Gaurav Aggarwal, Vice Chairman of Sainik Industries Private Limited, elaborates on the need for targeted incentives, in-house resource generation for solar equipment manufacturing and cost innovation to promote solar energy in India. TPCI: What, in your opinion, are the factors that are responsible for the rise in the use of solar roofs in India? Gaurav Aggarwal (GA): The rooftop solar market holds huge growth potential across India and should be exploited to help meet the growing energy requirements of the population. Rooftop solar PV can meet the electricity needs of consumers in various ways, whether it is general electricity use, use for cooking and for vehicles etc. Solar roofs are a source of clean and green energy that keep the pollution level to almost nil, help in reducing carbon footprints, save costs in terms of only one time investment with no recurring cost and have a lifespan of almost 25-30 years. They are an easily accessible source of energy in remote and village areas also where grid connectivity is not possible, supported by Government in terms of giving subsidies to installers. They are very well suited for Indian climate, which has almost 300 sunny days and no additional space requirement to install it. With more advancement in technologies of rooftop solar, every region of India has potential to tap this form of renewable energy. But in terms of usefulness of solar rooftop technology, more weightage should be given to those regions where solar energy factor is high such as the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Leh and Ladakh. TPCI:  What is the investment scenario for this sector, and how can it be improved further? GA: Recently, India achieved the third rank globally for solar installation capacity. Despite that India is facing challenges attracting investment in this sector because it requires upfront high investments and a host of risks, such as policy and regulatory risks, perceived risks, & technology-related risks. Risks generate lot of uncertainties and hence, further compound the availability of required investment in this sector. As per the Government’s policy of low tariff for renewable energy, the investors do not get attracted towards this sector. Apart from that, the dynamic nature of solar rooftop technology, scepticism always prevails among the minds of investors about the assets (plant and machineries) being stranded in future. So, these are some of the risks that distract investment in this sector. In order to attract more players in this sector, the government should act as a facilitator and devise innovative policy mechanisms not only in terms of introducing innovative financing instruments, but also creating a conducive environment, which minimizes the associated risk factors. The government should give more incentives to the investors as well as the ultimate consumers to adopt this technology of clean energy. TPCI: How do you view India’s potential to lead global adoption of solar technology and possibly even emerge a major international player in theis sector? GA: There are few very important lessons that India can learn from its international counterparts in the adoption of solar roof technology. As time is of the essence, if more and more projects of solar rooftop in India get completed in a timely manner, it can cut its major expenditure on fossil fuels to generate electricity. As technology advancement is an ongoing process, Indian industries should also focus more on innovations in this field of solar roof top to make it more cost effective as well as efficiency effective, like its international counterparts. Also, India should learn techniques of less wastage in generation and supply of electricity from its counterparts like Germany and Australia. In order to leap ahead of curve, India should bring more of its own innovation and researches in the field of solar ahead of other counterparts to make it more cost effective, as it has done it in the field of space aeronautics. Apart from that India should also focus on in-house resource generation for solar equipment manufacturing instead of depending on other international players. TPCI: What are the challenges that MSMEs in India face when it comes to scaling up on solar rooftops?GA: Certainly there are operational, technical, financial and awareness barriers to scaling rooftop in MSME sector in India. Despite all these different types of barriers, the financial barrier is the major one that affects the scaling up of rooftop solar. All MSMEs will have to compete with large entities that have robust credit profiles to adopt rooftop solar and the installation of solar system requires high upfront investment. Due to low creditworthiness, MSMEs generally lack in getting loans at concessional interest rates which, in turn, brings other barriers in picture, say proper knowledge of installed plant and machinery, reluctance to invest in training staff and maintenance staff, etc. In order to eradicate these barriers, the government should take more steps to educate MSMEs about its schemes, and provide them more finance options at concessional interest rates so that they can go for latest technologies in the rooftop solar field, promote MSMEs to have active participation in Government tenders etc. TPCI: How can policy intervention accelerate growth for the sector? GA: The Government is doing very good to fillip this sector, as during the last 5 years, it has already put more of its resources towards this sector. In order to boost it more, the government is projected to give subsidies of upto US$ 3.3 billion for scaling up the solar rooftop installations in the country under Sustainable Rooftop Implementation for Solar Transfiguration of India (SRISTI) Scheme. In order to promote this sector it is advisable that the Government should run awareness programs on such an extensive level to promote this SRISTI scheme so that more and more people get inclined to use this clean source of electricity. Government should setup training centres to train the consumers as well as more entrepreneurs to adapt these future technologies of energy generation. As the ultimate consumer gets education about these technologies, his trust will build up

Dr. Sachith Shetty, CMO, Ayush – South Delhi Municipal Corporation, talks about the factors that make Ayurveda a popular choice of medicine for curing ailments, measures adopted to ensure its quality control and the ways in which students of medicine can be lured to pursue this discipline. TPCI: According to a report, as many as 77% of the country’s households use Ayurvedic products. What, according to you, are the reasons for such a high usage of Ayurvedic products in India? Dr. Sachith Shetty (SS): Ayurveda is an almost a 5,000-year-old science. Right since its inception, people used  Ayurvedic home remedies for curing common ailments. For example, they use clove for headaches and methi seeds for treating diabetes. Now these home remedies like ginger are being sold in the form of tablets. Secondly, Ayurveda isn’t just about the medicines; it also teaches us about lifestyle management. So, Ayurveda concentrates more on prevention rather than cure. Thirdly, the use of preventive medicines has started recently. People have been using these kind of remedies since long. TPCI:  What measures (like lab testing of medicines) are taken to ensure that these medicines meet international quality standards? SS: Earlier, there was no data pertaining to regulation; now there are books pertaining to regulation. Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences publishes these books every year. Vast research is conducted to identify these drugs. For example, there are 4 types of neem. These researchers identified which of these varieties are suitable for diabetics. Secondly, the Ministry of AYUSH has made it mandatory for the medicines that are produced to have a WHO GMP (Good Medical Practice) Certification. Then there is Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (COPP) and Quality Control of India (QCI) green chit that are required by any company for producing these drugs. TPCI: What benefits do Ayurvedic treatments have vis-a-vis its other counterparts like Siddha, Yunani, Homeopathy & Allopathy? How is their credibility established in comparison to these alternate forms of medication? SS: There is no such thing as alternative medicines. If the clinical trial shows that the medicine works, then it is a good medicine. Earlier, the patients used to go directly to the doctors to cure their ailments. If the disease was chronic, they would move to the alternate sources of medicine. For emergency management, people will first approach Allopathic medicines; then if the ailment persists, they move to alternatives like Ayurveda to find respite. TPCI: How can cross-learning between Ayurveda & other modern forms of medicines be encouraged? How can more students of medicine be encouraged to pursue a career in this discipline? SS: Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had introduced a bridge course for those who have studied Indian medical disciplines so that they can practise Allopathy. However, the Lok Sabha did not clear this bill because this would mean that Ayurvedic graduates would automatically move to Allopathic practices. To promote a career in this discipline, a person who is pursuing a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery degree has to pursue his further studies in Ayurveda. Such a bill should be introduced in the parliament in a regular way. Secondly, the medicines should be standardised so that their result-oriented application can be highlighted. Thirdly, we have plenty of jobs for the doctors of Ayurveda to get a government job in the country or to go and practice abroad. These are the methods by which a career in Ayurveda can be promoted. TPCI: What measures should the government adopt to give a fillip to their production & market growth? How can foreign investors be attracted to invest in this sector? SS: At present, the Ministry of AYUSH has given guidelines to establish a market having a turnover of Rs 100 crores for Ayurvedic medicines within 2 years. So, they are giving certification mentioned above to attain this. TPCI: How receptive is the global audience to Ayurvedic medication? Does it face any trade barriers when exported abroad? What is the mechanism to address these? SS: The Ministry of AYUSH has given guidelines pertaining to the export of AYUSH medicines that any medicine has to meet the premium mark. Only eight companies, out of 400 existing in India, have been registered as having the desired requirements. Pharmexcil is the one issuing AYUSH premium mark because their standard is very high. The Government of India can issue Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (COPP). Then it’s very easy to register abroad. TPCI: What measures can/have be taken to ensure that global influencers accept the credibility of Ayurvedic medicines? What is the success rate so far? SS: The government should conduct multiple awareness programmes to enhance the international representation of Ayurvedic medicines. Another thing that needs to be noted is that each state in the US has different government norms to get the drugs to be standardized. For example, in the case of India, there is haldi, which is used as an ayurvedic drug as well as a kitchen ingredient. In the US on the other hand, it is registered as a food product only. So, the government has recently announced various measures to promote Ayurveda such as allocation of Rs 5,000 crores. Earlier the government had invested about Rs 1,000-2,000 crores. As per the National Medicine Plant Board, the sector is likely to attract US$ 120 billion by 2030.

Ms. Aparajita Sen, Inward Investment Manager, AD Normandie, discusses various ventures that are lucrative for Indian businesses to invest in Normandy, France, given the favourable ecosystem for businesses in the country. TPCI: What are the favourable factors that would help Indian firms to leverage Normandy as an attractive investment destination? What trends should Indian start-ups investing in Normandy should watch out for? Ms. Aparajita Sen (AS): Normandy offers diverse opportunities in different sectors like agro-food, automobile, aeronautics, cosmetics etc. The regional government has made innovation a priority in all these sectors. The regional economic development agency AD Normandy has the mandate to help foreign companies set up their businesses in Normandy. We offer a specific soft landing programme for foreign companies when they decide to invest in our region. The trends that Indian companies should look for are directly linked to innovation. Innovative projects in the sectors mentioned above, are welcome in Normandy. The favourable eco-system in Normandy is ideal for growth and development. TPCI: Normandy has identified 12 dynamic sectors such as automotive, agri-food, healthcare & logistics for investment. Which are the key sectors for Indian players to make the best of their investment?   AS: Agro resources, agrofood, cosmetics and digital sectors – because I believe that Indian companies today have specific skills in these sectors. Tourism is another sector that the regional government wants to develop. Normandy is a preferred tourist destination and there is ample scope for Indian investors to invest in hotels, restaurants, other types of accommodation (bed & breakfast, guesthouses, resorts etc.). We also have interesting real estate offers for greenfield projects like theme parks, amusement parks etc. I sincerely think that Indian companies need to look beyond direct export of Indian products targeting the Indian diaspora in different countries in the world if it wants to become a global player. They should think about working in the different European countries with local partners to develop new products or adapt their products to the demand. There is also great scope for innovative solutions to traditional sectors like agriculture. It is also possible to acquire French companies for inorganic growth in different activity sectors. TPCI: How are Ayurvedic medicines received in French markets? What are the opportunities and challenges for penetration? AS: I think it is becoming quite popular in France and this has been validated by some Indian companies I met last week who are exporting their products to the French market. Whereas it is extremely difficult to enter the medicine sector in Europe – even in India the ayurvedic products are not patented – they can easily be positioned as food supplements and products for overall health and well-being. However, I feel that Indian companies need to adapt their product portfolio to suit the tastes and preferences of the French & European markets. One interesting option could be to co-develop products with French companies using traditional ingredients and formulations. Normandy has a thriving cosmetic sector, including laboratories and technological platforms that can help in this process. TPCI: You’ve been a part of quite a few business meetings during your present India visit . How fruitful have these been in exposing you to new trade opportunities? What are you taking back from them? AS: Yes, I have had very interesting meetings here this week. I have done the same exercise twice before – in 2018 and 2019 and each time an Indian company came to Normandy to set up operations, both from Bangalore and both in agro / agri sector (Stellapps Technolgies and Croitre Millet). I am sincerely hoping for the same success this year. A few companies I met this time seem to have real good projects. I must mention one thing I noticed during my meetings this year: the companies seem to have a more long-term vision of their growth plans and are not looking at direct exports for international growth. I think the Indian companies, especially SMEs, are now mature enough to envisage organic growth in Europe. Ms. Sen is an experienced Project Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the government administration industry. She is skilled in International Project Management, Negotiation, Business Development, Community Management, and Internationalization.

Partha Iyengar, VP, Gartner Fellow & Country Manager Research (India), Gartner, tells TPCI that with interest in STEM discipline drying up in overseas students, India will remain a preferred choice for international IT industry to source their needs of skilled labour. TPCI: According to a recent estimate by NASSCOM, Indian IT sector exports are expected to grow 7.7% in FY20. What is your take on this? What are the factors responsible for this optimistic outlook? Mr. Partha Iyengar (PI): The demand side of the equation continues to be healthy. A fair amount of the increasing demand continues to be around digital business. Many developed countries have not produced enough talent in newer areas (including Analytics, AI/ML, Blockchain etc) due to a long-term erosion in interest in the STEM discipline amongst students. The perception (and to a large extent, reality) is that India continues to produce these skills in large numbers and hence there is a resurgence of interest in sourcing from India. In addition to the traditional IT service provider exports, one segment that is also growing rapidly in India is the GIC (Global Insourced Center) phenomenon, with large global organizations either growing existing centers or establishing new ones in India to address the emerging business demand. TPCI: How has the H1B visa put pressure on both Indian and US tech companies, and how do you see it getting resolved? PI: This issue has created some short-term headwinds for the US technology industry – they have in fact been amongst the biggest lobbying forces to loosen up H1B visa regulations, since they directly face the brunt of overseas talent drying up. However, for the largest tech giants that already have a strong presence in India, some of this short-fall may in fact be addressed by recruiting more in India, something that has been going on for some time now amongst most of the large global technology companies and service providers. This would be good news for IT employment in India in the medium term. TPCI: What implication has the global economic slowdown had on Indian IT sector, particularly with the COVID-19 outbreak? PI: I think it is too soon to tell in terms of what the long-term impact of the slowdown will be. Added to that are the COVID-19 related challenges that are emerging now. The immediate impact is likely to be deferred projects resulting in lengthening sales cycles. There are no broad indications of major cancellations of projects yet, so the situation might turn around if economic conditions improve. The wild card now though is how long the COVID-19 crisis plays out, which not only affects sentiment, but also, from a practical perspective, creates significant barriers to business with the inability to travel to many (and possibly an increasing number) locations around the world. TPCI: How have new digital technologies like social media, mobility, analytics, and cloud computing (SMAC) changed the competitive landscape for Indian IT firms? Where do Indian players lack? PI: From a pure technology perspective, it has probably improved the competitive landscape for the Indian providers, since it plays to their strengths of being technology centric, and having a market where skills are available. The fact that in the Indian market, they are still at the peak of the ‘food chain of employment’ means that they still get their pick of the best talent in the country. Where the Indian providers are at a disadvantage is the ability to connect their technology capability to the desired business outcomes for their clients. This weakness often starts at the sales level, with the majority of Indian sales team being more tech-centric and still not as capable in selling on business outcomes and to business (non-IT) buying centers. This is the biggest challenge for Indian providers to overcome. TPCI: How is the Indian IT segment tackling the challenge of new data protection & privacy rules enforced by other countries (eg: General Data Protection Regulation in EU)? Are there any suggestions for the Indian government to resolve such transnational issues? PI: This does create a challenging environment in terms of the ability to allow access to data from any location. However, this is going to be increasingly a part of business reality in more and more jurisdictions, and the providers will have to evolve new approaches and business processes to address these challenges. I do not see the Indian government having much of a role to play in these privacy related issues – governments can’t really intervene in the case of the regulations of a certain country or jurisdiction. In fact, India’s own emerging privacy regulations have many similarities with GDPR. TPCI: What are the operational obstacles (eg talent acquisition & obsoletion of skills due to automation) to the growth of the IT industry in India? PI: The biggest challenge for the country as a whole is to address the increasing gulf in ‘soft skills’ capabilities – communication, executive presence, comfort levels in dealing with ambiguity, being able to challenge authority figures when required, to name a few. Our education system still (though the situation is definitely improving) does not produce enough of these skills. Going forward, these skills will be the need of the hour both to support domestic demand as well as global requirements from an export perspective. Partha Iyengar is VP and Gartner Fellow in Gartner’s CEO Research team. He is also the Country Leader – Research, India. His research interests cover areas of strategic interest to CEOs and their direct reports, including digital business, customer experience, expectations of the CIO and IT organization, and globalization issues. He is extensively quoted in the local, national and international press; was interviewed on the U.S. CBS News show “60 Minutes”; was a panelist on a CNN International panel discussion on the future of IT; and also participated in the BBC panel discussion on IT in emerging markets. He is the co-author of a book published by Harvard Business School Press on India and China strategies, titled “IT and

Keshav Murugesh, Group CEO, WNS & Chairman, NASSCOM, interacts with Trade Promotion Council of India on the current scenario of the Indian IT-BPM industry, and why it has performed better than even what the cautious optimists expected. He also opines that contrary to expectations, automation has added more jobs and provides the opportunity to add even more. TPCI: According to a recent estimate by NASSCOM, Indian IT sector exports are projected to grow by 7.7% in FY20. What are the factors responsible for this optimistic outlook? Keshav Murugesh (KM): With a 7.7% y-o-y growth, total revenue of US$ 191 billion and creation of 205,000 net new jobs in FY 2020, the Indian IT-BPM industry performed better than what our cautious optimism expected it to. Our technology exports registered an 8.1 percent growth over FY 2018 to touch US$ 147 billion. Digital transformation of businesses played a significant role in our performance, with 26-28% of the total revenues coming from digital-driven services for clients across the globe. Engineering and Research and Development (ER&D) and software product development was the fastest-growing segment with 11% improved performance over last year. We also saw a surge in domestic demand, driven by an increase in the government’s technology adoption for its citizen programs, smart city projects and financial inclusion initiatives. Amidst a global slowdown, we remain cautiously optimistic in our outlook. Overall, however, we see a growing demand as the market shifts from traditional IT services to digital technologies, DevOps and ‘as-a -service’ models. With organizations across the ecosystem rapidly adopting new-age technologies, we hope to maintain the highest relative share in the national GDP that currently stands at more than 8%. TPCI: How exactly has the H1B visa put pressure on global tech giant hiring Indian employees? How is the IT industry tackling this challenge?  KM: In the current digitally disrupted ecosystem, the right narrative is to focus on global talent mobility rather than looking at it as a ‘boundary or VISA issue.’ The H1B program has been an integral part of the US’ strategy to attract the best-skilled workers. The US faces a deficit of 7.5 million Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)-skilled talent, and 67% of this number require tech skills. The H-1B program allows them to fill just 85,000 of that number, and it is a testimony to Indian talent that Indian nationals account for the majority of approved H-1Bs. In the IT domain, this has contributed significantly to the US’ global leadership in technology. With digital transformation ruling the new business landscape, every company needs access to the right talent. India-based and India-centric global IT companies that avail of this program are world leaders in digital transformation and enable US companies to maintain their global competitiveness.  They thus form an important part of the US economy. Interestingly, only a small share of Indian H-1B professionals are employed by Indian companies – the majority of them are sponsored by global and US multinationals NASSCOM is working closely with the US administration to help them understand the vital importance of technology in the new world order. This will enable Indian technology companies to have a level playing field without being discriminated against by administrative action. Indian government is also conscious of the need to focus on talent mobility. During the recent visit of the US President, the request to consider signing a totalization agreement to avoid double deductions from the incomes of professionals working in each other’s countries was actively brought up. We are hopeful that such initiatives will set the right perspective from a talent point-of-view. TPCI: What implication has the global economic slowdown had on Indian IT sector? What is the likely impact of Brexit on the industry? KM: We have seen the global economy go through a slowdown over the past few years. 2020 appears to show initial signs of recovery, and the worldwide growth for this year is expected at 3.3%. The IT industry, specifically, is likely to grow by 4.5% in 2020 to reach US$ 2.5 trillion. Enterprise software is the fastest-growing segment at 10.5%, and an additional impetus will come from digital technologies, especially analytics and legacy system modernization. The new post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal will come into force from January 1, 2021, after negotiations are finalized. Till such time, the business continues as usual. For Indian IT, the UK continues to be a highly valued market, and we see considerable scope for collaboration and innovation. The IT industry offers the right expertise that is optimal for enhancing and capturing opportunities that are beneficial to both countries. In 2020, we will see several negotiations about developments around trade. Services account for about 80% of the UK economy and this will be an important focus for Indian investments in the UK. We must safeguard services companies so that we obtain the maximum potential from this deal. With the protection of free-flowing data, intra-company transfers and sustaining regulatory alignment between the UK and EU, we see business costs being reduced – and this, in turn, will be favorable to all stakeholders. TPCI: How have new digital technologies like social media, mobility, analytics, and cloud computing (SMAC) changed the competitive landscape for Indian IT firms? How are they coping? KM: The line between core and digital services has been consistently blurring, leading to an increased transition to new digital technologies. This has given rise to the emergence of new focus areas – cybersecurity, digitization and industry-specific applications. The share of digital revenue has progressed swiftly, and today it accounts for an average of 40 percent of the topline of listed players. Most Indian IT service providers and early digital adopters are winning core transformation deals, large in scale, scope and complexity. Into the future, ecosystems built on a strong core of digital technologies and connectedness will be the ones to leverage some of the big opportunities. We estimate that incumbent enterprises alone, apart from digital-native start-ups, will generate technology products and services worth half the global GDP of

Dr. Niranjan Naik, Director of Breast & Gastro-Intestinal Onco-Surgery at Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI), Gurgaon, tells TPCI about various AR applications like AccuVein, Hololens & Google Glass which are proving to be quite beneficial for the health sector. He also believes that the use of AR in the health sector will augment medical tourism in the country. TPCI: What are the possible applications of AR in Indian healthcare sector?  What use cases have evolved so far? Dr. Niranjan Naik (NN): Based on the available literature, I can say that AR is helping in diagnostics and learning to create awareness in distant areas through telehealth services. It is also helping in treatment. For example, there is a technique called AccuVein where one can detect the vein properly to cannulate. TPCI:  What benefits will using AR technology bring for the sector? NN: AR helps in increasing the comfort to the patient and in enhancing the accuracy of the treatment based on multiple evidences available. Therefore, it can combine multiple data and help students and doctors in learning. It can also help in performing surgeries. For example, in brain surgeries there is a technique called neuro-navigation where they can synchronise the data of MRI, CT-Scan at the time of surgery (-real time synchronisation). This allows the doctor to figure out the location of tumour, where exactly one has to cut. It will revolutionise the way we perform our surgeries. Right now, we see 2D images, we create an image in our mind and do the operation. But AR can help in assessing the real time situation. Then there’s something called Microsoft Hololens and Google Glass which combine VR with all the data available by using camera, sensors and digital information in real time. The applications of Google Glass are multiple. Like AR can help you to locate nearest medical facilities if, say, someone is having a heart attack on the road. It can also train people to do some special tests such as self-examination tests for breast cancer in real time. It can tell those mothers who have started breastfeeding their children about how to do it properly. The patient can also tell the app about the symptoms that it is facing (like pain) and they can show where exactly the pain is being felt. Also, the AR-based app, EyeDecide, can help detect eye problems like cataract. Further, 3D printings (which are a part of AR) are useful in the field of artificial prosthetics & things like making a replica of some patient’s jaw. TPCI:  Will the use of AR make India an expensive medical tourism destination? How can the cost upswing be brought under control? NN: Cost is one of the main challenges because cost will be prohibitive to start with initially. However, if more and more players come into the picture, the cost may reduce and it may help. Even in our hospital, we use navigated arthroscopy for joint related issues. In that, all the images are combined with radiological images (like those of CT Scan). Although its cost is not very much, with more research and better technology, its cost will come down. As these facilities become better, the prospect of medical tourism will also be enhanced. India is a country where compared to western world, medical facilities are always cheaper. So, even though AR based treatment might be costlier for an Indian patient, it will be lot more cheaper when compared to other countries. Dr. Niranjan Naik is a well-known senior surgical oncologist who is presently the Director of Breast & Gastro-Intestinal Onco-Surgery at Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI), Gurgaon. He has been trained in surgical oncology from the prestigious Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital (IRCH), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and is considered as one of the best breast cancer surgeon Delhi and Gurgaon region. He is also well versed in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures. He also has several publications to his credit.