India’s Digital Transformation Story – a Growth Paradox?

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‘Winning in the Digital Age: Seven Building Blocks of Successful Digital Transformation’, authored by Nitin Seth, has already become an Amazon Best Seller. A power packed panel of business leaders and industry experts like, Raman Roy, Chairman & MD, Quattro; (Former Chairman, NASSCOM), Leo Puri, Finance Sector Leader, Puneet Chandok, President, AWS India & South Asia and Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman & CEO, One Championship, got together today debating India’s future potential to be the world’s leading Digital Powerhouse.

According to the author, “We are in the early stages of the Digital Age – which is the mega-trend of our times and it presents an unprecedented opportunity for society at large, enterprises and courageous individuals. You can win big or lose uncoverable ground – as Digital-natives like Tesla, Amazon and Zoom have already emerged as winners by applying the New Rules of Business in the Digital Age.

For India, the Digital Age could be the epoch for its progression to global leadership leveraging its unique advantages.
 With 2.8 million engineers graduating every year, the lowest cost of broadband access, widespread mobile devices, and crucially- democratized information- knowledge can flow to disadvantaged millions providing them opportunities that were not possible.”

He also expounded that India is currently facing a unique paradox as growth has stalled despite having all the right fundamentals in place. While COVID impacted overall economic growth, regulatory bottlenecks, inadequate infrastructure, lack of preparedness at the organizational level and unrealized gains from Digital Transformation opportunities still exist. By applying the principles in the book, India can unleash the entrepreneurial energy and emerge as a decisive winner in the VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous). The book also recommends 8 New Rules of Business that any enterprise must adopt along with Two-Speed Execution to emerge as a winner in the Digital Age.

Referring to the desired skillsets for leaders and professionals, in his book, Nitin has highlighted the need to master duality to deal with the constant paradoxes around Growth vs. Profitability, Short-term vs. Long-term, Strategy vs. Execution and so on to lead through the VUCA world.

On this note, his guidance on two-speed implementation approach to manage complex and contradictory objectives gets extremely relevant and pragmatic. The two-speed approach refers to simultaneously achieving short-term focused results and in long-term driving fundamental shifts that will help achieve the strategic objectives.

The book, available on Amazon and Flipkart, has drawn reviews and testimonials from industry experts and key influencers across the globe. One key thing which is highlighted by many is that this is Practitioner’s Handbook on the complex topic of Digital Transformation.

Highlighting this aspect, veteran industry leader Raman Roy, Chairman & MD, Quattro, added “Nitin Seth, from his experience spanning over two decades, has provided a practitioners’ perspective to bring clarity to the complex topic of Digital Transformation by introducing the Seven Building Blocks of Successful Digital Transformation, helpful for both seasoned business leaders and young professionals.”

Leo Puri, Finance Sector Leader endorsed the view as well, “Nitin has meticulously crafted an invaluable handbook for those who wish to structure their thinking and action on a Digital Transformation program. These could be business leaders, civil servants, students, entrepreneurs, or curious general readers. The entire expanse of the digital journey across strategy, technology, organization and leadership are explored, and lessons shared in a usable manner.”

Speaking on the importance and relevance of cloud in the digital age, Puneet Chandok, President, AWS India & South Asia said, “We are indeed living in the Digital Age, with technology transforming businesses, experiences, and our lives. Cloud is one of the most critical enablers for driving successful Digital Transformation. The book provides a comprehensive framework to play offense when it comes to Digital Transformation, as it connects the dots beautifully and is able to differentiate the true signals from all the noise around us.”

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman & CEO, One Championship shared his perspective that One Championship is the case study of Principles applied as suggested by Nitin Seth in his book ‘Winning in the Digital Age’. To his advice to young entrepreneurs on the relevance of the book, Chatri said, “This book is a must-read for any world-class business leader who demands nothing but excellence. Digital disruption is the single greatest opportunity and threat for every company on this planet. Without equivocation, I can say that ‘Winning in the Digital Age’ is the roadmap for success. The seven winning mantras for young professionals have been well articulated in the book and highlights the importance of moving away from the comfort zone to take risks and persist in search of excellence.”

Summing up, Nitin opined, “Digital has become an all-pervasive mega-trend, dramatically changing the lives of individuals, business models of enterprises, and the economy of India. “Winning in the Digital Age” inspires today’s leaders and tomorrow’s visionaries to embrace the VUCA world, unleash entrepreneurial energy, Master Duality, and help progress India to being a global leader for the Digital Age.”