Microsoft to drive Indian public sector on digital path: CEO

<p id="content">Microsoft on Friday said it is committed to partnering with the public sector in India to enable a technology-led transformation and build a strong digital skilling ecosystem that empowers everyone to benefit from technology.

Sharing its commitment to partner with the public sector ecosystem in the country, with the technology and tools required to accelerate digital success, the company said an inclusive economic recovery requires innovation and a disruptive pace.

"The public sector has been using technology to not only rebound from the crisis, but also emerge at the forefront of digital transformation in India. Cloud and AI are playing a central role in reshaping education, health, public services, MSME and agriculture," Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, said during the online 'Digital Governance Cloud & AI Summit'.

According to Ajay Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT, the last few months have highlighted the importance of digital systems.

"The government is looking to create collaborative mechanisms with the private sector to participate in problem solving by using new technologies. We are excited about the potential of data analytics and AI technologies," Sawhney said during the virtual event.

"We are also looking at ways in which the startup ecosystem and SMBs can participate with value added services on top of these platforms, to make use of AI technologies, blockchain, geospatial technologies and AR/VR," he noted.

Microsoft said it is deeply invested in the digital transformation of the government ecosystem in India.

According to Abhishek Singh, CEO, MyGov and Digital India Corporation, the government is looking at using technology to drive efficiencies and bring about institutional change.

"The pandemic has brought greater focus on using technology for better governance and we are looking at prioritizing key areas like healthcare, education, agriculture and skill development.

"For these innovations and collaborations to succeed, there has to be a trust among all stakeholders to deliver the projects on time and that is a key area for the technology sector to focus on," Singh said.

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