Ayushman Baruah
Ayushman is an experienced journalist covering innovation and technology in India's startup ecosystem.
Articles by Ayushman
6 articles
According to research firm Zinnov, India is the fourth largest geography globally in terms of AI talent pool. Zinnov’s research says India is home to more than 200 AI startups that attracted about $200 million+ funding in 2017. A few major companies that are implementing AI include Amazon, AIG, Equifax, Infosys and NVIDIA - all of which we've covered in depth in our recent "AI in India" research.
Agriculture plays a vital role in India’s economy. Over 58 percent of the rural households depend on agriculture as their principal means of livelihood, according to an IBEF report. Agricultural exports constitute 10 percent of the country’s exports and is the fourth-largest exported principal commodity category in India.
To stay competitive and relevant in the fast-changing world led by digital, India’s leading IT services companies, well-known for their cost-competitiveness, have begun leveraging more artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives as the technology has continued to gain traction.
The Indian telecom sector has been going through consolidation phase with the major players vying for the lucrative data services market, which is estimated to be worth 950 billion rupees by 2020, growing at a compounded annual rate of 21 percent, as per a report from Business Line. Bharti Airtel has consolidated its position as the No. 1 player with its acquisition of Tata Teleservices’ mobile business and Vodafone’s acquisition of Idea will really change the pecking order, the report suggested.
Though in its nascency, the Indian banking sector is beginning to adopt artificial intelligence (AI). While large commercial and investment banks globally are incorporating AI and blockchain for both back-office and customer-facing purposes, in India, widespread adoption of these technologies has not yet come to fruition.
With internet penetration on the rise, the e-commerce sector is booming in India. According to research by Boston Consulting Group, the number of internet users in India will jump upwards of 550 million in 2018 from 190 million as of June 2014. India has over 300 million smartphone users which has surpassed the US to become the second largest smartphone market in the world. As per estimates, the Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) sold by eCommerce companies in India is expected to grow to around $80 billion by 2020 up from around $4 billion in 2009.