Key to Indian digital transformation lies in hands of data, says NetApp India

Today, 26 January, India’s Republic Day, is the celebration of the nation’s Constitution, or to put it simply, the right to independent governance. In the last 68 years, governance has come a long way and with the onset of technology in the last few years, it has entered a new horizon, with over 109 new initiatives by the government in the last two years. Many of these are directed towards building a digital India. According to the Digital Evolution Index 2016 by the Fletcher School, Tufts University, India now ranks amongst the “breakout countries” as far as digital adoption is concerned. The key to this digital transformation lies in data. Today, data has begun playing an increasingly significant role in the public sector. Governments worldwide are trying to balance citizens’ demands and offer them access to real-time services with help of data. Unlocking value from data Consider this. Data-backed insights have a significant hand in private sector innovation. Customers have few qualms about sharing personal data on social media/online platforms. A major reason would be that the private sector has been able to well-define its value proposition. [caption id=“attachment_4240803” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational Image. Pexels[/caption] User consent is clearly defined and upon receipt of consumer data, it retains and uses it efficiently. The results too are visible – in the form of personalized products or improved services. The outcome is higher customer loyalty as well as revenues. For example, Amazon’s personalized recommendations engine is responsible for 35 percent of its total product sales. Therefore, putting information sharing into the hands of the people via user consent is one of the ways that can help in building trust and easing out challenges; something the government can utilize when planning. To accelerate citizen data sharing, the success and long-term benefits of best practices should be made public. For example, in the US, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle are using a data technique called ‘predictive policing’ to help curb street crime. Law enforcement agencies are adopting techniques that harness information to lower crime rates. Such use cases, can showcase benefits of data sharing leading to better permissive public attitudes and citizen trust. Linking existing data for high-value service offering In addition to a communication framework, another important focus is on infrastructure. One of the main challenges in the governments’ handling of data has been that most of it remains siloed with no linking to existing data. With the right data management foundation that facilitates seamless information movement across silos, governments have a greater opportunity to measurably improve personalisation and efficiency of services. A notable example here is of Boston. They have introduced CityScore - a single number to indicate Boston’s overall health that combines 24 different metrics, from crime to Wi-Fi availability, energy consumption to softer matrices like arts grants. CityScore is used to improve services and address concerns across medical responses, traffic situations etc. It’s transparent, accessible to public and goes a long way in making governance more efficient. On this Republic Day, as we celebrate the spirit of transformation. With citizen support, the government will be able to embrace more ambitious data initiatives leading to more citizen-centered services without disruption. (The writer is Director Technology and Solutions Group, NetApp India)