´Ban of Chinese apps has given Indian IT experts the space to explore experiment and conquer,´ – Mohandas Pai

While tech giant Google still mulls over their predicament of dealing with possible coalition of Indian startups opposing their new Play Store rules, Mohandas Pai said in a recent webinar that the recent ban by the Indian government on Chinese apps has infused new confidence into young Indian startups. The Padma Shri awardee explained the changing dynamics of industries and methods for adoption in a recent webinar ‘Talk with the Legends’.

Apart from the ongoing digital dominance debate by Google Play Store, the discussion also focused the concepts of data sovereignty, and the threat data monopoly imposes on a nation like India. Appreciating the current government’s efforts on banning Chinese apps, Pai said,

India is a country constrained by supply, not by demand, and tech startups are leading the wave for change

“The time is certainly ideal to utilize this huge potential and ban of Chinese apps has given Indian IT experts the space to explore, experiment, and conquer. India is a country constrained by supply, not by demand, and tech startups are leading the wave for change.”

According to him, the sectors showing promising future growth trajectory and immense job opportunities are pharmaceuticals, FMCG, digital marketing, IT, and data-driven companies. Technologies such as Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning, propose strong business models that can sustain via automation and engagement in customer services.

´The Indian IT Ecosystem Needs More Capital´

Pai also dwelled on the need for the government to come up with digital rights and laws. When competing with global giants like China and the US, the Indian IT ecosystem needs more capital, he said in the webinar series organized by VideoMeet.

Aatmanirbhar Bharat is a dream half-achieved if the required funding is not available for app developers; therefore, policymakers need to pay attention to introducing measures that will aid in raising capital

“India has an average population of approximately 4.5 lakh IT experts, and with each year, three-four lakh experts are being added to this number. As skilled IT experts continue to grow, they are on the lookout for better opportunities. Aatmanirbhar Bharat is a dream half-achieved if the required funding is not available for app developers; therefore, policymakers need to pay attention to introducing measures that will aid in raising capital,” Pai said at the webinar.

The talk enlightened the audience about changing the nature of businesses, digital transformation among sectors, and the zeal among young Indians to combat the slowdown caused by the pandemic.

India Will Overcome the Slowdown

Pai is currently heading the Manipal Global Education, a leading international provider of supreme quality higher education services. He has been associated with the leading Indian MNC, Infosys, for more than 17 years as a senior officer and has hired more than 250,000 applicants over varied domains of business consulting, IT, and outsourcing services.

It is an opportune time for startups to grow and look out for funding, and not get disheartened about the GDP fall. As the market will only get normal, once the relentless and skilled workers are back in the market with a similar kind of energy

Being at the centre of IT transformation in India, he also commented on India´s ability to overcome the slowdown brought on by the current crisis.

“India is a country with passionate people who are not going to let the slowdown hit them; September has been a good month, and October has possibilities of getting even better. There are no easy ways to success; hard work is the ultimate deal that will lead you to the pinnacle. It is an opportune time for startups to grow and look out for funding, and not get disheartened about the GDP fall. As the market will only get normal, once the relentless and skilled workers are back in the market with a similar kind of energy,” he said.

“The virtual meetings have helped us bridge the gap of physical distance to a great extent during the course of pandemic. It has opened up opportunities which businesses were not willing to take due to the credibility issues. Talk with Legends is one such effort in the similar direction that is helping VideoMeet to bring a variety of IT stalwarts under one umbrella for creating a fruitful and knowledgeable discourse,” Dr. Ajay Data, host of the interaction upon concluding an enriching discussion said.