to adhere to. In the race of being innovative we cannot miss on the prerequisites. Another aspect is to check the business viability of the end-product/solution and this has to be uniform across the ecosystem as it creates a domino effect," Gupta added.

With the launch of open-source Wi-Fi 7 Access Point, HFCL has become the first original equipment manufacturer in India to design and launch this Wi-Fi technology to complement the indoor 5G coverage. Recently, HFCL partnered with Microsoft to create converged private 5G solutions of IoT, Cloud, Edge Computing, AI and Analytics to transform industry verticals that include manufacturing, retail and warehouse, mining, education, defense, railways, among others. "In order to amplify innovation in technology we need to work with our other ecosystem partners to build pre-integrated, pre-validated solutions that can cater to needs of the Indian market and globally," said Jayanta Dey, executive president-5G at HFCL.

In terms of technology adoption, Ankit Agarwal, MD, STL, said, "Technology is helping in job creation and there is a need to step up manufacturing in India. India as a market is doing good but there is a long way to go. Enabling technology adoption starts from a CEO's desk and companies are showing a lot of interest now, however, organizations have to be really proactive in bringing the required changes to minimize dependence on external factors."

The 5G network basically works on four key pillars – IoT, Cloud, analytics, connectivity– it pivots around these criterias. Airtel is one of the top players when it comes to 5G, it has relevant use cases in manufacturing, health care and agriculture industries. "In health care, 5G can help in real time analytics and plays a crucial role in saving someone's life. In terms of manufacturing, logistics can be greatly improved by 5G and another revolution would be in the connected car space. Companies are partnering with other organizations to keep the growth momentum going and I think we have come a long way in terms of technology," said Satkeerthi M, CTO, Airtel Business.

Another immediate use case is in the field of emergency healthcare. "Today, the ambulance has doubled up as a mini ICU. This is because, given our population, reaching before the golden hour tends to get difficult. So, today, the treatment starts In the ambulance. Such treatments can further be improved with 5G. Also, hospitals can monitor the arrival of different ambulances and prioritize accordingly. And, depending on vitals, doctors can monitor remotely without any lag," Satkeerthi M, added.

These comments were taken on the sidelines of Entrepreneur India's Tech and Innovation Summit.