Technologies such as RPA are quietly being rolled out in many of the most well-run organizations around the world

The age of automation is well and truly here, and RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is transforming the way organizations operate. A recent global research report by University of London has indicated that workplaces augmented with automation perform tasks 33 percent more effectively.

The reasons for this are many, but the underlying message is that enterprises where humans and bots work in collaboration are actually more human, as workers get time and space to focus on more creative and collaborative tasks. The world’s biggest enterprises are acknowledging this across sectors including manufacturing, banking, finance, insurance, telecom, retail and more, and are thus rolling out RPA-led augmentations faster than ever.

The report states that – “Technologies such as RPA are quietly being rolled out in many of the most well-run organizations around the world. While it’s early days, humans and bots are already working alongside each other across the globe and in every sector.”

In India, this trend appears to be moving faster than many developed countries. A whopping 71 percent of respondents are confident they are using RPA and AI augmentations to their full potential to boost employee productivity and efficiency. This fundamental insight is nudging employees and employers to slowly recognize India as the ‘automation capital of the world’.

Enterprises and workers alike are sensing an opportunity to capitalize on the software automation wave, in the same way that China once capitalized on the manufacturing trend many decades ago. Here is why we believe this is close to becoming a reality in the next few years.

Government-led RPA boom
The government’s Make in India and Digital India initiatives have set the ball in motion a few years back. But to take India’s digital transformation to the next level and attract greater FDI into the country, more needs to be done. Again, aiming to emulate the China model is a sound strategy. The realm of automation is one that is open for India to capitalize on and we’re seeing several initiatives already make a difference.

At this year’s Union Budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley even announced plans to double the budget allocation for Digital India to INR 3073 crore. Allied with a strong focus on emerging technologies such as robotics, AI, digital manufacturing, Big Data analysis and IoT, this holds promise for India’s impact as an automation hub.

The commerce and industry ministry consciously realize the need for policy changes to drive macroeconomic change in the technology space. This is leading to a scenario wherein businesses are increasingly open to adopting new technology for traditional processes.

Automation is the most adopted technology right now, owing to its many benefits and cost-saving attributes for companies of all sizes. With government re-skilling programs such as FutureSkills also preparing the workforce for this change, it’s clear that government policies are creating an environment that can propel India to the front of the software automation, aka RPA, queue.

India’s transformation into tech innovator
India’s workforce is young, ambitious, English-speaking with strong STEM skills. These inherent strengths have placed India in a strong position to lead technological innovations globally. Moreover, many of the world’s leading technology companies now also have an Indian at the helm – Google, Microsoft, Adobe, MasterCard and many more.

Aided by a desire within the IT industry to move beyond simply following western innovations and maintaining the competitive strength of the ITES industry amid changing geopolitical conditions, this workforce strength is being leveraged to its fullest. This is another good sign for the future of RPA deployment in the country.

For several decades, Indian tech companies have aspired to take the lead in terms of innovating and creating new trends for the global IT industry. Software automation provides the right opportunity to solidify this intention, and the country has no shortage of skilled talent or project volumes to make this a reality and establish itself as the world’s automation capital.

Ready to lead software automation revolution
The future of business is steadily moving towards strengthening a digital workforce that relies on cognitive, RPA and analytics together. Due to the culmination of many different factors such as education, resources and economic opportunities, India is at an inflection point where it’s now driving advancements in AI and deep-stack technologies.

It has the potential to make a big splash – the kind of impact that only comes around once every few decades.

Automation Anywhere believes that by leveraging its tech policies and workforce strengths, India can build on this momentum and position itself as a leader in software automation adoption and innovation. The company is promoting this vision and working closely with partners and customers in India to help make it a reality.

The macroeconomic factors of the nation are well suited to make this a reality and widespread adoption of RPA across the biggest companies is simply the beginning of major change. India’s BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) history as the undisputed leader in managing global processes lends it the twin advantages of understanding business processes and experience in driving them.

Combined with the best tech talent ecosystem, this gives the country high potential to lead the automation revolution. Along with this, increased acceptance by business and government leaders is poised to soon make India the undisputed automation capital of the world.

-- Ankur Kothari- Chief Revenue Officer and Co-founder, Automation Anywhere.