'India can be hub in cognitive technology, Internet of Things'

Besides giving primacy to mobile ecosystem, India should give more thrust on Internet of Things (IoT) and cognitive technologies, said Sandy Carter, IBM GM (Cloud Ecosystem and Developers).

In an interaction with Deccan Herald, Carter said India’s smartphone penetration speed is phenomenal. “I would say India’s mobile  ecosystem is really in a bullish state. When everybody is commenting on mobile ecosystem, I would say mobile-only ecosystem for India,” she said.

Carter said if the mobile startup ecosystem is merged with IBM’s cloud business, a lot more can be done in the country. “You have a clean slate which is mobile-only. Mobile and cloud are globally driving business. So I would advise Indian startups to go mobile-only and become leaders,” she said.

The IBM official said India can make a difference with two technologies — Internet of Things (IoT) and cognitive.

“If India install sensors in its hinterland, it can be used for healthcare delivery. Globally 250 billion sensors have been deployed in the IoT farming space.  India can replicate this in its farming segment and increase productivity,” she said.

“IoT on education can bring about a complete change. Also, IoT clothing and IoT on jewellery are likely to change the world. NASA has developed clothes with a coating to protect radiation. Jewellery with IoT can give information on patients who have epilepsy and help them handle it,” she said.

Cognitive technologies are those individual technologies which help one get better at performing specific tasks that only humans were able to do.

“Cognitive technology is about using digital intelligence, it is about that something that learns and that reasons. If I say some technology which will take India to the global map, you should embed that with applications. India can be a cognitive hub of the world.”
Carter said just as some places are emerging as centres of excellence, like Boston for biotech, India can be the cognitive centre of the world.