Robotic Process Automation – A Boon or a Bane?

Robotic Process Automation, or RPA, is a technology that is automating occupations, much like AI and Machine Learning. RPA refers to the use of software to automate business operations, including application interpretation, transaction processing, data handling, and even email answering. RPA automates routine processes that previously required human labour. Robotic process automation (RPA) software bots can interact with any application or system in the same way that people do, with the exception that RPA bots can work continuously, nonstop, far more quickly, and with 100% accuracy and reliability.

What can RPA do for me?

Robotic process automation (RPA) bots are equipped with far more digital skills than people. Consider RPA bots as a digital workforce that can communicate with any application or system. Bots can do a variety of tasks, such as copy-paste, web data scraping, calculations, file opening and moving, email parsing, programme logins, API connections, and unstructured data extraction. Additionally, there is no need to modify current corporate systems, apps, or processes to automate because bots may adapt to any interface or workflow.

Where is RPA being used?

RPA is effectively being incorporated in the following fields:

Insurance- Apply the potential of robotic process automation and artificial intelligence (RPA+AI) in insurance to the most routine yet complicated tasks, from underwriting to customer support.

Banking- Banks and financial services firms can transform manual, data-intensive activities through intelligent automation while still adhering to strict, dynamic regulatory standards.

Healthcare- Rapidly accelerating fundamental digital revolution in healthcare has been sparked by the ongoing public health emergency. The ability to quickly adapt across the care delivery value chain, from patient experience to revenue cycle management, claims processing, and analytics, is made possible by AI-powered RPA, which enables healthcare organisations to respond while delivering efficiency and cost savings.

Manufacturing- Leading manufacturers are automating back-office and operational procedures to reduce inefficiency and boost agility, as well as to lower costs, shorten time to market, and foster innovation.

Conclusion
Aside from easing the lives of people and businesses, RPA is sure to bring both benefits and drawbacks. While RPA automation can threaten people’s livelihoods, it is also creating new opportunities. RPA offers a wide range of job prospects, including those for developers, project managers, business analysts, solution architects, and consultants.

India’s newfound interest in Quantum Computing

India has seen a rise in interest in quantum computing eventually making the nation a talent hotspot for quantum computing. The fascinating new technology of quantum computing will help to change the world of the future by giving us an advantage and opening us to a world of opportunities. Comparing modern conventional computing systems to quantum computing reveals how fundamentally different these two methods are for information processing. Quantum computers use quantum bits to perform calculations, unlike today’s conventional computers, which store information in binary 0 and 1 states. Unlike a bit, which can only be a 0 or 1, a qubit can be in a variety of states, allowing for exponentially bigger calculations and the possibility to solve complicated problems that are beyond the power of even the most advanced classical supercomputers.

The Quantum Mission

The Indian government is now preparing to launch the long-awaited Rs 8,000 crore Quantum Mission to increase its capabilities in the rapidly expanding field of quantum computers, two years after it was first announced. The Department of Science and Technology will be in charge of the National Mission on Quantum Technologies & Applications (NM-QTA). The mission will focus on developing knowledge in the quantum frontiers, which will be crucial for national security, as well as the development of new materials, quantum sensors, quantum computers, quantum chemistry, and quantum communication.

Future of Quantum Computing 

Quantum computing is another technology that has sparked a global race among nations and businesses to enter and take the lead in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence sector. Quantum computing is expected to revolutionise everything for the globe, notably in terms of national security and giving an “unhackable” channel of communication, with a computing capability that exceeds that of the most powerful computers already in use. As a result, it is urgent to simultaneously increase quantum computational capacity, learn how to construct and operate a quantum computer of reasonable size and cost and continue research into the realisation of various practical applications.

The emerging trend of Extended Reality (XR)

Introduction
We live at a time that has the potential to expand our realities through the fusion of the actual and virtual worlds, which will eventually alter the ways we work, play, and live. The foundations of extended reality (XR) are immersive technologies, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR). It offers consumers connections and engagement on a high level through captivating and inspiring experiences. Extended Reality, in its broadest sense, refers to all the settings developed for interactivity between humans and machines that merge the actual and virtual worlds produced by wearable technology and computer technology. Since each of the underlying technologies is a requirement for Extended Reality (XR), breakthroughs that result in modifications also result in new XR experiences. Extended reality (XR) technology is a quickly emerging trend in India. Numerous industries, including healthcare, hospitality, education, and retail, are feeling the effects of these technologies, which include augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). There is little doubt that XR might usher in greater labour safety, improved customer experiences, and advanced learning.

Benefits of Extended Reality (XR)
There are many benefits to extended reality. Specifically:

  • It improves and strengthens ties with customers.
  • It results in the development of engaging digital goods and services with significant revenue possibilities.
  • It improves productivity and performance from an employee standpoint.
  • The individual can remotely attend it extremely effectively and data access is more frictionless.
  • Extended Reality gives its consumers a more realistic vision of the issue at hand, enhancing their ability to comprehend it.

A note of caution
Given that such immersive technologies make use of sensitive data that may be exploited, it could also make cyberattacks and privacy breaches worse. Policymakers, entrepreneurs, and behavioural experts must create ecosystems that offer a safe infrastructure and potent incentives to promote innovation and wider adoption if they want to see XR develop responsibly in India.

The journey of Cryptocurrency in India

India’s experience with cryptocurrencies has not been without its share of ups and downs. The virtual asset has experienced several dangers, from a prohibition to impending tight regulations. Despite such uncertainties, investments in unregulated digital assets, especially Bitcoin, have shown a startling rising tendency since 2020. According to data from several domestic cryptocurrency exchanges, between 1.5 and 2 crore Indians have invested in the asset class, reaching the $10 billion milestone in November of this year. Let’s look at the virtual asset’s journey in India so far.

Launch of cryptocurrencies in 2008
The journey of cryptocurrency started with the publication of a paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” in 2008 by a pseudonymous developer Satoshi Nakamoto.

2013-2018: RBI Issues First Circular Regarding Cryptocurrencies
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a circular in 2013 alerting consumers to the potential security-related dangers associated with using virtual currencies as crypto investments increased in India. Finally, by the end of 2017, the RBI and the finance ministry issued a warning stating clearly that virtual currencies are not a form of legal money.

#IndiaWantsCrypto in November 2018
Nischal Shetty, the founder of WazirX, launched the #IndiaWantsCrypto campaign on November 1st, 2018, ten years after Nakamoto’s article called for the favourable regulation of cryptocurrencies in India.

2021: Publication of the Crypto Bill
The Standing Committee on Finance came to the conclusion that cryptocurrencies should be regulated rather than outlawed after meeting with the Blockchain and Crypto Assets Council (BACC) and other cryptocurrency stakeholders in November 2021.

So far, So good!
Despite clarity surrounding the future of the unregulated digital asset, adoption of cryptocurrencies has accelerated significantly over the past two years, with India now serving as the largest investor. According to the existing signs, India will implement a strict regulatory framework to deal with cryptocurrencies. The government would probably treat cryptocurrency as an asset class rather than a form of money. The journey of cryptocurrency posts the parliamentary bill is yet to be unfolded.

The rise and future of Big Data Analytics in India

Introduction
In today’s digital era, huge volumes of data get created every minute. This data has the potential to help businesses boost their profits, uncover new possibilities, increase revenues, streamline processes, and improve customer satisfaction. Therefore, it is necessary to create technologies that can capture, store, and analyse large amounts of data to produce ideas that can be put to use. That’s where Big Data Analytics plays a key role. While it is revolutionising businesses all over the world, India, in particular, has witnessed a sharp uptick in innovation in Big Data Analytics. Indian businesses, be it healthcare, education, finance and so on.

Healthcare
For the Indian healthcare sector, big data has proven to be one of the greatest blessings. The advantages of big data technology and predictive analytics are being used by numerous hospitals, pharmaceutical businesses, and R&D facilities to support the best therapies for patients. Healthcare professionals have developed cancer treatments with the aid of data analytics.

Education
Researchers and educators can now better identify student needs thanks to the use of big data in the field of education. Big data is being used by educational institutions to analyse student performances concerning the many tasks and assignments given to them.

Finance
India’s fintech market is expanding quickly. To make critical business choices and acquire a competitive advantage in the financial sector, Indian fintech companies significantly rely on big data analytics. It has facilitated banking and financial services and allowed finance corporations to reach out to rural areas of the nation.
The future of Big Data in India
The industrial ecosystem in India is evolving, and big data in India has a promising future. Big data is creating opportunities that weren’t even conceivable a few years ago. India has a growing need for data analytics services and thus the need for data scientists in the nation has increased. Big data has been adopted by several businesses in India, including e-commerce, manufacturing, and retail, to guarantee client happiness and industry expansion.

An introduction to the scope and development of AI in India

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to any machine or system that exhibits human-like behaviour. In the simplest type of AI, computers are taught to “imitate” human behaviour utilising a wealth of data from prior instances of the same behaviour.

AI in India: An overview
For the last 60 years since its inception, AI has been constantly evolving and developing. Over the last few years, India’s central and state governments, as well as private and public businesses, have invested in a variety of AI projects. It is already transforming the operational, functional, and strategic landscapes across a wide range of industries, and its applications and functions are constantly evolving. Moreover, a growing number of corporate apps and business processes across all functions are being infused with AI.

The increasing use of AI
In the previous five years, India has seen a considerable increase in AI-related innovation, with over 4,000 AI patents being filed, six times more than for the period between 2011 and 2015. In spite of the fact that India had not filed any AI-related patents before 2002, it was ranked eighth by AI patent families globally. AI has been increasingly used in many fields in the country, including banking and financial services, healthcare, marketing, retail, agriculture, manufacturing, and so on.

Making the best use of AI
To conclude, the information provided above is only a small fraction of the potential impact artificial intelligence (AI) could have on the development of business and operating models across sectors and all economies, with the potential to have a profound impact on the lives of every individual on the planet.

THE EMERGENCE AND FUTURE OF BLOCKCHAIN IN INDIA

Introduction

The 21st century has witnessed unparalleled technological advancement, especially in the field of information technology. Blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technologies that rely on it are being influenced by this technological evolution. The “fad” is catching up with blockchain, which provides transparency and immutability, in terms of the currencies that are emerging from it. Furthermore, the fact that the Indian government is actively utilising blockchain for land title registry, vehicle lifecycle management, farm insurance, and electronic health record management speaks volumes about the awareness, willingness, and pace at which blockchain is intended to be ingrained into the social and economic fabric of the nation.

Scope of blockchain in the private sector

From the perspective of the private sector, several businesses are investigating blockchain to increase efficiency and are attempting to internally review their procedures and workflows to improve their service delivery systems. Around 56% of Indian companies are adopting blockchain technology and incorporating it into their core operations. As a result, a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Blockchain Technology has been formed by the National Informatics Centre. It functions as a coordinated, interoperable blockchain ecosystem across the country. This enables the government to test projects before releasing them for use by the general population.

Future of blockchain in India

Since blockchain technology involves software developers, financial specialists, and legal knowledge, which creates job opportunities, India has a lot to gain from it. Healthcare, government, cyber security, cars, media, travel, logistics & hospitality, education, law, and energy are a few industries where blockchain can be seen in action. The development of blockchain technology can also offer the government a chance to foster openness and accountability while facilitating easy interactions with the public. Due to its immutability, transparency, and decentralised approach, this technology will also contribute more value and increase trust within its ecosystem.

The Socio-Economic Benefits of IT Parks

Technology parks have become the next big frontier in the IT industry for the right reasons. The IT parks have served as the foundation for countless digital businesses throughout the world. Beyond the companies and tenants, they also benefit society and the economy at large. Owing to this increase in prominence and adoption, let us look at how these parks have been able to affect the socio-economic aspect of a country or a region:

  • The amalgamation of life and technology

An IT Park is a place where technology is free to flourish, to put it simply. People can precisely and effortlessly incorporate technology into their everyday life, from routine tasks like leisure and relaxation to complex ones like commercial operations and business management. As a result, more people may be able to appreciate technology better and embrace it more widely.

  •  Boost the economy

The majority of technology parks offer plenty of room for corporate expansion. To strengthen their local and national economies, governments all over the world frequently invest in technology parks.

  •  The creation of employment opportunities

One of the main socioeconomic challenges that every nation has is the development of new jobs. IT parks make it possible for businesses to be established, which raises the overall level of employment. People with technological experience can join and assist various enterprises with their expertise.

How Technology Parks Can Help Grow SMEs and Entrepreneurs

With plenty of business hatchlings growing every year, technology parks are more than just commercial neighbourhoods. SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) can benefit from their resources much more than they could ever hope for or afford alone.

Benefits of IT Parks
While digital entrepreneurs may be knowledgeable about their product or service, they frequently lack critical business acumen. Entrepreneurs that receive incubation help have access to funding, labs, tools, mentoring, and marketing. By fostering new enterprises with the drive and agility to advance sectors, technology parks also serve as an incubator that provides a crucial link between extending current markets and knowledge. Besides these, technology parks also provide superior communication and technology services, a skilled talent pool and human resources, tax incentives, duty-free imports and so on. To save entrepreneurs the hassle of setting up suitable infrastructure, Software Technology Parks offer plug-and-play, ready-to-move-in office spaces as well as related services such as conference rooms, back offices, and support services.

Tech Parks are a boon
By providing many such advantages to small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs, technology parks indeed prove to be a perfect cradle for such companies to nurture, thereby boosting both the economy and the morale of the workforce.

Career prospects in Cyber Security

In the present day, post-COVID 19 world, the virtual world is an extension of the physical world we live in. And now, more than ever, cyber security has become one of the most in-demand fields with a multitude of career options opening up. According to a NASSCOM report, India alone would need 1 million cyber security professionals by 2020.

With the continued advancement of the internet and the increasing reliance on digital devices, businesses and individuals are at risk of data breaches and other cyber attacks. As a result, there is a growing need for professionals with the skills to protect against these threats.

1. Network Security Engineer
2. Cyber Security Analyst
3. Security Architect
4. Cyber Security Manager
5. Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
6. Information Security Manager
7. Cybersecurity Engineer
8. Application Security Engineer
9. Ethical Hackers
10. Incident Manager

While these are the main job opportunities, there are plenty of interlinked jobs that are related too. These will include information risk auditors, firewalls, security device development professionals, security analysts, intrusion detection specialists, computer security incident responders, cryptologists, and vulnerability assessors. Do your research well, and apply for a position that fits you.