Building Bharat - Visakhapatnam chapter

In recent times, the tier 2 and 3 cities in India have witnessed a tremendous economic growth of over 40 percent owing to the rising IT and industrial developments. The port city of Visakhapatnam, also the industrial hub of Andhra Pradesh, is one such city. The Minister for IT and Industries for the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Gudivada Amarnath, has said that in a couple of years Visakhapatnam district would lead the industrial developments in the state. He said this while addressing the State-level MSME International Day, on June 27, 2022. On the same day, a website of MSME Development Corporation was also launched.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has been taking steps to boost the growth of MSMEs in the state which has further opened opportunities for the channel partners. The pandemic posed a blessing in disguise and fast-tracked the growth of MSMEs and IT developments, not only in the state but across the country. However, it taught a lesson that not just to stay afloat during the tough times but also to pave the path to growth, enterprises need innovation, IT solutions, and regular technology upgrades.

To discuss the rising demand for cutting-edge technologies in a city like Visakhapatnam and the trajectory of growth for MSMEs, CRN India, in association with Dell Technologies and Ingram, organised the 8th Edition of the Building Bharat conference in Visakhapatnam on October 14, 2022.

The conference began with a welcome note by Nivedan Prakash, Senior Assistant Editor, CRN India. While setting the context he mentioned the role of technology solutions in uplifting the MSME industry in small cities. He also opened up on how IT is no longer just the enabler but the driver for businesses.

Repaka Ramesh, Advisory Systems Engineer, Dell Technologies took the dais and addressed the gathering on ‘Modernize Your IT Infrastructure’ theme. He commenced his address by highlighting that “each and every aspect of a traditional business is changing with time. Therefore, to meet the changing requirements enterprises need to leverage advanced and innovative technology solutions. Businesses today are transforming themselves into digital powerhouses.”

The role of a CIO or a CTO is no longer the same. Today it requires looking at regular updation of technology and effective monitoring and management of digital infrastructure to make data-driven and informed decisions, he added.

Addressing the issue of regular technology updates, he said, “Most technology becomes obsolete after two to three years. Therefore, we need technologies that remain modern and relevant for a longer duration and have the capacity to include updates as and when required.”

While mentioning the significance of IT solutions in propelling the growth of small and medium enterprises, Ramesh pointed out that IT must focus on driving value to the company rather than just being an enabler.

“The devices and technology that an enterprise is leveraging matter a lot to not only improve the efficiency and productivity of the company but it also improve the employees experience,” he highlighted this while displaying a wide range of products from Dell that has something to cater to every type of customer. From Dell's Vostro series of laptops for the home segment to Latitude laptops and Optiplex desktops for commercial usage. Dell also offers military-grade laptops - Dell Rugged series - that can be operated in extreme temperatures from -40 degrees to 45-50 degrees. Further, Dell Optimizer is a smart AI-based software that uses data science to improve the overall experience, no matter where or how you work, he added.

Organisations need to harness the power of data to transform their operations. Dell's storage architecture is a modern solution that has the capability to cater to changing requirements. It has adaptable architecture and evolves with your needs. It also has some self-configuring services and helps enterprises to manage unprecedented data and application mobility. This also supports diverse IT strategies. Dell’s PowerVault is the gold standard solution in the entry-level storage solution space, Ramesh highlighted.

The conference catered to over 30 attendees and ended on a high note. The attendees spoke highly of Dell’s product lineup and shared their views on the digital transformation of MSMEs in Visakhapatnam and its impact on the city’s economic trends with the CRN India team. Ranjan Kumar Sahu, Deputy General Manager-IT, Larsen & Toubro said, “The IT sector in Visakhapatnam has seen significant growth in recent years, especially after the Covid pandemic struck. Also, being the industrial hub of Andhra Pradesh, the state government has been making recurring efforts to boost the technology adoption in the city, improve IT infrastructure, and support the growth of MSMEs.” Speaking of his experience with Dell, Sahu said, “Most of the products we use are from Dell. We have also used their storage solutions and Dell laptops have always been a preferred choice. The experience so far has been great. The company is not only customer-friendly pre-sales but their post-sales service has also been seamless and convenient to avail.”

P Padmaja, Professor-IT, Anil Neerukonda Institute of Technology & Sciences (ANITS) said, “During the pandemic, the education institutes in Visakhapatnam took the digital route to ensure continuity. Therefore, the demand for laptops, broadband, software solutions, simulators for practical studies, and more rose suddenly. Moreover, the shift to digital not only opened doors to new pedagogical methods but transformed the entire education industry’s delivery and execution. This also resulted in the upgradation of the overall IT infrastructure. However, the digital transformation made way for new avenues for young entrepreneurs and startups. Students today are actively participating in multiple competitions like Ideathons and coming up with innovative solutions.” Appreciating the presentation by Dell, Padmaja said, “Dell is offering an amazing lineup of products that are apt to match to present day needs. With its wide range of storage solutions and devices, I think Dell has the potential to be the game-changer in the industry.”

Speaking on the IT adoption and growth of MSMEs, Sanjay Kumar Singh, Director- Technology, Tejasv Solar System said, “MSMEs have always looked at technology as an added cost and therefore they work with the minimal technology and compliance. However, the pandemic brought in a paradigm shift and enterprises today realise the value that strong IT infrastructure brings to the business.” Sharing his experience with Dell, Kumar said, “I have been using Dell for over 35 years now. The company’s lineup which offers from data center solutions to end-user solutions like computing devices is its biggest strength. The quality of Dell’s products has always been appreciated, however, the cost is slightly on the higher side when compared with its counterparts. This poses an issue at times as for small and medium enterprises budget is also a constraint.”