Ola Founder Bhavish Aggarwal Urges India to Lead Global Tech Transition

India needs to lead global tech transition, build jobs of the future: Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal

In an interaction with PTI editors at the agency's headquarters here, he said the private sector has to do the bulk of job creation, step up and do more, while creating an enabling environment and correcting imbalances, such as that of trade, are the responsibility of the government.Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal is placing bold bets on new-age technologies with a view for India to be at the forefront of the current global tech transition led by AI, and build jobs of the future in the country. In an interaction with PTI editors at the agency's headquarters here, he said the private sector has to do the bulk of job creation, step up and do more, while creating an enabling environment and correcting imbalances, such as that of trade, are the responsibility of the government. Aggarwal also supported the government's move to offer fiscal incentives to global EV makers, including Tesla, through the new EV policy saying it is important for India to attract all kinds of investment, and globally established players will help in the development of the EV ecosystem in the country. The group's newly-listed entity Ola Electric aims to make India a global electric vehicle (EV) hub but the country has to invent an EV and energy transition paradigm for itself based on its needs as the world cannot achieve a sustainable future without India, he added. "There is a global technology transition happening and AI is a very important technology of the future, and we in India need to lead this journey. If you look at the current state, I think we are still adopters of somebody else's technology paradigms, especially in the digital world," Aggarwal said, explaining why the Ola group had set up AI start-up Krutrim last year. One of the things in Krutrim is to build AI models on Indian data, which is more attuned to Indian use cases, Indian paradigms, he said, adding, "We are making our own AI, on our own cloud, on our own chip." Despite India producing 20 per cent of the world's digital data at present, he lamented that the country does not fully own the data, as 80 per cent are stored outside, which are then processed into AI and "brought back into India and sold to us in dollars". When asked about concerns over AI leading to job losses, he allayed the apprehension saying that the IT boom created jobs in India when people feared that computers would take away jobs, and AI is a similar tool. "AI is not going to replace anyone. Maybe that future is a few decades away... We don't need to get anxious about that future right now. We need to, as a country, see that AI is going to amplify productivity. If we don't get onto the bandwagon, we will be left behind...," he asserted. In his view, Aggarwal said the way forward is for India to become experts in future technology. "Future technologies bring with it jobs of the future, supply chain of the future. And if we are global leaders, we are the fastest adoptive market of future technologies (then) jobs of the future will be built in India, supply chains of the future will be built in India. This is the only way... If we focus on protecting the past, you remain uncompetitive," he added. Sharing his take on employment generation in India, Aggarwal said, "I actually believe the private sector has to do the bulk of the job creation. The government's job is to create the enabling environment, create the fundamentals, help correct imbalances wherever they are, be it trade imbalances, etc and incentivise wherever it needs to be incentivised, like the PLI schemes." The government's steps such as the employment-linked incentives will also encourage private industry, he said, adding "But fundamentally the private sector has to step up and do more". Asked if the government is doing enough to create that ecosystem for the private sector, Aggarwal said, "I'm not in the government, so I want to put the limelight on ourselves. Is the private sector doing enough? I think we all can do more, and I'm on the same page. We all need to do more." In response to a query on his views over the government in extending the fiscal concession that companies like Tesla have been demanding from India, he said, "It is very important for India to attract all kinds of investment, especially (from) world leading companies. "Tesla is a best in class company. The more companies like these invest into India, the better it is for India, in a broad sense as well for the industry." He further said, "The (EV) ecosystem, including my company, will benefit from it, because it will raise the bar on expertise, on excellence, on talent, everything..." About the newly-listed entity Ola Electric, he said, "Our mission at Ola electric is to really make India a global EV hub." The company will build products such as electric two and three-wheelers that Indians need for the country to be able to invent an EV and energy transition paradigm for itself, different from the current global solution for sustainability that is focussed on electric luxury cars, Aggarwal added. On Ola Consumer, he said the ride-hailing mobility vertical is fairly profitable, while it is investing into the new e-commerce for which it has partnered with ONDC.

India needs to lead global tech transition, build jobs of the future: Ola Founder Bhavish Aggarwal

Aggarwal also supported the government's move to offer fiscal incentives to global EV makers, including Tesla, through the new EV policy saying it is important for India to attract all kinds of investment, and globally established players will help in the development of the EV ecosystem in the country. The group's newly-listed entity Ola Electric aims to make India a global electric vehicle (EV) hub but the country has to invent an EV and energy transition paradigm for itself based on its needs as the world cannot achieve a sustainable future without India, he added. "There is a global technology transition happening and AI is a very important technology of the future, and we in India need to lead this journey. If you look at the current state, I think we are still adopters of somebody else's technology paradigms, especially in the digital world," Aggarwal said, explaining why the Ola group had set up AI start-up Krutrim last year. One of the things in Krutrim is to build AI models on Indian data, which is more attuned to Indian use cases, Indian paradigms, he said, adding, "We are making our own AI, on our own cloud, on our own chip." Despite India producing 20 per cent of the world's digital data at present, he lamented that the country does not fully own the data, as 80 per cent are stored outside, which are then processed into AI and "brought back into India and sold to us in dollars". When asked about concerns over AI leading to job losses, he allayed the apprehension saying that the IT boom created jobs in India when people feared that computers would take away jobs, and AI is a similar tool. "AI is not going to replace anyone. Maybe that future is a few decades away... We don't need to get anxious about that future right now. We need to, as a country, see that AI is going to amplify productivity. If we don't get onto the bandwagon, we will be left behind...," he asserted. In his view, Aggarwal said the way forward is for India to become experts in future technology. "Future technologies bring with it jobs of the future, supply chain of the future. And if we are global leaders, we are the fastest adoptive market of future technologies (then) jobs of the future will be built in India, supply chains of the future will be built in India. This is the only way... If we focus on protecting the past, you remain uncompetitive," he added. Sharing his take on employment generation in India, Aggarwal said, "I actually believe the private sector has to do the bulk of the job creation. The government's job is to create the enabling environment, create the fundamentals, help correct imbalances wherever they are, be it trade imbalances, etc and incentivise wherever it needs to be incentivised, like the PLI schemes." The government's steps such as the employment-linked incentives will also encourage private industry, he said, adding "But fundamentally the private sector has to step up and do more". Asked if the government is doing enough to create that ecosystem for the private sector, Aggarwal said, "I'm not in the government, so I want to put the limelight on ourselves. Is the private sector doing enough? I think we all can do more, and I'm on the same page. We all need to do more." In response to a query on his views over the government in extending the fiscal concession that companies like Tesla have been demanding from India, he said, "It is very important for India to attract all kinds of investment, especially (from) world leading companies. "Tesla is a best in class company. The more companies like these invest into India, the better it is for India, in a broad sense as well for the industry." He further said, "The (EV) ecosystem, including my company, will benefit from it, because it will raise the bar on expertise, on excellence, on talent, everything..." About the newly-listed entity Ola Electric, he said, "Our mission at Ola electric is to really make India a global EV hub." The company will build products such as electric two and three-wheelers that Indians need for the country to be able to invent an EV and energy transition paradigm for itself, different from the current global solution for sustainability that is focussed on electric luxury cars, Aggarwal added. On Ola Consumer, he said the ride-hailing mobility vertical is fairly profitable, while it is investing into the new e-commerce for which it has partnered with ONDC. PTI TEAM ANZ DRR

'AI is crucial for future': India needs to lead global tech transition, build jobs, says Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal - Times of India

Ola founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, on Sunday said that the private sector should take the lead in generating employment opportunities and bear the primary responsibility for job creation. He added that while businesses must step up and do more, it is the government's role to create an enabling environment and address imbalances, such as those in trade. "There is a global technology transition underway, and AI is a crucial technology for the future.India needs to lead this journey. If you look at the current state, I believe we are still adopting technology paradigms created by others, particularly in the digital world." Aggarwal said in an interview with PTI, explaining why the Ola group established the AI startup Krutrim last year. He is making bold investments in new-age technologies, aiming to position India at the forefront of the global tech transition driven by AI and his goal is to create future-proof jobs within the country, ensuring that India leads in building the jobs of the future, Aggarwal expressed his support for the government's initiative to provide fiscal incentives to global electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers, including Tesla, through the new EV policy saying that it is important for India to attract all kinds of investment and globally established players will contribute to the development of the country's EV ecosystem. Aggarwal also highlighted Ola Electric's ambition to transform India into a global hub for electric vehicles. However, he stressed that India must develop its own EV and energy transition paradigm based on its specific needs, as the world's sustainable future cannot be achieved without India's participation. Regarding the global technology transition, Aggarwal emphasized the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) as a crucial technology of the future. He expressed his belief that India should take the lead in this journey. Krutrim's objective is to develop AI models specifically tailored to Indian use cases and paradigms, utilizing Indian data. "We are making our own AI, on our own cloud, on our own chip," he said. India currently generates 20 percent of the world's digital data, but unfortunately, the country does not have full ownership of this data. Eighty percent of the data is stored outside the country, which is then processed into AI and "brought back into India and sold to us in dollars," he pointed. Addressing concerns about AI potentially leading to job losses, he dismissed the worry, drawing a parallel to the IT boom in India. When people feared that computers would take away jobs, the IT boom actually created employment opportunities. He told PTI that, "AI is not going to replace anyone. Maybe that future is a few decades away... We don't need to get anxious about that future right now." To stay competitive, Aggarwal believes that India needs to become experts in future technologies. By being global leaders and the fastest adoptive market of future technologies, India can ensure that jobs and supply chains of the future are built within the country. "If we focus on protecting the past, you remain uncompetitive," he added, emphasizing the importance of embracing future technologies for India's growth and competitiveness. The TOI Business Desk is a vigilant and dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant business news from around the world to readers of The Times of India. The primary focus of the TOI Business Desk is to keep a watchful eye on the global business landscape, covering a wide spectrum of industries, markets, economic trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact businesses and economies. With a mission to provide valuable insights and updates, the desk ensures that TOI readers are well-informed about the ever-changing and dynamic world of commerce and can navigate the complexities of the business world.

India needs to lead tech transition, create future jobs: Bhavish Aggarwal

"There is a global technology transition happening and AI is a very important technology of the future, and we in India need to lead this journey. If you look at the current state, I think we are still adopters of somebody else's technology paradigms, especially in the digital world," Aggarwal said, explaining why the Ola group had set up AI start-up Krutrim last year.