COVID-19 triggering the adoption of technology in India

The COVID-19 pandemic has catalysed the development of many sectors and innovations in India in an unforeseen manner. Encumbered by a prolonged shutdown, people are searching for new approaches to daily activities, whether food distribution, medical appointments, or education. Brands are also seeking ways to reach out to customers who are limited to their homes. 

The supermarket chain like Big Bazaar and others have partnered with bike aggregator and Scootsy food delivery service to supply essential products. Meanwhile, some businesses and companies are hitching a ride on Zomato and Swiggy food aggregators to distribute goods. Even the government is implementing newer surveillance techniques that might become the new standard in the coming days.

Here’s how technology is playing a key role even amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Cloud Accounting Solutions

Small businesses and accounting professionals are shifting to cloud-based solutions to securely manage their tax compliance. There is an urgent need for businesses to adopt SaaS-based cloud solutions to fight the current situation.

The cloud-based accounting and GST software solutions like HostBooks help small businesses to seamlessly manage accounting and tax compliance. They can get their tax returns filed on the go, generate optimal reports automatically and perform reconciliations. The best part is the small business owners can view their business performance in real-time.

Automationand AI in Research

AI works by combining massive quantities of data together, using fast processing and smart algorithms. This, in effect, helps the algorithm to discover trends in given training data that may be missed by humans, and then automatically learn from them. We’ve also begun seeing AI being used to help the war against the Coronavirus pandemic.

Smart Healthcare

Technology has helped professionals to diagnose patients over smart phones and video calls in remote locations. Today, it not only has its moment in the spotlight but is also becoming a part of the country’s everyday life. Beyond concerns relating to coronavirus, people are also turning to other issues for calls and chats. 

Online Education

As India’s schools and educational institutions are shut down since March, educational technology, or ed-tech, has become overnight bare essentials. While there was a large customer base in India for up skilling platforms like Udemy and Coursera, they were seen as supplementary modes of education rather than substitutes for traditional ones. Ed-tech has become the trend these days. 

However, the worry lies in smaller towns and villages, not all of which have reliable web infrastructure. But experts believe that such widespread adoption would ultimately lead to ed-tech extending its reach beyond elite institutions and population pockets.

Surveillance

With panicky patients leaving hospitals in India and breaching quarantine at home, authorities have been forced to implement surveillance technologies.

Drones

Until now, India has not been so active with drone technology. Nevertheless, the police and civic authorities are shedding their wariness in the post-COVID-19 world.

Aerial monitoring helps track large gatherings, minimize physical contact, and monitor narrow by lanes where police vehicles are unable to enter. They can also be used in public spaces and in residential communities to spray disinfectants. 

These new technologies have accelerated growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic and their usage is increasing by leaps and bounds. The technology sector seems to be making a huge contribution towards making the economy stronger and helping India take a step ahead.

Technology is evolving, our lives are going digital. The situation might take long to get back to normal, but these testing times have made us realize the importance of adopting the latest technological trends and embrace the new normal.