AgenciesTeachers and farmers, pensioners and students, soldiers and gamers—there really isn’t anyone left untouched by the sweeping changes being wrought by technology on lives and livelihoods worldwide. Closer home, nearly every second Indian now uses the internet to chat, shop, make a payment, search for information or just watch a show. The new mores of work and play induced by the pandemic have only served to accelerate this phenomenon.
Consider these numbers. At the start of the lockdown in April, India’s unified payments interface (UPI) recorded 999 million transactions worth about 1.51 lakh crore. By September, the channel had clocked 1,800 million transactions worth 3.62 lakh crore. The country’s largest e-grocer saw gross sales nearly double to 1,900 crore in the third quarter compared to sales of 1,000 crore in the first.
Facebook India’s managing director Ajit Mohan says this “technological revolution” is unlike “anything humankind has experienced before.” Today, as voting begins for the state assembly elections in Bihar, the largely virtual campaign that preceded it marks a first for the country.
As newer technologies from artificial intelligence to quantum computing serve to deepen the pervasive influence of digitization, it will be the turn of the next 500 million Indians to go online.
E-retailers say voice-based search in vernacular tongues is the next frontier as they look to draw Bharat into their fold. This prompts questions like why a farmer can’t look for in an app the best price of wheat or paddy at the nearest mandi, which the government aims to answer with its plan for an Indian Alexa (online retailer Amazon’s voice-based assistant) for farmers.
Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant says there is a need to promote last-mile connectivity in remote areas. Elsewhere, nearly a score of projects is underway to prepare the country’s armed forces for a future of unmanned warfare. Still, much more needs to be done to bolster the country’s digital infrastructure, warn experts, if dreams of India emerging as the AI laboratory of the world are to take wing.
But, if you thought everything about going digital was about the next “new, new thing”, think again. Virtual dating has restored old-school romance, say millennials, who are getting to know each other better on Zoom before venturing to meet in person, while 60-somethings are mastering web-conferencing to keep up with weddings and satsangs.
ET brings to you in today’s edition the story of this transformation in five information-packaged pages.
ONLINE SHOPPING
DIGITAL MONEY
DIGITAL LIFE
DIGITAL IMPACT
POLITICS AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Consider these numbers. At the start of the lockdown in April, India’s unified payments interface (UPI) recorded 999 million transactions worth about 1.51 lakh crore. By September, the channel had clocked 1,800 million transactions worth 3.62 lakh crore. The country’s largest e-grocer saw gross sales nearly double to 1,900 crore in the third quarter compared to sales of 1,000 crore in the first.
Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill Courses
| Offering College | Course | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Indian School of Business | ISB Professional Certificate in Product Management | Visit |
| IIM Kozhikode | IIMK Advanced Data Science For Managers | Visit |
| IIM Lucknow | IIML Executive Programme in FinTech, Banking & Applied Risk Management | Visit |
As newer technologies from artificial intelligence to quantum computing serve to deepen the pervasive influence of digitization, it will be the turn of the next 500 million Indians to go online.
E-retailers say voice-based search in vernacular tongues is the next frontier as they look to draw Bharat into their fold. This prompts questions like why a farmer can’t look for in an app the best price of wheat or paddy at the nearest mandi, which the government aims to answer with its plan for an Indian Alexa (online retailer Amazon’s voice-based assistant) for farmers.
Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant says there is a need to promote last-mile connectivity in remote areas. Elsewhere, nearly a score of projects is underway to prepare the country’s armed forces for a future of unmanned warfare. Still, much more needs to be done to bolster the country’s digital infrastructure, warn experts, if dreams of India emerging as the AI laboratory of the world are to take wing.
Discover the stories of your interest
But, if you thought everything about going digital was about the next “new, new thing”, think again. Virtual dating has restored old-school romance, say millennials, who are getting to know each other better on Zoom before venturing to meet in person, while 60-somethings are mastering web-conferencing to keep up with weddings and satsangs.
ET brings to you in today’s edition the story of this transformation in five information-packaged pages.
ONLINE SHOPPING
DIGITAL MONEY
DIGITAL LIFE
DIGITAL IMPACT
POLITICS AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Get Unlimited Access to The Economic Times
