Technology-driven startups have emerged as the vanguards of innovation, driving disruption across industries. Their success is intricately linked to their ability to harness the power of cloud technology. These digital-age startups possess a deep understanding of cloud computing and its potential to transform their operations.
Notably, India has experienced significant growth in the public cloud services market, generating $6.2 Bn in revenue during 2022, as reported by the International Data Corporation (IDC). This market is projected to reach $17.8 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 23.4% from 2022 to 2027.
However, true success lies in going beyond surface-level adoption. Merely migrating to the cloud is no longer enough. Startups should strategically harness the existing as well as emerging technologies to foster innovation, enhance operational efficiency and elevate customer experiences, thereby maximising their return on investment (ROI).
To delve deeper into this and explore various avenues of optimising resources, Inc42 and Google Cloud organised a roundtable titled The Cloud Playbook: Unlocking Maximum ROI And Business Growth.
The session covered a range of critical topics, including:
- What are the advantages of moving to public cloud vs investing in on-premise systems
- Best practices to address the cost-innovation conundrum
- How recent technological advancements like generative AI are empowering startups
The roundtable was moderated by Vamsi Krishna Rupakula, partner, advisory services at PwC India. Rupakula advises startups and established businesses on cloud and transformational technologies.
The session brought together notable attendees from diverse industries, including startup founders and technology decision-makers. Among them were Shyam Sunder Prawal, chief technology officer of AuthBridge; Himanshu Gupta, cofounder & chief technology officer of Shipsy; Amit Choudhary, chief product & technology officer at Ecom Express; Ramanshu Mahaur, founder & chief technology officer of Spinny; Tirath Sharma, chief technology officer & founder of OneTo11; Jatinder Singh Alagh, chief technology officer at Arya.ag; Nitin Jain, cofounder & chief business officer at OfBusiness; Anirudh Bhardwaj, chief technology officer of Recur Club; Shiva Singh, director-technology at Moglix; Divyanshu Das, head-engineering at Rusk Media; Syed Shaaz, cofounder of Fantasy Trading League; Kunal Gupta, senior vice president at Magicpin; Suhan Shetty, enterprise architect of infrastructure services at Niveus Solutions and Rahul Gupta, head-enterprise digital natives business-N&E & West India at Google Cloud.
Decoding The Maturity Curve Of Cloud Technology
Public cloud, a dynamic and scalable computing environment offered by third-party service providers, has revolutionised the way organisations approach their IT needs. By contrast, on-premise systems entail maintaining hardware and software infrastructure within the organisation’s physical premises. From enhanced cost-effectiveness and scalability to improved reliability and accessibility, public cloud presents a wealth of advantages that can reshape the way organisations leverage technology.
“When starting a business, a cloud infrastructure allows us to scale, pay as we go, and focus on real-world problems rather than infrastructure procurement and maintenance. It’s best for startups to postpone on-premise infrastructure until they reach a certain scale, as it enables them to maintain focus on their core problems. Additionally, cloud solutions eliminate the costs and commitments associated with setting up physical environments and maintaining specialised teams,” said Ramanshu Mahaur of Spinny.
Presently, organisations have become increasingly conscious of the need to efficiently manage their cloud expenses. As cloud usage continues to grow, businesses are recognising the importance of understanding and controlling the costs associated with cloud resources.
“During my tenure at Expedia, Paytm and now at Ecom Express, I’ve witnessed diverse transformations that have unfolded over the past decade. The [Cloud] maturity model has evolved significantly… Looking back, significant savings could have been achieved. However, cloud providers have been supportive and mindful of reducing total cost of ownership (TCO) while offering value-added services to increase customer loyalty. The focus now is on leveraging managed services for efficiency and cost-effectiveness,” said Amit Choudhary of Ecom Express.
For more insights into cloud technology and how startups are leveraging advanced technologies like generative AI, watch the roundtable discussion on The Cloud Playbook: Unlocking Maximum ROI And Business Growth.
