National Technology Day 2023: Here is what IT Industry leaders have to say

The year 2023 has brought major changes in the way we live and communicate. Education is being imparted, and technological advancement such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and what not are being tested for future adoption to offer a more engaging and impactful learning experience to the learner. These factors combined have major implications for the technology sector in 2023.

Significance of the day:

National Technology Day is observed on 11^th May every year in India. This holds historical significance and celebrated to commemorate the anniversary of successful nuclear bomb tests in Pokhran and also the achievements in the field of science and technology. Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared 11 May as National Technology Day; this is how Technology Day came into existence in 1999.

Theme of the year:

The day is celebrated in honour of Indian scientists, engineers and technologists, who worked for India’s scientific and technological advancement and ensured the successful conduct of Pokhran test. Since then, National Technology Day is observed every year on May 11. Since then the day celebrated with a new and different theme every year. This year's theme is ‘School to Startups- Igniting Young Minds to Innovate’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the programme marking National Technology Day 2023, at Pragati Maidan, on 11th May 2023 at 10:30 AM. The programme will also mark the commencement of celebration of the 25th year of National Technology Day, which will be held from 11th to 14th May. The focus theme of National Technology Day will be “Atal Tinkering Labs”, an initiative undertaken in 2016 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create and promote innovation StartUps and entrepreneurship.

The latest developments and innovations in technology are making way to connect businesses with their target audiences so that the enterprises can better serve them. Leaders from different industries have shared quotes to Salute to the tech leaders.

Here, we have compiled some of these below:

"We have employed prompt engineering on top of ChatGPT to ensure that developers, data engineers and data scientists can develop code efficiently. It enables them to seamlessly understand the code, check whether the code is efficient and make improvements.

With this, we are already seeing productivity gains in our environment." - Aravind Chandramouli, Head of AI-Centre of Excellence, Tredence

“India is establishing itself as the next deep tech hotspot with its pool of 5 million digitally skilled workforce, national science and technology missions, and robust startup ecosystem that values emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, 5G/Edge, and Quantum Computing, among others. Quantum technology is an important part of India’s technology ambition and its success relies on strong collaboration within the quantum community that includes industry, government, academia, and startups. As quantum computing matures in the coming years, a new quantum-classical computing paradigm that combines quantum, AI and hybrid cloud will provide a disruptive opportunity for the ecosystem to develop deep tech innovations that address nation-scale challenges and opportunities. For Developers in India, there couldn’t be a better time to build skill sets in these disruptive technologies that will make them highly coveted by prospective employers. For India to lead in quantum-centric computing, it must build its own intellectual capacity and IP in quantum and its applications to become an innovation and talent hub.”- Dr. Amith Singhee, Director, IBM Research India & CTO IBM India and South Asia

“Over the last few years, the Indian logistics industry has gone through a much-needed overhaul, with new-age platforms championing and contributing to the digitisation of the sector. Disciplines like machine learning, data analytics and, of course, AI, have been rapidly changing the landscape of logistics. GPS and real-time tracking have improved by leaps and bounds as well, which have contributed to the further penetration of tech-enabled logistics. In fact, certain workflows, such as payments and accounting, have become exclusively digital and reduced the paperwork while simultaneously offering all stakeholders greater control and view over their data points. With innovations such as quick commerce and hyperlocal delivery models coming up so rapidly, customer habits and expectations have also morphed dramatically.

Technology has managed to streamline many processes, most of all, the matchmaking between supply and demand. The mastery of this, especially at an intracity level in major Indian cities, has made logistics far more accessible to users of all kinds in recent years. As we further explore and integrate AI into tech-enabled logistics, we expect to see more nuanced algorithms in the near future. Accessibility technologies such as voice typing, nudges and intuitive text can help even the less technologically savvy to utilise a tech platform to their advantage. Automation and robotics are also seeking their way into warehousing, which should improve efficiency and mitigate human error.”- - Shrutiranjan Satpathy, CTO, Porter

“The increasing prevalence of generative AI is poised to spark a controversial transformation of the internet as we know it. In today’s world, the internet is designed primarily for human usability and readability, but as machines become the predominant gateway to the vast amounts of information stored online, the internet will need to cater more to models scraping and summarizing information for machines rather than humans.  This shift will create a contentious divide between those who prioritize human-centric design and those who prioritize machine efficiency and streamlined processes. Furthermore, the development of transactional systems that can be consumed directly by machines will blur the line between human and machine interaction, raising controversial ethical questions about the role of machines in society.

As generative AI continues to evolve, the debate over the future of the internet and its impact on humanity is sure to intensify. As machines become the primary interface for accessing & summarizing information, how will we ensure that AI algorithms are transparent? Can summarization capabilities & decision-making processes be free of bias that otherwise creeps in when people drive them? Will there be a need to evolve federation structures to prevent online monopolies and preserve equal opportunity of access to different businesses? Generative AI might just be the panacea that businesses have been seeking for decades, capable of fast-tracking the transformation and growth of an organization and expanding the horizon of possibilities like never before!”- Priyank Gupta, Managing Director, Sahaj Software

“National Technology Day is an opportunity for tech innovators and the ecosystem to recommit ourselves to advancing our nation’s efforts in becoming Atmanirbhar in developing cutting-edge technologies. At iCreate, we have the honour and privilege of witnessing and supporting some of the most talented and innovative minds in the country through active mentorship, funding, and networking opportunities to solve real-world problems with breakthrough innovations.

iCreate is committed to identifying and supporting breakthrough innovations across sectors through various programs, given their importance to the development and prosperity of our nation, transforming lives, creating opportunities, and empowering people.

On this day, I would like to congratulate and appreciate all the innovators and entrepreneurs who are working tirelessly to make a difference with their technology. I would also like to urge the government, industry, academia, and civil society to join hands in creating a conducive ecosystem for innovation that focuses on solving some of the most pressing challenges we face today, such as climate change, mobility, food security, and security”, said Avinash Punekar, CEO, iCreate

“Today, technology is playing a massive role in making the lives of common citizens more efficient, safe, and inclusive. It is our belief that the next phase of economic growth and development in India must be carefully calibrated and achieved sustainably. This will be marked by more robust infrastructure, strengthened by a digital layer to derive its maximum potential, whether applied to traffic management, city governance, connectivity, airports, or public transportation services. Furthermore, the use of powerful technologies like AI, ML, and Biometrics have already proven their efficacy in empowering governments to govern better, deliver citizen services more equitably and seamlessly, and maintain law and order. Deepening the use of technology will further strengthen governing bodies, and foster a transparent, productive, and safe society. We feel further enthused to see that the government is taking significant steps to strengthen the R&D efforts in the nation with initiatives like the CoEs for AI, conceived to realise the vision of 'Make AI in India and Make AI Work for India'”. - Aalok Kumar,Corporate Officer & Sr VP-Head of Global Smart City Business & President and CEO, NEC Corporation India Pvt. Ltd.

“National Technology Day is a significant occasion to celebrate the incredible advancements in technology that have transformed the world as we know it. Today, technology is omnipresent and a key facilitator in creating needle-moving outcomes across all industries and governments. The convergence of technologies such as Generative AI, automation, Metaverse, Blockchain, 5G and quantum computing is unlocking new possibilities for businesses and creating a more connected world. It is also enabling significant reduction in the cost of doing business, enhancing revenues through increased differentiation, and ensuring higher customer delight. Tech Mahindra is focused on leveraging next-generation technologies to enable end-to-end digital transformation for global customers and solving complex business challenges.” said Kunal Purohit, Chief Digital Services Officer, Tech Mahindra

“In this progressive era of evolution, there’s a significant increase in the demand for technology adoption, disrupting & impacting our lives like we never comprehended. New-age innovations has escalated the significant surge in the use of technologies and digital demands and has played an essential role in our lives more than ever. As a result, the government is also prioritizing digitalization and the adoption of new-age technologies, thus enabling India to emerge as a digital-first nation.

Organizations are focusing on revamping their business digitally & taking initiatives to enable digital transformation. This includes an increased focus on skilling to build digital talent, enhanced investment in technological innovations and R&Ds, hiring young talent, and improving infrastructural facilities with a strong vision to create a digitally enabled India. In all this, Barco foresees acceleration in digitization, adoption of new-age technologies like IoT, cloud-led data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, AI innovation, and seamless connectivity & networking. Going forward, Barco expects automation of processes, focus on tech-based upskilling & reskilling as the major upcoming trends in technology.”said Rajiv Bhalla, Managing Director India & Vice President Large Video Wall Experience (APAC) at Barco

"India's engineering prowess is now widely acknowledged, with a formidable tech workforce bringing global recognition with homegrown brands being at the forefront of India's success story. The Indian tech industry has grown significantly from a $19 billion worth industry to around $245 billion. All signs point to this - today technology has become an indispensable strategic imperative that businesses need to thrive.

At Noise, we have been riding this technology wave from the frontlines, remaining steadfast in our mission to democratize smart wearable technology by making it accessible to users across the nation. We believe in not just creating another product but innovating in a way that adds a meaningful and quality upgrade to our users' lifestyles. Whether it's smartwatches for professionals, college students, or children, TWS for music lovers featuring ANC and ENC, or integrating gesture and voice control for a completely hands-free experience, every product we offer is an outcome of in-depth consumer insights we have gathered and industry-leading innovation.

To further level up our innovation capabilities, we launched our in-house tech incubator, Noise Labs, last year on National Technology Day. This was introduced to conceptualize and develop one-of-a-kind products that will shape the future of technology across the industry. Our two brainchildren from Noise Labs, the Noise i1 smart glasses and the Noise IntelliBuds TWS exemplify the vision we hold for Noise Labs, and this is just the tip of the iceberg in our journey of innovation.

With smart wearables becoming an integral part of our daily lives, we, as one of the pioneering Indian brands in the connected lifestyle space, are committed to empowering consumers with purpose-led, quality innovations, and our commitment towards this goal will continue to get stronger." - Amit Khatri, Co-Founder, Noise

In the current business context, Digital Transformation journeys are being accelerated by organizations so that they become future-ready.  But this has unfortunately given rise to cyber-attacks, which is a serious concern for countries as well as organizations across the globe.  On this National Technology Day, India, as the emerging leader in the digital world should take proactive steps to strengthen cyber security defenses with a focus on Zero Trust Security Model.  Solutions such as Identity and Access Management, Governance, Risk and compliance, End-Point, Data and App security should be leveraged extensively in every cybersecurity strategy across organizations.- Rajarshi Bhattacharyya, Co-Founder, Chairman and Managing Director, ProcessIT Global