India well-positioned to become knowledge-led economy

How is AI changing the industry and what are your plans with regards to that?

AI has changed enterprises by improving decision-making, automating processes, and helping businesses leverage employee skills for a larger impact. AI is making it possible for more individualised user experiences, improved security through anomaly detection, and better predictive maintenance in the context of IT management. Our area of expertise is in the use of AI for predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and workflow optimization. We help businesses streamline their processes while upholding strong security.

Our AI-driven IT management solutions also offer insights that support real-time decision-making for enterprises. This includes AI-driven automation that boosts IT teams' productivity and AIOps, which proactively detects and fixes problems before they influence performance. We have been constantly innovating on other AI features as well. We operate under three stacks—statistical ML, computer vision, and natural language processing—so statistical ML and anomaly forecasting.

Our objective is to democratise AI for our clients by increasing its accessibility and usefulness for routine IT administration activities. We are investing in AI technologies, as evidenced by our recent investments in NVIDIA, Intel, and AMD GPUs. In our ideal future, AI will improve business results and free up IT workers to concentrate on important projects by taking care of repetitive, difficult, and data-intensive jobs.

How can IT professionals and citizens better apply AI so that India can become an AI nation? What more can the government do?

The efforts to integrate AI has been going on for over a decade now, and today, expectations around AI have become more realistic. AI is no longer seen as a tool that will revolutionise everything overnight, but rather a tool to improve productivity and make intelligent decisions in real time. Leveraging AI to strengthen cybersecurity, automate repetitive operations, and forecast trends can help employees and enterprises focus on larger business goals and take an impact-driven approach. 

Public-private partnerships ought to be given top priority by the government to support AI research, development, and application. The government can also help by developing AI-ready infrastructure, supporting startups that are AI-focused, and establishing a transparent ethical framework that guarantees AI is utilised to advance society. Government programs for AI training will also guarantee that the advantages of AI are widely distributed, establishing a truly inclusive AI economy for India, particularly in rural and neglected areas.

In the next five years, we expect AI to become an integral part of all software systems, from consumer to enterprise. For example, AI will help IT agents predict the best actions to take during a security incident or assist salespeople in closing deals by suggesting the next best steps.

We also envision models of different sizes being deployed based on specific needs. Large models like GPT or Gemini are a hot topic, but at ManageEngine, we use a more nuanced approach. We have narrow, small, medium, and large models depending on the use case, which helps control costs and ensures data privacy. Smaller models are often sufficient for detecting malware, while larger models may be needed for more comprehensive tasks.

As a SaaS player, how has the industry changed in the last few years, and how does the future look like? There are many other technologies apart from AI that are in play.

The last few decades have seen a significant change in the SaaS sector due to developments in cloud computing, a rise in the need for scalability, and a move toward remote and hybrid work arrangements. One of the most significant developments we've seen is the industry-wide acceleration of SaaS tool adoption, driven by the requirement for cost—and agility—effectiveness. Businesses are now using SaaS as a strategic tool to foster innovation in addition to increasing operational efficiency.

At ManageEngine, we've noticed that SaaS products are increasingly including automation, security, and AI. AI is now a fundamental component that drives everything from user experience personalization to predictive analytics, having previously only existed as an add-on function. But in addition to AI, other key technologies like edge computing, 5G, and multi-cloud architectures are also reshaping the SaaS market. SaaS solutions are becoming more scalable, secure, and responsive as a result of these developments—particularly in data-sensitive sectors like finance and healthcare.

Future SaaS developments will likely centre on hyper-personalization and smooth integration with other cutting-edge technology. Businesses can prevent vendor lock-in and maintain business continuity by using multi-cloud strategies and edge computing, which will minimize latency and move computation closer to the location where data is generated. Concerns about security, privacy, and compliance will remain paramount, particularly in light of the growing popularity of Zero Trust systems.

To keep our clients ahead of the curve, we at ManageEngine are always developing our products to incorporate innovations. We think SaaS will remain the engine driving enterprise IT transformation because it can use the potential of numerous technologies.

Few Indian tech companies become global players. However, you are looking to Expand in markets like the Middle East and Latin America. Can you speak a bit about that?

The market potential and the impact that can be created drive ManageEngine's expansion into regions such as Latin America and the Middle East. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Brazil are on the upward curve in terms of increased demand for IT management solutions, indicating enormous growth potential. These markets are likewise adopting digital transformation at a rapid speed, which is driving up demand for ManageEngine's specialty products, which include cybersecurity and AI-driven IT management.

Our strategy involves not only breaking into new markets but also making sure we comprehend the specific challenges and demands of every area. For instance, to provide specialized support and foster long-lasting connections, we have set up local offices and have dedicated teams working from our offices spread across Colombia, Brazil, and Dubai. We recently invested in having data centres in Saudi Arabia to ensure local data is stored within the geographical boundaries of the Kingdom, which is in line with Personal Data Protection Laws (PDPL). Also, for over 10 years, we have been conducting partner upskilling and training events, seminars, and training programs in the Kingdom.

Furthermore, we are well-positioned to compete in these areas because of our dedication to incorporating AI and other cutting-edge technologies into our products and services. Businesses in these areas are increasingly searching for sophisticated IT solutions to support their expansion and operational effectiveness. Using a varied market concentration, tactical collaborations, and persistent innovation, we maintain our assurance in our capacity to broaden our worldwide reach while providing value to clients in these developing areas.

Can India become a tech and economic superpower by 2047? What role will companies like ManageEngine and Zoho play in that?

India is well-positioned to become a knowledge-led economy that emphasises technology, services, and sophisticated manufacturing, with the thriving IT services sector being a driving factor. However, to maintain this growth, infrastructure, talent development, and the right skill building efforts are needed to meet the pursuit.

At ManageEngine, we are dedicated to advancing the use of technology across industries such as IT, BFSI, and healthcare, helping businesses undergo essential digital transformations. By empowering technology leaders to meet strategic objectives, we create solutions that streamline IT operations and accelerate decision-making processes. 

We are committed to constantly growing by improving and upgrading the services as per market demand and makes significant R&D investments to foster innovation and assist organizations in navigating the intricate world of IT management. 

We are constantly monitoring industry voices via surveys to draw business insights and strive towards addressing the issues. For instance, a recent survey report (State of Analytics Engineering) found that time to business insight is the biggest challenge for nearly 50% of surveyed directors. To tackle this concern, ManageEngine created a decision intelligence platform for enhanced IT operation, which reduces the time IT managers and CIOs spend analysing various IT metrics and coming up with remedies to fix structural fault lines in operations. 

With the right support and investment, India can leverage its growing tech sector to become a global leader in technology and business. By partnering with companies that are already making significant leaps in technology, India can continue to build on its strengths and capitalise on emerging opportunities in the digital economy. Overall, the future looks promising for India's tech and economic growth.