FIVE for 2025

From 5G and AI to satcom, Q-commerce, and Industry 4.0, five transformative tech trends will define India's journey in the year ahead

- VERNIKA AWAL

Every year ushers in new trends and shifts across technology and allied fields. While projections often highlight certain technologies poised I for ubiquity, the reality of adoption frequently deviates in unexpected ways. Despite these variations, the macroscopic trend of rising technology adoption across industries and regions remains undeniable.

However, predicting finer trends in technology and telecommunications, including how it is evolving and taking over every aspect of our lives, remains fraught with uncertainty at a granular level. Consider the predictions at the end of 2022: digital transformation was expected to dominate every company's agenda. While this forecast held promise at macro and micro levels, it unravelled quickly. Within the first two months of 2023, global economic uncertainty took hold. Wars erupted, and geopolitical tensions disrupted the world order, impacting supply chains and technology adoption alike.

Consequently, the past two years have felt like navigating speed bumps on a highway for the technology and telecommunications sectors, complicating the accuracy of predictions. Even so, a few key areas are poised to emerge as significant growth drivers over the next four quarters.

In connectivity, there is no denying that 5G services will become more ubiquitous among consumers and businesses. In broadcasting, direct-to-mobile technology could emerge as an unexpected disruptor, contingent on the success of the Centre's pilot projects. Satellite communications, while contentious, hold immense potential to achieve significant growth in the near term. In the mobile economy, quick-commerce (Q-commerce) is poised to capture a larger share of India's burgeoning e-commerce market. Additionally, a strong wave of localisation will likely drive advancements in industrial automation, digital transformation, and telecom infrastructure nationwide.