HOOKING UP TO THE CLOUD

CLOUD SERVICE PROVIDERS SUCH AS AMAZON WEB SERVICES, GOOGLE, MICROSOFT, AND OTHER BIG TECH COMPANIES ARE PARTNERING WITH HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND PHARMA COMPANIES TO EASE THE DELIVERY OF CARE AS WELL AS THE DISCOVERY OF DRUGS

- NEETU CHANDRA SHARMA

THINK OF ANY industry in India. Chances are that it is undergoing a transformation—powered by technology and most probably triggered by the pandemic. That’s especially true for two industries critical to you and me—healthcare and pharma. “The use of tech in the Indian pharma sector is still nascent compared to global standards… There are several areas where Indian firms are working with global consulting and IT services companies. These include supply chain efficiencies, vendor and procurement management, reduction of product rejection or quality improvement, etc.,” says Navroz Mahudawala, MD of Candle Partners, an investment banking advisory firm with experience in health sciences.

With the adoption of cloud backed by modern tech such as AI, machine learning (ML) and data analytics, the Indian healthcare and pharma industry is undergoing quick digital transformation, say experts. This has intensified the demand for cloud computing services, big data analytics and other digital solutions that will help enterprises and governments improve everything from service delivery to database management and R&D processes to drug discovery and production, among other aspects of the industry.

Riding on these trends, some of the biggest names in the cloud space, including Amazon, Microsoft and Google, are lining up to offer their cloud-based services to healthcare and pharma sector players. “Today, India is one of the largest and most exciting markets for tech companies to build. And if you look at the potential for cloud, all the cloud penetration in India is still in single digits,” says Puneet Chandok, President of Amazon Web Services (AWS) India and South Asia.