Accelerated digitalization is among the biggest positive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are many sectors that have been severely affected, especially the brick and mortar-centric businesses. In our company, the Aerospace vertical has been hit hard, although the other verticals are doing quite well.
Integrating physical & digital
In today’s times, digital and physical ecosystems are being unified into a ‘phygital’ ecosystem. For instance, earlier, for mining, people would physically go into a mine, take measurements, images and data, which would be analyzed to find out the contours, the kinds of ore available and the direction in which digging had to be done. Now, we can simply fly a drone that collects all the necessary data and transmits it back in real time. Computing has advanced to the extent that the processing goes on simultaneously. This is a perfect example of how digital applications and the physical world complement each other for larger benefits.
The concept of Digital Twin, in which something that exists physically is also available digitally, is gaining momentum. It is a component of connected workflow and is extremely important. In the high-volume Consumer Product Manufacturing vertical, the product line is managed using conveyor belts and other forms of automation. But there is always the possibility of a breakdown or malfunction. To address these concerns, companies create digital twins of their work environments, and IoT devices use these digital twins to ensure efficient functioning and maintenance of the entire manufacturing unit. Not only does this enhance productivity and efficiency, but it also brings down costs.
“In India, we have seen several states coming up with GIS-based land information systems for better land management.”
Added focus on infrastructure
Unplanned land management has always hindered India’s economic growth. We regularly see investments worth millions stuck in infrastructure projects because they weren’t planned well. Now, the decision-makers seem to be taking note of this and we see different states coming up with GIS-based land information systems. Whether it is the Bhoomi project in Karnataka, Dharani in Telengana, or the Central Government’s Svamitva project, it’s clear that the administration is learning about technology advancements and leveraging them for the country’s economic development. In line with this, a robust legal system is also necessary to ensure data security and sovereignty, as the information collected can be highly sensitive.
In the past, whenever there has been a crisis of this magnitude, infrastructure is an area that has drawn focus and investments. This is because the infrastructure sector helps create more jobs and lends support to the economy through investments in roads, power, telecom, water, etc.
Short & long-term benefits
In a pandemic, protecting lives and means of livelihood are equally important. In India, the government had to protect the lives of people first and so it imposed a nationwide lockdown. However, since the means of livelihood had to be protected as well, soon activities were re-started and other essentials re-opened, and announcements were made about huge investments in infrastructure projects. Similarly, the economic stimulus in the future will be targeted at areas that can support livelihoods and earn long-term benefits.
