Tech’s Great Leap
Even by conservative estimates, in the 18 months since the onset of Coronavirus on Indian shores in January 2020, tech adoption in the country has leaped by as much as a decade. Probably more. Digital now plays a vital role in work and life as firms, individuals and newer businesses adapt to technology like never before.
Anywhere Tech is BT’s special annual compilation to showcase technovation across the country. Take the case of the financial services industry where the big Q has long been whether banks of the future will be traditional banks as we know them or will technology finance firms such as Google, Facebook or Amazon dominate tomorrow’s banking industry. The advent of Fintechs and their roaring success in customer adoption, business ramp- up and valuations rattled the traditional banking industry. They swarmed over payments, lending, insurance among others to capture the unbanked and under- banked with their convenient apps. Banks tried to play catch- up but lagged hopelessly. Anand Adhikari explains how after a decade of tussle, the new and the old are learning to live with each other, though the jury is still out on the future of banking.
In foodtech, when aggregators such as Swiggy and Zomato surfaced, the writing on the wall was clear for the restaurants business. Consumers were going to switch to the convenience of ordering food home. Read Ajita Shashidhar’s account of how the ` 4.2-lakh- crore restaurant and food retail sector is fighting back — especially during the pandemic — with unprecedented tech adoption. Something the industry admits it overlooked when times were good.
India’s higher education institutions have long looked for life beyond pen-paper assessments and classroom learning. Just when the Covidstricken industry had to give up on physical classrooms and in-person teaching, it turned to technology for substitutes —from course delivery to assessments, managing libraries and curriculum or even entrance test exams. Read Nidhi Singal’s piece on the ongoing transformation on campuses — beyond Edtech.
In healthcare, the industry is fast digitising in pretty much every aspect — taking to robotic surgery, electronic medical records maintenance, tracking of medicines from the factory to the user. Even in the fraternity’s way to keep itself updated on the latest in the industry — Continuous Medical Education. P.B. Jayakumar explains how greater adoption of Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and data analytics is slowly revolutionising how companies digitise sales pipelines and doctors perform surgeries, diagnose patients or even learn themselves.
Among other offerings in the issue, Sumant Banerji captures why the future of mobility is electric. The pandemic has only accelerated the move to an electric mobility world. Brace up for more technology in the daily commute, be it electric vehicles, remote charging or driver-less cars.
In roads and highways, the Centre now aims to remove toll booths across the country within a year as toll collection will be enabled by GPS. What does this mean?
And if health and fitness is your calling, Nidhi Singal shortlists the best wearables to buy — from measuring body temperature to oximeter to ECG. Just why sales of wearables have skyrocketed.