Governance Now, a premier publication on public policy and governance from Sri Adhikari Brothers Group, is organizing the 8th India PSU IT Forum on 7th December 2023 in New Delhi. In the past seven editions of the PSU IT Forums Governance Now has been successful in actively engaging IT experts from India’s top PSUs, community, and technology solution providers for addressing the digital transformation needs.
India is presently poised to embrace cutting-edge technologies, encompassing 5G, AI, blockchain, augmented reality, virtual reality, machine learning, deep learning, robots, and natural language processing. These technologies are set to be instrumental in government and industry sectors, facilitating tasks like planning, decision-making, accelerating development, analyzing deployment, resolving issues, and creating products. Public sector undertakings (PSUs), by embracing digital tools, data analytics, and automation, are revolutionizing service delivery, decision-making processes, and accountability standards. This piece delves into real-world examples, highlighting instances of technology-driven transformations that optimize resource allocation, streamline processes, and enhance responsiveness. PSUs are eagerly adopting emerging technologies to drive their digital transformation initiatives. This strategic shift is driven by the realization that modernizing operations through technological innovation is vital to staying competitive and relevant.
These PSUs are harnessing the potential of emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, data analytics, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to optimize processes, improve decision-making, and enhance efficiency. They employ AI and machine learning algorithms to extract insights from vast datasets, enabling informed strategic planning and predictive analytics for resource allocation.
The Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy have jointly launched a National Mission to swiftly identify emerging technologies in the power sector and develop them on a large scale for domestic and international deployment. The Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research (MAHIR) aims to leverage emerging technologies in the power sector. By identifying and transitioning these technologies to the implementation stage, the Mission seeks to harness them as drivers of future economic growth, positioning India as a global manufacturing hub.
Furthermore, PSUs are enhancing customer experiences through digital platforms, offering user-friendly interfaces for seamless access to services. This enhances user satisfaction, transparency, and accountability. Collaboration is a crucial driver of this transformation, as PSUs form partnerships with tech providers, startups, and research institutions to leverage external expertise and drive innovation. In essence, PSUs are proactively leveraging emerging technologies as catalysts for change, fostering operational excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth. This transition to a technology-enabled environment reshapes internal operations and redefines interactions with the public, ushering in a more efficient and citizen-centric governance framework
Cyber security complexities in the digital age for PSUs
Amid the embrace of emerging technologies and the increasing reliance on digital operations, has presented formidable challenges within the realm of cyber and network security. Organizations find themselves compelled to prioritize the establishment of robust security architectures. As IT infrastructures undergo modernization, the emphasis on security considerations should take precedence in decision-making processes, ensuring a comprehensive and proactive approach to safeguarding vital assets. In the current rapidly evolving landscape, cybersecurity has transformed from being optional to an absolute necessity. Consequently, the integration of emerging technologies for heightened security is not only pivotal but also an imperative mandate. Exploiting every available advantage becomes paramount in disrupting potential attack vectors and fortifying the overall security stance. To effectively mitigate cyber risks, the acquisition of comprehensive visibility across the entire network holds paramount importance. The understanding of vulnerabilities enables the swift prioritization and subsequent remediation of potential threats. Organizations must make it a priority to establish robust security architectures during the process of IT modernization, embracing a proactive and comprehensive methodology to shield critical assets. In navigating the complexities of cyber security in the digital age, especially for PSUs, a tailored and multifaceted approach is indispensable. By amalgamating technological measures, collaborative efforts, compliance adherence, and effective leadership, PSUs can effectively fortify their digital assets, guarantee the continuity of crucial services, and uphold public trust within an interconnected and potentially vulnerable digital landscape. Given that PSUs often manage crucial data and infrastructure, they inevitably become appealing targets for cybercriminals. PSUs can adeptly navigate these intricate cyber complexities by constructing resilience through a combination of technological integration, employee training, and strategic incident response planning.
The platform is to witness deliberations from top-brass of the nation's PSUs on the theme ‘Transforming Governance through Technology: A Paradigm Shift in the Public Sector’.