Content consumption has changed significantly. Audiences now want everything – news, entertainment, sports and so on – on their own terms. What does this mean for CIOs in media and entertainment? To find out, CIO Dimension spoke with Harmit Singh Malhotra, Chief Technology Officer of NDTV Profit and a tech veteran with over 20 years of experience in broadcasting. 

From leading projects in live news rooms and international sports events to driving advancements in OTT and remote production, Harmit has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry. In this interview, he shares key insights on the industry’s evolution and what lies ahead for CIOs.

You come with over two decades of experience in the broadcast media space, having worked with many of the top brands in the Media industry. Would you like to recall some key moments in this journey?

My journey in broadcast media began in 2003 with Network18, where I was fascinated by the unique opportunities this industry offers to tech leaders. From the very start, I realized there is never a dull moment in this space—it’s a field where creativity and technology converge to create impactful stories and experiences.

During my tenure at Network18, I contributed to several key projects, including the launch of CNBC-Awaaz, IBN-Lokmat, COLORS, and CNBC Bajar. Each of these ventures showcased the power of technology in shaping how audiences consume content.

One of the most exciting projects in my career came in 2013 while working with Star Sports, where we implemented India’s first-ever remote production for international sports events. We wanted to move away from the traditional model of deploying large production crews at global venues. So, we introduced a streamlined workflow: live feeds were transmitted from international venues to a central hub, where commentary was added, and localised broadcasts were produced. This project delivered significant cost savings and maintained the highest production standards, setting a new benchmark for the industry. 

Following this, I worked for leading media organisations such as Republic Media Network and Enterr10. A key achievement during this period was spearheading the launch of Dangal Play’s OTT platform, where I oversaw the entire Tech workflow—from content and delivery to user experience design. This project provided great insights into the world of streaming platforms. 

Currently, I spearhead the technology operations at NDTV Profit, managing all aspects of technical and delivery from our Mumbai hub. This role allows me to continue exploring the potential of technology in media while adapting to the industry’s changing demands.

Tell us a bit more about your role at NDTV Profit and how you navigated the acquisition of BQPrime and its merger with NDTV Profit. 

In my current role at NDTV Profit, I oversee Corporate IT, Broadcast Engineering, and Cybersecurity, ensuring seamless integration across these critical functions. I lead a team responsible for maintaining efficient workflows, real-time content production, and multi-platform content delivery—spanning satellite broadcasting and digital streaming.

A key aspect of my role is managing critical infrastructure, including network systems, security frameworks, and core IT operations, all within a single, integrated team. This ensures cross-functional collaboration, innovation, and agility, allowing us to adapt to evolving industry demands. 

During the acquisition, strategic foresight played a crucial role in guiding our technology choices, ensuring compatibility with NDTV’s existing systems. During our transition and expansion, we prioritized proactive planning and seamless system integration, minimizing disruptions and ensuring a smooth operational flow. Close collaboration between teams allowed us to overcome technological challenges, facilitating a smooth and efficient transition post-merger.

As we continue to evolve, our focus remains on leveraging technology, strengthening cybersecurity frameworks, and enhancing operational efficiencies to position NDTV Profit as a leader in business news broadcasting.

I’m really curious about how content consumption and viewing patterns are evolving, especially post-COVID. Digital has clearly become the go-to medium for many. How do you see these trends shaping up?

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a big transformation in the way we consume media. Digital platforms emerged as the primary source of entertainment and information during this phase. But I think this shift stayed and paved the way for many key trends that continue to shape the media landscape. Here’re a few that I would like to highlight: 

Streaming services take centre stage: Channel streaming plays a big role in reaching a global audience. By leveraging the power of channel streaming, we can deliver excellent, personalised experiences to a diverse and expansive audience, ensuring our content remains relevant and impactful in the digital age.

The rise of short-form content: Short-form content has become increasingly popular, especially among younger audiences. Platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have revolutionised content consumption with their bite-sized, engaging videos. 

Personalized viewing experiences: Algorithms have become the backbone of personalized viewing experiences. Streaming services and social media platforms use sophisticated algorithms to recommend content based on user preferences. 

OTT platforms and Smart TVs: The integration of internet connectivity into televisions has transformed traditional TV viewing. OTT platforms offer vast content that can be accessed directly through smart TVs. This evolution has blurred the lines between conventional TV and digital streaming.

Social Media as a news source: Social media platforms have become crucial news sources, especially for younger generations. Platforms like X, Facebook, etc make it ideal for staying updated on current events. However, this has also underscored the importance of authenticity and trust in news consumption, as misinformation can spread rapidly across these channels.

Interactive and immersive content: Today audiences want more engaging experiences. Interactive and immersive content has  thusgained traction. Virtual concerts, online gaming, and live-streaming events offer unique and participatory experiences. The growing popularity of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) further enhances these interactive elements, creating a more dynamic media landscape.

That’s quite a lot on the plate for a CIO in the media and entertainment space! What are the opportunities and challenges that you see as a tech leader in this industry today? 

Speed and agility are paramount in the digital age. CIOs must prioritize digital-first strategies, ensuring rapid news dissemination across social media platforms. This requires a robust cloud infrastructure to enable real-time content delivery and personalized experiences based on audience preferences and location. Cloud technology, for example, is the cornerstone of our operations. Cloud platforms like AWS and Azure provide the foundation for our entire workflow, from content acquisition and processing to delivery and audience engagement.

One of the key challenges is the complexity of delivering content across multiple platforms and devices whilst maintaining quality and user experience. CIOs must prioritise building scalable infrastructure, including Content Delivery Networks (CDNs). As CDNs distribute content across a network of servers closer to users, it helps in minimizing latency and improving delivery times – making it crucial for modern media organisations.

You mentioned Cloud. Tell us how Cloud is driving some key business use cases for NDTV Profit. 

As a media organization, we are transitioning to a cloud-first approach, leveraging cloud platforms for content delivery, ad insertion, and audience targeting. This allows us to personalise content and ad experiences for viewers in different regions, enhancing the viewer experience and improving ad effectiveness.

We are also exploring edge computing, which brings processing power closer to the network’s edge. This enables faster response times and reduced latency, which is crucial for live streaming and interactive content. I believe cloud and edge computing will play an increasingly vital role in shaping the future of media delivery, enabling us to provide personalized content experiences to audiences worldwide.

What technological advancements do you foresee transforming newsrooms and studios in the coming years?

The media landscape is on the verge of a significant transformation. We are quickly moving away from traditional, cable-dependent workflows to IP-based production, which will efficiently transmit high-quality video signals over high-bandwidth networks. This shift will revolutionize our operations, enhancing flexibility and scalability.

AI is another technology that has the potential to change news production, even though concrete use cases are still emerging. From automated content creation and personalized recommendations to streamlining workflows and enhancing audience engagement, Generative AI will play a big role. I think, all these advancements in technology will help us build a more dynamic and responsive media industry.

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For CIOs and CTOs, AI can automate routine tasks like network monitoring, system maintenance, and cybersecurity, reducing the need for hands-on management. This gives them more time to focus on innovation and developing long-term technology strategies. AI also helps them make data-driven decisions by providing insights from vast amounts of data, which allows companies to anticipate customer needs, improve operations, and create new products or services.

However, AI also presents new challenges. CIOs and CTOs will need to navigate ethical concerns around AI, such as data privacy and the impact of automation on jobs. They’ll also need to continuously update their skills to keep up with rapidly advancing AI technologies.

Moreover, AI is driving the need for strong collaboration between CIOs/CTOs and other departments like human resources, marketing, and finance. For instance, AI systems that monitor employee performance or improve customer experience require cross-functional alignment. This means CIOs and CTOs must become more integrated with the business side, ensuring that AI initiatives are aligned with overall company goals.

As companies continue to adopt AI-driven solutions, the demand for CIOs and CTOs who understand both technology and business strategy will grow. Embracing this shift will help them not only lead but also innovate in today’s competitive landscape. Those who stay ahead will be the driving force behind their organization’s success.

References:

• Forbes: How AI is Reshaping the Role of the CIO
• Gartner: Gartner Says Three-Fourths of CIO Job Description Will Be Rewritten by 2024

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Avient Corporation, the global manufacturer of specialized polymer materials, recently opened its Global Delivery Center in Pune. The state-of-the art facility will act as a key enabler for the manufacturer’s digital transformation initiatives globally.  

With a core focus on key pillars such as ERP systems, IT infrastructure, and Global Business Services, the center aims to significantly strengthen Avient’s global service capabilities and support its innovation roadmap.

The center is also expected to create new job opportunities, specifically in Pune, as it plans to double its headcount in the next few months. 

Vikas Vij, Managing Director of Avient said, “The inauguration of our new Global Delivery Center in Pune marks a significant milestone for Avient in India. This facility will not only enhance our ability to serve our global customers but also create valuable employment opportunities in the region.” 

Dr. Yogesh Dadke, IT Delivery Leader, Avient, will be leading the facility’s operations and its strategic direction. “The establishment of our Global Delivery Center in Pune marks a significant milestone in Avient’s global expansion journey. This initiative not only represents a compelling growth story for our company but also demonstrates our strategic investment in the region’s talent pool. Our Pune center will serve as a hub for innovation, technological advancement, and operational excellence, underscoring our commitment to leveraging local expertise to drive global success,” Dr. Dadke added. 

Avient has been championing sustainability and innovative approaches to products for many decades. It leverages unique technologies to improve the recyclability of products and enable recycled content to be incorporated, thus advancing a more circular economy. Avient’s Dyneema is touted as the world’s strongest fiber and the company has been working with light-weighting solutions that replace heavier traditional materials like metal, glass and wood. 

Technology has been a key priority for Avient in driving many of these breakthroughs and the new global delivery center reinstates the company’s emphasis on technology.

“Our new Global Delivery Center in Pune is a testament to Avient’s commitment to innovation and excellence. This center will be crucial in our ongoing digital transformation efforts, and we are excited to be building our team with talented employees in Pune,” said Zaneta Potoczny, Vice President, Global Business Services, Avient. 

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Tekion, a cloud technology provider for automotive sector founded by Tesla’s former CIO Jay Vijayan, has secured $200 million in growth equity capital from Dragoneer Investment Group. This financing round sets Tekion’s valuation above $4 billion, the company said in a press release. 

Tekion plans to invest the capital to expand its product offering for dealer partners and OEMs, accelerate implementation timelines, and deliver better customer support.

“Tekion has charted an extraordinary growth path, revolutionizing the automotive retail industry through our comprehensive and fully integrated platform,” said Jay Vijayan, Founder and CEO of Tekion. “We are delighted to partner with Dragoneer, whose team has followed our progress closely for multiple years, believes in our long-term vision, and carries an impressive track record investing in best-in-class vertical SaaS businesses.”

The funding announcement follows Tekion’s performance in 2023, with 97% year-over-year annual run rate revenue growth and expanding partnerships in the industry including with over 2,000 automotive retailers, multiple leading-brand OEMs, and over 250 ecosystem technology partners. The company had recently made key appointments to its leadership team, including the CFO, CRO, and CTO. 

“Having watched Tekion’s rapid pace of innovation and market adoption over the past several years, we are proud to partner with and support Jay and his world-class team in the next phase of the company’s growth journey,” said Christian Jensen, Partner at Dragoneer. “

Tekion had raised $250 million funding in October 2021. The Pleasanton-headquartered firm has close to 3000 employees globally and caters to some of the leading automotive dealers across geographies.  

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Ninad Raje, a global tech leader and the former Chief Information & Transformation officer of HealthAssure, joins Jaquar Group as the Group CIO. Ninad had a long stint of over 10 years at the healthcare aggregator, serving diverse key leadership roles. 

In his recent role at HealthAssure, which also had the additional responsibility of Chief People Officer, he was responsible for leading holistic business transformation and cultural enhancement. He has been instrumental in fostering HealthAssure from inception to making it India’s leading healthtech company. 

He was earlier the Director & Head of Information Technology for UnitedHealth Group. In his close to 13-year-old stretch at UHG, he led several transformative initiatives for the American multinational health insurance provider. 

“Renowned for propelling organizations to exponential growth rates exceeding 20x through innovative technological transformations, Ninad’s expertise extends to driving the 4Ps—People, Performance, Productivity, and Profitability—with unparalleled precision,” a LinkedIn post by Jaquar highlighted.  Established in 1960, Jaquar is a multi-diversified ‘complete bathroom and lighting solutions’ brand.

An IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Ninad brings over 26 years of global leadership across Manufacturing, Aviation, Insurance, Healthcare, Technology, and Financial Services. He has won many accoladed including the “CIO of the Year 2019” in Europe and is a recognized AI/ML and Cyber Security expert. 

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When Mitali Biswas left her highly fulfilling role at IBM to become the CIO of a leading hospital in Kolkata, she was led solely by her conviction. Four years later, after successfully navigating the COVID-19 crisis which came along rather unexpectedly, she has embraced the role of a CIO with all its virtuosity. 

The secret sauce is her inside-out approach to digital transformation with a firm focus on impactful outcomes. She is the sort of a technology leader who has seen the best of transformation programs globally and yet champions a more grounded approach while crafting a technology roadmap at CK Birla Hospitals. 

In this exclusive video interaction, Mitali takes us through her fascinating journey as a healthcare CIO and how the sector is set to transform itself with the help of AI, IoT, wearables and other technologies. 

The CK Birla group of Hospitals comprises esteemed institutions such as the Calcutta Medical Research Institute (CMRI), a premier multispecialty hospital located in Kolkata, alongside the renowned BM Birla Heart Research Centre in Kolkata and the Rukmani Birla Hospital in Jaipur. With a rich legacy spanning over 50 years, these hospitals have collectively provided care to more than 1.8 million patients.

Mitali believes that AI has the ability to revolutionize the healthcare sector and save more lives. 

“AI has potential to significantly transform the clinical decisions support systems, by helping doctors diagnose faster and more accurately using data. Radiology imaging is emerging as a strong use case today. Imagine AI being used to accelerate the diagnosis process of brain strokes using MRI images – we will be able to save a lot more lives this way,” she says. 

She discussed some key roadblocks to AI adoption in healthcare from an Indian context. “In healthcare, we are dealing with human lives and there must be the trust and evidence that the AI systems are 100 percent right. That’s the reason why acceptance and change management remain the biggest challenges.” 

Mitali also highlights some key challenges in implementing AI in healthcare including the prevalence of manual processes, and the data management & data sharing issues that CIOs face. “It’s important to get the entire ecosystem in the healthcare sector to work together. Government plays a key role here. I think we are heading in the right direction with the help of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. Enforcement is the need of the hour,” she underscores.  

Watch the full video to learn more about the emerging use cases of IoT and wearables in healthcare and a lot more interesting insights from Mitali. 

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Generative AI has made impressive strides in the last one year, taking the technology world by storm. Thanks to consumer- facing tools like ChatGPT, Bard, Claud and the like, there has been a huge perceptional change toward Generative AI – a technology that has been existing ‘silently’ for years! 

In fact, Generative AI or GenAI adoption has been faster than that of smartphones and tablets, according to Insider Intelligence. 

In the enterprise world, this technology has gained massive interest and acceptance in short order. A Box-sponsored IDC survey shows that two-thirds of executives have already deployed generative AI in some areas at their organizations, which is further evidenced by an IBM survey. About 42% of enterprise-scale companies surveyed by IBM report having actively deployed AI in their business. 

But what really lies beyond the hype? Are enterprises reaping real benefits out of their GenAI investments? We asked a few CIOs at the Tech Saga 2024 organized by CIO Klub Pune Chapter. 

“Business leaders are enamoured by the success stories of these technologies that often they tend to ignore the failures and the basic requirements that are associated with GenAI’Business leaders are enamoured by the success stories of these technologies that often they tend to ignore the failures and the basic requirements that are associated with GenAI.”

Shobhana Lele, CIO of Bombay Dyeing

2024 – A year of GenAI in production? 

2023, which could be considered the watershed year for GenAI, was all about experimentation and pilots, indicate studies. In a recent Gartner poll, about 45% of the 1,400 executive leaders surveyed reported that they are in piloting mode with generative AI. An IBM research estimates this figure to be around 40%. Interestingly, about 10% of them have put generative AI solutions into production and this figure is steadily growing. 

A sizable number of the enterprises in piloting mode are expected to shift their focus to practical implementation in the next one year– making 2024 a turning point in GenAI adoption. “For the 40% of companies surveyed stuck in the sandbox, I am confident 2024 will be the year of tackling and overcoming barriers to entry like the skills gap and data complexity.” Rob Thomas, Senior Vice President, IBM Software.

Catapulted by the increasing investments, the GenAI market size is projected to top USD 66.62 billion in 2024 with an anticipated yearly growth rate of over 20% through 2030.

Indian CIOs see more GenAI use cases evolving

Tech leaders in India are bullish about the prospects of the technology. India is already considered a front-runner in the adoption of GenAI, with as high as 81% of Indian organizations already integrating the technology into their operations (Elastic report).

What kind of promising use cases will emerge in 2024? Which industries will get touched the most? 

“GenAI use cases will grow quite exponentially in the coming years,” says Shobhana Lele, CIO of Bombay Dyeing, who is a passionate advocate of AI technology. She believes that the healthcare sector is poised to hugely benefit from GenAI. 

“Of all the mature use cases that will emerge, I find the technology’s impact on the Healthcare sector quite significant and far-reaching. It’s one sector with massive amounts of data and AI can accelerate use cases that are critical for the whole humanity, helping us find solutions for some of the pressing problems that have been around for decades,” she highlights. 

A NASSCOM study from 2023 states that the use of AI and data in healthcare might increase India’s GDP by USD 25–30 billion by 2025. 

Vinod Deshmukh, GM – IT, Haldiram Foods is already exploring various use cases of GenAI at the FMCG firm and believes that the FMCG sector stands to benefit significantly from the technology. “There are strong business use cases already emerging, which help FMCG companies improve product quality, predict outcomes, and increase the overall efficiencies,” he adds.

Generative AI in the banking and financial services sector, which is expected to create a massive USD 12 Billion market in the next 10 years, is another great opportunity. 

“Strong business use cases of GenAI are already emerging, which help FMCG companies improve product quality, predict outcomes, and increase the overall efficiencies.”

Vinod Deshmukh, GM – IT, Haldiram Foods 

“This is another sector that holds huge amounts of personal and sensitive data. AI will be critical in effectively leveraging this data to help consumers get the most out of their assets and investments while devising innovative ways of protecting their critical data,” says Shobhana.

Gen AI is now catalyzing a significant shift in the financial services sector, reports EY, with 78% of the firms implementing or planning Gen AI integration. Around 61% of financial institutions anticipate GenAI to have a profound impact on their value chain, enhancing efficiency and responsiveness, states the EY report.

Banking institutions across the globe are leveraging this technology to improve customer experience, provide personalized marketing and improve collections & recovery. Underwriting copilots are another big use case in the banking sector. 

Noteworthy is the fact that sectors that have been slow in adopting artificial intelligence are moving to a more proactive approach when it comes to GenAI. 

“GenAI is encouraging many brands to push the envelope – even those who haven’t yet considered AI use cases are exploring the possibilities of GenAI, says Vinod. He cites the example of manufacturing industry. In the manufacturing sector, GenAI will soon be leveraged in quality analysis, decision making and other core areas.”

Less than 20% of manufacturers have begun to implement AI technologies, reports suggest. However, GenAI seems to be moving the needle up, with the global market for GenAI in manufacturing expected to reach around $7 billion by 2032. 

GenAI challenges for CIOs

There are several challenges that tech leaders must tackle before they deploy genAI across key business functions. Data privacy and transparency are greater concerns for sure. So are the growing AI ethical challenges which require collaborative work across various stakeholders in the industry. 

Limited availability of AI skills is perhaps the top concern for CIOs today, Vinod emphasizes. “Access to the right skillsets is a challenge, especially for businesses in tier-2 & 3 cities. Tech leaders need to develop the right resources and technology capabilities to take this journey ahead,” he adds. 

The recent IBM Global AI Index highlights that nearly 35% enterprises report lack of skills for implementation is a big inhibitor for GenAI implementation. One-in-five organizations do not have employees with the right skills in place to use new AI or automation tools and 16% cannot find new hires with the skills to address that gap, the same research shows. 

To fill this gap in the current scenario, CIO will be expected to lead the task of reskilling and upskilling the existing workforce – especially because skills in data science, machine learning and MLOps are hard to come by. 

All in all, many CIOs want to take a cautiously optimistic path when it comes to taking GenAI to the next level. And reasonably so. 

“In my observation, many CEOs are gung-ho about implementing AI or generative AI, whereas the CIOs are a little cautious and apprehensive. There is a reason for this apprehension – Business leaders are enamoured by the success stories of these technologies that often they tend to ignore the failures and the basic requirements that are associated with GenAI,” Shobhana says. 

She believes that this perception leads to a lot of pressure on CIOs to start using these technologies with the expectation that it’s going to be successful. “But, every CIO has the responsibility to make the organization aware of AI/GenAI’s basic requirement – the relevant data sets, skillsets and the support. So, it’s a tightrope walk for the CIO,” she sums up. 

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Executives and engineers at technology companies around the world are optimistic about artificial intelligence and sustainability as broad concepts, but there is uncertainty around the best path forward to advance these initiatives within their companies.

Those revelations emerged from the 2024 Industrial Technology Index from TE Connectivity. For its second annual report on the state of innovation, TE surveyed 1,000 people representing a wide range of industries in China, Germany, India, Japan and the United States.

“TE has devoted significant resources to sustainability and AI, and we know other companies are doing the same. We wanted to learn more about how these two megatrends are affecting the innovation process and, in turn, how innovation is driving them forward,” said CEO Terrence Curtin. “What we found was that the leaders who set a company’s goals and the engineers tasked with meeting these goals still have some work to do to align for success.”

The survey’s results make apparent the disconnect between leaders and engineers when it comes to rolling out artificial intelligence. Three-quarters of executives say that engineers are responsible for driving AI implementation. However, 68% of engineers wish that leadership would lay out a clearer plan for its implementation. When asked to peer into the near future, 79% of both engineers and executives expect their company to invest more in AI training over the next three years.

When responding to questions about sustainable practices at their companies, most engineers revealed a deep passion for the environment. Eighty-seven percent of engineers agree that it is personally important to them to support climate change solutions in their work. This sentiment is so deeply entrenched in the engineering community that 34% said they would leave their job if their company did not provide opportunities to support sustainable initiatives. 

Survey data indicates that executives need to do some more work to instill confidence in their engineering communities, as there is a five-point difference between the groups when asked if they were satisfied with their organization’s sustainability plan.

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Despite the global economic uncertainties, worldwide IT spending is expected to total $5.06 trillion in 2024, an increase of 8% from 2023, according to the latest forecast by Gartner. This is a slight revisal of the market research agency’s earlier forecast of a 6.8% growth and puts worldwide IT spending on track to surpass $8 trillion well before the end of the decade. 

The latest number reflects a considerable surge in the overall IT spending growth rate, which was a meagre 3.3% in 2023, only a 0.3% increase from 2022. Gartner had highlighted that the slump in spending in the past year was largely due to change fatigue among CIOs, as they hesitate to sign new contracts, commit to long-term initiatives or take on new technology partners.

Talent gap might be fueling demand for IT services 

IT services spending will continue to witness strong growth according to the agency with close to 10% growth. This growth, according to Gartner, is largely driven by the fact that enterprises will rely heavily on IT services firm for their IT talent needs, instead of investing on internal staff – a strong indicator of the persisting talent shortage in the industry.

“Enterprises are quickly falling behind IT service firms in terms of attracting talent with key IT skill sets. This creates a greater need for investment in consulting spend compared to internal staff. We are at an inflection year for this trend, with more money being spent on consulting than internal staff for the first time,” said John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. 

GenAI to see more execution in 2025

GenAI is expected to drive substantial data center systems spending in 2024, as more organization move to execution phase in 2025. Gartner predicts that spending on data center systems is expected to see a notable jump in growth from 2023 (4%) to 2024 (10%), in large part due to planning for generative AI (GenAI).

“We are seeing a cycle of story, plan, execution when it comes to GenAI. In 2023, enterprises were telling the story of GenAI and in 2024 we are seeing most of them planning for eventual execution in 2025,” said Lovelock. “Technology providers are required to be a step ahead of this cycle and are already in the execution phase. They are bringing GenAI capabilities to existing products and services, as well as to use cases being identified by their enterprise clients. 

“There is also gold rush level spending by service providers in markets supporting large scale GenAI projects, such as servers and semiconductors,” said Lovelock. “In 2024, AI servers will account for close to 60% of hyperscalers total server spending.”

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Generative AI or GenAI has perhaps had the fastest uptake in the history of enterprise with vast majority of the organizations trying to leverage the technology for various use cases. According to Gartner, more than 80% of enterprises will have used GenAI APIs or models, or deployed GenAI-enabled applications in production environments by 2026, up from less than 5% in 2023. But to get there, enterprises have an uphill task ahead of them. 

In an email interview with CIO Dimension, Lakshminarasimman Raghavan, Group VP Technology, Publicis Sapient, shares what it takes to advance GenAI projects from PoC to production. 

Edited excerpts: 

Majority of the GenAI projects in 2023 focused experimentation and proof of concepts. Do you see GenAI use cases moving from initial pilots and PoC to production this year?

As GenAI emerges as a fundamental capability for IT organisations, there is a pressing need for a transformative shift in capability development. Building Gen AI capabilities in-house is imperative to keep pace with the rapid evolution and widespread adoption of this technology across various industries. While trying out new technologies through PoCs shows what’s possible, true insights emerge when solutions are deployed into real-world scenarios. To effectively test and refine solutions, the time spent on PoCs must be streamlined. 

IT leaders can direct their focus on specific challenges, working to transform them into tangible realities. This approach facilitates the rigorous testing and refinement solutions within live environments.  Many of the organizations that we work with are in the PoC stages with some of them starting to rollout their solutions to production this year.

What are some of the key GenAI trends that will emerge and dominate through the year? 

GenAI is expected to unlock new opportunities for automation, efficiency, and innovation across enterprise operations, leading to significant advancements in various domains. Here are some key trends:

• Automated code generation: GenAI will revolutionize software development by accelerating code creation processes. This will lead to more cost-effective and rapid development cycles, enabling IT organizations to deliver solutions more efficiently.
• In-house GenAI capabilities: Organizations will increasingly invest in developing in-house GenAI capabilities to address specific challenges and enhance operational efficiency. This shift will reduce reliance on external partners and vendors, allowing companies to have more control over costs and resources. These capabilities not only include just technical aspects but also aspects such as knowledge in biases, ethical aspects and operational aspects such as testing, optimizing and tuning GenAI solutions etc.
• Transformation of talent landscape: The emergence of GenAI AI as a core capability will transform the engineering and IT talent landscape. Skilled professionals with expertise in GenAI will become indispensable, driving the adoption and implementation of this technology across various industries.
• Focus on scalable solutions: IT leaders will prioritize scalable solutions over PoCs to harness the full potential of GenAI. By implementing and refining solutions in live environments, organizations can derive real insights and drive tangible outcomes, rather than investing time in experimental trials.
• Streamlining of data: The fundamental building block of any GenAI based solution is the underlying data ranging from code all the way to behavioral and transactional data. Organizations will need to invest in streamlining their data to enable effective GenAI implementations. 

A transformation in the engineering and IT talent landscape is anticipated, with Gen AI skills emerging as essential. A new wave of engineers will rise, armed with the expertise necessary to unleash the potential of this technology. Organizations are expected to internalize GenAI endeavours, driven by the imperative to manage costs and bolster operational efficiency, diverging from sole reliance on public cloud infrastructure.

What could potentially be the top challenges for CIOs as they try to deploy GenAI at scale within the enterprises?

A few aspects that CIOs must consider while deploying GenAI at scale include:

• Aligning with business goals: CIOs must seamlessly integrate transformative technologies, like GenAI, with business objectives. This requires a proactive approach to understand GenAI’s influence and equip teams with the necessary tools to outline viable business cases. The challenge lies in decoding GenAI’s impact and aligning technological advancements with overarching business imperatives.
• Prioritizing data engineering: Establishing a robust Core Data Architecture is crucial for adapting to the evolving tech landscape. CIOs are prioritizing efforts in data engineering, focusing on tasks such as formatting data appropriately, optimizing data locations for model training, and assessing existing data platforms. This concentrated attention and investment in data engineering are essential for leveraging GenAI effectively.
• Building in-house capabilities: Developing in-house GenAI capabilities requires significant investment in talent, resources, and infrastructure. CIOs need to evaluate the extent to which they rely on external partners and vendors versus building these capabilities internally. Securing the necessary talent and allocating resources to sustain and evolve these capabilities over time presents a considerable challenge as well as opportunity. This involves evaluating the costs, talent acquisition, and resource allocation needed for either approach.

These factors underscore the need for CIOs to strategically align with business teams, emphasize collaboration, and proactively decode GenAI to ensure successful deployment at scale while navigating the complexities of organizational transformation and technological advancement.

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