Pushing boundaries
The Indian cloud computing market is valued at about $25 billion today and it is projected to scale to $70 billion by 2031, growing at a robust CAGR of about 21 per cent. Cloud computing is the delivery of specialised computing services – including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics and intelligence over the internet (‘the cloud’) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources and economies of scale to business enterprises of any nature. It is called ‘the cloud’ because, in early networking and telecommunications diagrams, the vast, complex and remote infrastructure of the internet was represented by a stylised cloud symbol.
The cloud metaphor represents the invisible, intricate web of data centres located around the world. To a user accessing his/her apps or storing files online, the specific physical location of those servers doesn’t matter, as the computing power and storage simply appear to be ‘in the air’. Cloud computing utilises a flexible, pay-as-you-go pricing model that allows business enterprises to scale operations instantly, reduce maintenance costs and also enable seamless remote collaboration. India’s cloud computing ecosystem features thousands of companies, with over 50+ specialised agencies and major global providers dominating the market. Known as ‘hyper-scalers’, these massive cloud service providers offer highly scalable and elastic computing infrastructure. They operate thousands of servers and globally distributed data centres to deliver on-demand cloud services, allowing businesses to dynamically manage workloads without building their own physical hardware.
Indian cloud computing service providers mainly rely on the strength of global hyper-scalers that dominate the Indian public cloud market. Global giants like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud together command nearly two-thirds of the Indian cloud computing market.
“The cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry is evolving at an unprecedented pace in India,” says Puneet Thakkar, founder & CEO, Shivaami, a Mumbai-based, 30-year-old cloud and cyber-security solutions company that generates revenues of about Rs500 crore per annum. “While this creates immense opportunities, it also demands constant innovation, investment, and agility.” The key challenges faced by Indian cloud computing companies today include keeping pace with rapidly evolving AI, cloud and cyber-security technologies, addressing the shortage of highly skilled technology professionals, helping SMEs to understand and adopt advanced technologies effectively, managing pricing pressures in a highly competitive market and navigating evolving regulatory and compliance requirements, he adds.
Unique opportunity
India has a unique opportunity to become a global AI and cloud computing powerhouse, Thakkar reiterates. To accelerate this vision, the government of India should incentivise MSMEs to adopt AI and cloud computing technologies, organise expanded skilling programmes focussed on AI, cyber-security and cloud computing, simplify regulatory and compliance frameworks for digital businesses, provide greater support for technology exports, aid global expansion of Indian IT service companies and also encourage public-private partnerships that boost innovation, research, and digital transformation in the country. “Such novel initiatives will indeed help create a stronger digital economy, while generating high-value employment and enhancing India’s global competitiveness,” he feels.
The future of Indian cloud companies like Shivaami is firmly focused on AI-led transformation, cybersecurity and global expansion, affirms Thakkar. “The name ‘Shivaami’ is an amalgamation of spiritual auspiciousness and brand dynamism,” he informs. “We are investing heavily in helping organisations unlock the power of Generative AI through Gemini and other advanced cloud technologies. We also aim to strengthen our capabilities in cybersecurity, automation, data analytics and managed services. Through our ‘Software as a Service’ (SaaS) distribution platform ‘Shiviom’, we are building one of India’s largest ecosystems for technology partners, enabling them to deliver world-class solutions to customers across the country. Our long-term vision is to become a globally respected technology company. Personally, I aspire to positively impact more than 100,000 people during my lifetime by creating opportunities, fostering innovation and helping businesses grow through the transformative power of technology,” he contends.
Shivaami is one of India’s leading cloud transformation companies and also a ‘Google Workspace Diamond Partner’. This niche company specialises in Google Workspace, Google Cloud Platform, Gemini AI, Chrome Enterprise, cyber-security, cloud migration and managed services, helping organisations accelerate their digital transformation journey. Over the last three decades, Shivaami has served more than 20,000 customers globally. The company employs over 300 professionals across multiple offices in India today and has expanded its presence internationally, including the US.