Hitachi India: Imagine the Future

On August 19, Bengaluru became the venue for leaders in innovation and tech- nology to share bold and transformational ideas that will shape India’s digital future. Those living in the now were jolted awake by the ideas and plans of stalwarts leading the digital drive.

Think a riveting sci-fi novel, no less. But these were not fiction writers. They were hardnosed professionals who are putting their big money might behind ideas that will shape our future.

The tone was set by the Chief Guest, SR Patil, Minister of Infrastructure, IT, Bio- tech, Science & Tech, Planning & Statis- tics in the Govt of Karnataka as he un- veiled the Smart Village model when most are still talking Smart Cities. He exhorted those present to take the bene- fits of IT to the poorest sections of soci- ety so that the lives of a billion Indians can truly be transformed. His line found a groundswell of support from the other guests who highlighted innovative ways in which governance and essential servic- es can be extended to every Indian.

In his keynote address, Kojin Nakakita, Managing Director, Hitachi India em- phasised the great India opportunity and Hitachi’s long commitment to supporting its development—a presence of 80 years and 30 operating companies with over 10,000 employees. He stressed the need for dialogue among the thought leaders of society to make India a digital superpow- er. He couldn’t have been more pleased with what followed at the Hitachi Social Innovation Forum 2015, organised in partnership with NDTV. The audiences were riveted. They listened in rapt atten- tion as experts held forth on the coming transformation and how the government and businesses needed to cope with it. It was truly an eye-opener for many and a wake-up call for fence-sitters, who were still contemplating the implications of a digital era. It made each one ask them- selves the critical question: “Are we ready for the digital age?”

Through the sessions, Hitachi pursued to highlight where India stands today on the digital highway and what it will take for it to reach its goal of emerging a digital economy. It emphasised how technology will be the fulcrum to drive change across sections of society—delivering health- care, education, financial inclusion and better governance. The role of IT in en- abling enterprise to realise greater busi- ness value and to stay ahead of the curve was emphasised. The need to move to converging technologies from traditional IT was not just recognised, but the trans- formational change such a shift can have was well illustrated for all to get a sense of what the future holds.

The summit was truly an awakening and a call to action—to innovate to build a bet- ter future.

The Sessions & Highlights

Social innovation to build a new india driven by technology
The session set the tone for the conference with the high- profile speakers stressing on the need for it to drive social innovation to expedite india’s multiple challenges across healthcare, smart cities, manufacturing, financial mobility among other segments.

Decoding Social innovation: connecting to transform
the verdict that it will drive india forward was unanimous. The panel discussed the “new normal” and its implications for economic development—the restructuring of industries for sustainability and so on. It also examined the role of digital infrastructure in the success of digital india, make in india, Pradhan mantri Jan dhan yojana and other poster projects of the government.

Navigating the era of digital transformation. Security and infra being the core nerve centre of transformation
The engaging session dwelt on how decision makers understand can ensure their companies thrive in a new global context—the changes required in processes to complete the digital transformation. It focused on internet of things, operational technology, data analytics and the critical need for digital security solutions.

Future trends in Payment Solutions – India Perspective
The financial sector is transforming rapidly. The session highlighted the need to take atms beyond the urban landscape, the role of branchless banking to expedite financial inclusion and the need ofPoS devices in building a merchant network.

Mobilise your data & workforce for business efficiency
The session highlighted the advantages of moving business to converging technologies from the traditional use of it in business decision making. It illustrated how this can bring speed, security & efficiency into existing operations.

QUICK BYTES

“There has been lot of talk on Smart cities. we need to start talking Smart villages. It must reach the poorest to empower them.”
— SR Patil, Minister of Infrastructure, IT, Biotech, Science & Tech, Planning & Statistics in the Govt of Karnataka

“India can set an example for the world by delivering healthcare to everyone at a very reasonable cost (with technology).”
– Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Group of Hospitals

“Digital India is about making the lives of people better.”
— Dr Rathan Kelkar, CEO, Centre for e-Governance, Govt. of Karnataka

“The job of technologists is to make life simultaneous.”
– Subroto Bagchi, Chairman, Mindtree Ltd

“We are about to see the largest transformation ever (the digital age). It will be no less than the industrial revolution.”
– Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament and Technology Entrepreneur

(All source is Hitachi material/Mr Nakakita’s speech.)

(Advertiser Sponsored Feature – a marketing initiative.)

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