CXO TechBOT January 2024

www.CXOTechBOT.com

January 2024 Volume I

JASPREET BINDRA

ANIL NAIR

Founder, The Tech Whisperer Ltd., UK

Founder, ThinkStreet (Impact Consulting)

SYMBIOSIS OF BRILLIANCE AI Icons Crafting a Sustainable Tomorrow AI and its Impact on Employment

Trends that Will Shape Sustainability in 2024

Accelerating Gen AI in open ecosystem

Your Digital Sherpa to discover Tech Enigma

Embark on a thrilling expedition into the future of digital advancement with CXO TechBOT, your ultimate gateway to unlock the boundless potential of technology.

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MAGAZINE I NEWSLETTER I WEBSITE

AI and Sustainability: Crafting a Mindful Tech Renaissance

Together, AI and Sustainability promise not only a brighter, smarter future but one where our technological endeavors harmonize with the delicate needs of our planet.

The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Sustainability has forged a new vision for the future, where technology and environmentalism go hand in hand. AI’s ability to enhance resource efficiency is a ray of hope for a world facing severe environmental crises.

AI enables smarter and greener solutions, from targeted conservation projects to intelligent urban planning. AI and Sustainability also share a common goal of creating a circular economy, where resources are reused and recycled, and businesses adopt sustainable models and practices.

However, this symbiotic relationship demands careful consideration. Ethical concerns and challenges related to transparency require our unwavering attention to ensure responsible AI deployment. Striking a balance between technological progress and environmental responsibility will be pivotal in shaping a future where AI and Sustainability coalesce seamlessly.

As we navigate the intricate interplay between innovation and ethical AI use, the tech industry stands at the forefront of a paradigm shift. Together, AI and Sustainability promise not only a brighter, smarter future, but one where our technological endeavors harmonize with the delicate needs of our planet.

This theme underscores a commitment to a sustainable tech renaissance that echoes beyond circuits and algorithms, resonating with a planet in dire need of mindful innovation.

SWATI GUPTA CEO & Editor-in-Chief

Index Accelerating Generative AI Adoption through an Interconnected and Open Ecosystem

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Sustainability needs AI!

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Kicking the AI regulation can down the road to the frontier

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Trends that Will Shape Sustainability in 2024

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AI in Marketing Democratizing content helping brand blitzscale

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10

Unleashing the Power of Generative AI A Game-Changer for IT Professionals

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Green Shoots Sustainability now part of the Corporate Agenda for Indian Tech Companies

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Harnessing Technology For A Water-Positive Future

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The Future of Work

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Redefining Peace

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AI and its Impact on Employment

The Unseen Link Between Environmental and Social Well-being

Navigating the AI Digital Age The Importance of Upskilling

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42

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ESG as a Value Driver for Building Customer Relationships, Brand Reputation and M&A Strategy

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50

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Accelerating Generative AI Adoption through an Interconnected and Open Ecosystem The meteoric ascent of generative AI has engendered a profound impact on companies and consumers globally.

Thankfully, the initial maelstrom of fascination and apprehension has evolved into more substantive dialogues, centred on constructing an AI ecosystem of universal applicability.

A proliferation of applications and frameworks, emanating from esteemed entities like NVIDIA, Hugging Face, and Anyscale, currently underpins the foundation for a more egalitarian deployment of AI and machine learning across diverse domains. The prospective dividends are colossal. McKinsey posits that generative AI has the potential to augment the global economy by a staggering $4.4 trillion annually.

Pioneering the Development of AI and ML Systems for Sustainable Growth In the wake of the meteoric rise of generative AI in the past year, we find ourselves at the threshold of this transformative journey. The prudent, secure, and regulated integration of AI and ML holds the promise of delivering superior outcomes for customers while fostering sustainable growth for organisations navigating these dynamic times.

While the prospect beckons every enterprise, active participation in the cultivation and utilisation of novel AI and ML platforms necessitates resolute collaboration and heightened engagement amongst enterprise leaders. Such concerted efforts are indispensable to steer their customers' AI odysseys towards fruition.

This discourse delves into the collaborative efforts required to foster an open and interconnected ecosystem, concurrently optimising the adoption of AI and ML within the enterprise landscape.

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For CIOs and other influential stakeholders aspiring to cultivate an open AI ecosystem through innovative collaborations, several pivotal steps warrant consideration:

Championing Private AI: A paramount question looming today pertains to the acceleration of responsible AI and ML utilisation within organizations. Private AI emerges as a strategic approach, allowing companies to harmonise the business benefits of AI with the pragmatic imperatives of privacy and compliance. VMware's recent collaboration with NVIDIA exemplifies this approach, presenting a turnkey solution comprising integrated infrastructure and AI tools. This facilitates seamless deployment across a consistently hybrid cloud environment. Leveraging IBM watsonx AI and data platform on VMware Private AI enables customers to unlock generative AI use cases.

Simultaneously, the collaboration between VMware and Intel empowers customers to employ existing general-purpose infrastructure and open-source software, simplifying the intricate process of building and deploying AI models.

Establishing Universal AI Standards: Within each industry, the promulgation of standards, ethical frameworks, and judicious regulations serves as an indispensable linchpin for implementing checks and balances.

UNESCO, a venerable institution in shaping ethical guidelines for science and technology, has taken a momentous stride by publishing its inaugural "Recommendations on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence" this year. This seminal publication establishes a foundational tone for enterprises. To cultivate a more open and democratic generative AI ecosystem, stakeholders must fastidiously formulate unequivocal ethical principles. These principles should robustly fortify fairness, privacy, accountability, intellectual property protection, and transparency in training data.

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Fostering Open Collaboration: As companies globally embark on the experimentation phase with AI foundation models and generative AI tools, the ethos of disseminating data and coding techniques emerges as a potent catalyst for collective advancement. A recent illustrative example from our team involves the meticulous refinement of Hugging Face's SafeCoder for our GitLab code, showcasing its inherent adaptability to VMware's coding style. Such collaborative endeavours exemplify a synergistic approach towards building consensus and achieving loftier heights collectively.

In steering the trajectory of AI and ML, enterprises find themselves at a pivotal juncture where sagacious strategies, ethical considerations, and collaborative ventures converge to chart a transformative trajectory towards sustainable growth.

Navigating Challenges and Cultivating Trust in the Realm of AI Generative AI tools, encompassing expansive language models and computer vision capabilities, serve as potent instruments, empowering enterprises to amplify innovation and productivity, thereby enhancing the quality of products and services rendered.

However, amid the promises of advancement, legitimate concerns persist.

Our team discerns three pivotal challenges that enterprises must confront with unwavering resolve: Architecting Cost-Effective AI Models: In the current landscape, the training of generative AI models is not only a complex endeavour but also an exorbitantly expensive one. The impetus for enterprises to develop and operate bespoke AI models at a more economically viable scale is undeniable. For instance, the training cost of a colossal language model like GPT-3 can surpass several million pounds, as reported by the deep learning company Lambda.

Faced with the escalating costs of AI, many CIOs are turning to open-source software to construct more modest yet task-optimised AI models. Novel solutions that proffer heightened flexibility and choice democratise AI innovation, rendering it more accessible to mainstream enterprises and visionary entrepreneurs.

Democratising AI Expertise: The exigent demand for specialised talent to construct successful AI models poses a formidable challenge, with a need for more skilled professionals in this domain.

Conversations with CEOs and CIOs underscore the desire for nimble adaptability to emergent innovations without being tethered to singular arrangements, a feat complicated by the limited pool of tech professionals specialising in AI models.

Addressing this skills gap necessitates a radical simplification of the AI model creation and training process. Reference architectures furnish a blueprint and actionable pathway for enterprises devoid of in-house expertise, facilitating the construction of AI solutions from the ground up.

Transitioning from Risk to Trust: Despite the strides made, today's generative AI models still harbour notable risks with the potential to detrimentally impact customers, employees, and a company's reputation and revenue. These risks span security breaches, intellectual property violations, and legal ramifications. Collaborative endeavours have emerged, with organisations banding together to address privacy, data integrity, and bias concerns. The open-source community, for instance, pioneers innovative approaches to assist businesses in the responsible training and deployment of AI models. These collective efforts are instrumental in fostering greater trust in the utilisation of generative AI for business expansion.

Forging a Resilient AI Ecosystem through Collaborative Endeavours Enterprises possess myriad avenues to assert greater control over the transformative disruptions instigated by AI, and the most efficacious approach is one of collective action. A symbiotic collaboration spanning the public and private sectors, from corporate giants to small-scale enterprises, involving consumers and employees alike, charts a trajectory towards comprehensive ownership. As the landscape of generative AI evolves, so will the contours of rules and regulations. Industry stakeholders stand at a juncture where laying a stable foundation today serves the collective interests of all.

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Sustainability needs AI! Environmental sustainability

Leveraging AI

When we refer to sustainability, more often than not, it’s the environmental facets that get more attention than the economic, social, and developmental aspects. And while we discuss this dimension in this paper too, there are many linkages – like the intelligent, economic use of resources, social equity in its distribution, minimizing ecological damage, and renewal.

Environmental sustainability gets more attention because it affects us all overtly – including climate change, natural calamities, waste, and pollution of air and water. And less obviously and more gradually, by way of continuous degradation of land, our biodiversity and the entire ecosystem.

The use of AI can transform the way we address sustainability challenges. Whether it be in analyzing vast data sets, comparing and identifying optimal avenues of choice, figuring patterns, or making forecasts and predictions. Equally so in ensuring precision material usage, cutting waste, effluent treatment, creating effective supply chains, or fashioning durable product life cycles.

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Critical areas to prioritize Renewables: A critical area that has captured global imagination is the shift away from fossil fuels to sources that are natural – like wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower.

Anil Nair

Founder, ThinkStreet (Impact Consulting)

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This minimizes the emission of greenhouse gasses, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, and nitrogen. Grid modernization for renewables involves significant investments but will hasten efforts for renewables to constitute two-thirds of global energy consumption by 2050.

Widespread use of AI here includes accurate energy forecasting based on weather, history, and site conditions, smart grids for assessing demand and resource allocation, proactive actions in real time for grid stability, more efficient carbon capture methods, and energy storage.

Energy trading and exploration leverage AI extensively.

Ecosystem preservation and renewal: Preserving forests, wetlands, and the habitat is critical, considering they could potentially store 30% of carbon dioxide emissions. Protecting biodiversity, renewal of water tables, and protecting wildlife is equally important. AI-powered drones are now helping identify hotspots to address reforestation efforts costeffectively, tracking animal populations via satellite images is preempting poaching, and the analysis of underwater video footage is helping protect marine life.

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Transforming agriculture: The use of sensors to collect soil and water characteristics, combining that with weather-related information, and enlightening farmers on sustainable practices has the potential to make farming more viable. AI is now helping farmers combine soil management, process automation, yield and demand assessments, and input cost optimization. Other AI themes include better land use, crop protection, cutting the environmental footprint of food production, limiting agricultural and food waste, and accelerating the acceptance of plant-based diets.

Technology, guided by wisdom and compassion, has the power to transform our world. As we navigate the complexities of sustainability, artificial intelligence emerges as a visionary ally, paving the way for a harmonious coexistence between humanity and our planet

Promoting a circular economy: In the age of use-and-throw, our model must embrace refurbishment, recycling, and reuse. For that to happen, we have to rethink product design, manufacturing processes, and the entire ecosystem. The Government of India’s e-waste policy, applicable to all manufacturers, producers, refurbishers, dismantlers, and recyclers, has launched an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime that includes annual recycling targets based on prior sales. The Ellen McArthur Foundation estimates $1Tn in annual savings globally from transitioning to a circular economy. Other estimates indicate that in India alone this industry and allied sectors can create 6.3 lakh direct and indirect jobs by 2025.

Illustratively, AI finds extensive use in prioritizing waste streams and optimizing designs to cut waste. And AI platforms are helping in the creation of new supply chains.

Interesting industry examples

A digital intervention we are all familiar with is FASTag. It’s an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag fixed on the windscreen of cars that facilitates immediate payment from a rechargeable, prepaid account. It minimizes queues and saves fuel, which in turn lowers carbon emissions. It also eliminates usage of paper, reducing deforestation, while saving on water and energy used in its production. It reduces noise pollution too. Aggregated nationally, fuel savings, reduced pollution, and logistics benefits are immense.

Another interesting case is that of industry major, Godrej & Boyce, constructing a 500 sft office at their greenfield campus near Mumbai in just 40 hours. It included civil works, waterproofing, painting, lighting and electrical works, plumbing, sanitation, drainage, furniture, and landscaping. They used prefab modules, created using 3D construction printing technology, leveraging building information modeling and lean construction methods.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 for universal peace and prosperity by 2030. They include no poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, clean energy, sustainable cities, and strong institutions.

A 2020 Nature Communications study indicates that AI could help achieve 79% of SDGs and 82% of the 169 targets in the internationally agreed 2030 Agenda. AI clearly has an enabling role in poverty alleviation, education, food, health, water, energy, and the environment.

Challenges and Considerations

Access to AI-enhanced systems may not be accessible to less economically developed communities, and it could cause inequalities when AI jobs demand additional qualifications. When used in countries with underdeveloped ethical frameworks, transparency, democratic principles, even human rights, could be compromised. Also, with AI systems being trained on all available material, it could violate intellectual property principles and display biases from skewed data sets, causing political polarization and harming social cohesion. Moreover, AI requires massive computational resources, consumes huge amounts of power and water, and is associated with a very high carbon footprint.

In summary, no one is oblivious to the fact that the planet is suffering irreparable harm due to our anthropogenic actions. The general belief is that this will hurt future generations.

But the undeniable realization that it is hurting the current generation too should accelerate actions to mitigate the rapid deterioration in global sustainability. And that’s exactly where AI can help, despite the downsides.

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Anil Nair

Founder, ThinkStreet (Impact Consulting)

Anil is currently a senior fellow at Portulans Institute, a Washington DC based technology and policy thinktank, an Independent Board Director at ECM company Syrma SGS Technologies Ltd., and a Board Advisor at solution integrator Netcon Technologies. He writes regularly on emerging technologies and management in leading business publications like The Economic Times & Fortune magazine.

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He was Managing Director, Country Digitization for APJC at Cisco Systems till 2021, involved in accelerating national digitization strategies across various countries. Prior to that, he was MD/CEO at AGC Networks Ltd, Securitas India, Aegis Consulting and Avaya GlobalConnect Ltd. He did his Advanced Management Program from ISB-Kellogg Business School, Chicago.

Anil has led 4 successful turnarounds and 2 start-ups. He has won the Udyog Rattan Award and been the recipient of an Award for Professional Excellence from the Indian Institution of Industrial Engineers.

Kicking the AI Regulation

Can Down the Road to the Frontier The last month has been filled with two kinds of news on AI: the OpenAI-Sam Altman saga, and the race to regulate AI. Joe Biden started it with his Executive Order on safe, secure, and trustworthy AI, requiring AI majors to be more transparent and careful in their development. A day later was the Global AI Summit convened

by UK PM Rishi Sunak, with 28 countries including China; Elon Musk, Demis Hassabis, and Sam Altman attended. This led to a joint statement to regulate Frontier AI. The EU might be next, China already has principles governing GenAI, and India is not far behind.

In fact, OpenAI also recently announced a team to tackle Super Alignment, stating that, “We need scientific and technical breakthroughs to steer and control AI systems much smarter than us.”

The race among countries to develop AI has transformed into a race to regulate it. This is certainly good news; the fact that countries and corporations are aware of the dangers that this powerful technology can pose to humankind. Thus, it is good that the major countries and AI companies are proactively trying to manage the attendant risks. One hopes that they have learned their lessons from the ills that social media begat us to do it better this time. Hopefully, we will not have an AI Hiroshima-Nagasaki before people sit up to the dangers of it.

However, if you look more carefully, most of this concern and regulation seem to be focused on what is loosely called Frontier AI, an AGI-like situation in the future when AI will become more powerful than humans and perhaps not in our control. The UK AI Summit was crystal clear on its focus on Frontier AI. The OpenAI announcement is also about alignment between human and superintelligent AI value, or Super-alignment.

Most of the discourse around regulating AI seems to be focused on this future eventuality and managing that.

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Jaspreet Bindra Founder, The Tech Whisperer Ltd., UK

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My belief, however, is that we need to worry far more about the clear and present dangers that AI represents, rather than what can happen with AGI in the future. LLMs hallucinate today and are optimized for plausibility rather than the truth. AI-powered ‘driverless’ cars cause accidents and kill pedestrians today. Many GenAI models suffer from racial and gender bias since they are themselves trained on supersets of data that are biased. Copyright and plagiarism issues are all over, leading to unhappy human creators and tens of lawsuits in courts.

Training these humongous Lý large language models continue to spew out CO2 and degrade the environment, as I have noted in my articles earlier (https://bit.ly/3QsM2Wx).

Gary Marcus, a noted AI scientist, and author, agrees with this sentiment: “…the (UK AI) summit appears to be focusing primarily on long-term AI risk – the risk of future machines that might in some way go beyond our control.

We need to stop worrying (just) about Skynet and robots taking over the world, and think a lot more about what criminals, including terrorists, might do with LLMs, and what, if anything, we might do to stop them.” (https://bit.ly/3tQXVy5). Interestingly, a recent Politico article has a very intriguing take (https://politi.co/3tUSzli) on this situation: it talks about a conscious effort by Silicon Valley AI honchos lobbying the US Government to focus on just ‘one slice of the overall AI problem’ – “the long-term threats that future AI systems might pose to human survival.” Critics say that focusing on this ‘science fiction’ shifts the policy discourse from more pressing present issues, ones that leading AI firms might want to keep off the policy agenda. “There’s a push being made that the only thing we should care about is long-term risk because ‘It’s going to take over the world, Terminator, blah blah blah,’” AI professor Suresh Venkatasubramanian says in Politico.

“I think it’s important to ask, what is the basis for these claims? What is the likelihood of these claims coming to pass? And how certain are we about all this?” This is my exact point: instead of superintelligence-caused doomsday scenarios, which have a comparatively very small probability, we need to focus on the many immediate threats of AI. It is not a swarm of Terminator drones arising from a datacentre that will cause the destruction of humanity.

It is far more probable that it will be a state actor with the wrong intentions who uses deepfakes and false content at scale to subvert democracy or a cornered dictator who turns to AI based lethal autonomous weapons to win a war he is losing in. It will be the unbridled race to build the next massive LLM that will further accelerate global warming, or a deluge of fake provocative news that will turn communities on each other. AI will not kill us, but a human using AI could. We need to regulate for humans using AI, not AI itself.

In the realm of artificial intelligence, our focus should not dwell solely on the hypothetical perils of the future, but rather on the urgent need to regulate the tangible threats AI poses to our present reality. www.CXOTechBOT.com 17

Jaspreet Bindra

Founder, The Tech Whisperer Ltd., UK

Jaspreet Bindra, the Founder of TechWhisperer UK Limited, has significantly impacted the global technology landscape.

With a distinguished career, Jaspreet held pivotal roles such as the Group Chief Digital Officer at Mahindra Group, Regional Director at Microsoft India, and General Manager in the Tata Group.

A founding member of Baazee.com, later evolving into eBay India, Jaspreet's entrepreneurial spirit led to the establishment of Tech Whisperer Limited. As the Founder, he provides strategic counsel to global giants like ThoughtWorks, PwC, and Mahindra Holidays, offering unparalleled insights into technology, AI, and Generative AI.

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Jaspreet's influence extends to the Advisory Board of Findability Sciences, a Boston-based enterprise AI firm. Recognized as the inaugural 'Digitalist of the Year' by Mint and SAP in 2017, he imparts knowledge at Ashoka University and serves as an Expert/Faculty for Singularity University and Harvard Business, holding the esteemed accreditation of PCC ICF Coach.

Beyond his corporate prowess, Jaspreet is a prolific author with acclaimed works like "The Tech Whisperer" (2019) and "The Immune Organisation" (2021), celebrated globally for their profound insights. Armed with an MBA, a background in Chemical Engineering, and a recent Master's Degree in AI, Ethics, and Society from the University of Cambridge, UK, Jaspreet Bindra is a trailblazer shaping the future of technology with unparalleled expertise and passion.

Trends

that will

Shape Sustainability in 2024

Amidst two concurrent conflicts and escalating geopolitical tensions on a global scale, businesses have displayed resilience, incorporating innovations and enhancements to fortify their supply chains throughout the year.

The advent of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) took centre stage, with ChatGPT emerging as the world's preeminent AI platform, garnering 100 million users within a mere two months of its launch. While businesses eagerly adopt this technology to enhance productivity and streamline costs, a growing consensus underscores the necessity to safeguard and bolster the workforce. The imperative is to ensure that automation serves to augment the workplace rather than pose a threat to employment.

These endeavours are poised to persist.

In emerging economies such as India, Thailand, and Indonesia, the rapid ascent of electric vehicle (EV) adoption is notable.

Fueled by the popularity of affordable models, these regions are witnessing a surge in demand for EVs.

The Predominance of Generative AI in Rapidly Evolving Technology From crafting a science fiction novel within a few hours to engaging with clients in diverse languages, ChatGPT hailed for its swift creation of a science fiction novel and multilingual client interactions, sparks debate for potentially displacing 300 million jobs. In the U.S., artists protest AIgenerated images with #artbyhumans. A Mintel Trends survey in the Asia Pacific reveals job concerns despite limited AI knowledge (57%). Notably, 69% oppose unethical corporate practices, and 73% demand addressing inequality. Mintel's Crabbe envisions a "human-as-premium" trend, empowering artisans beyond algorithms. Amidst AI integration, a consensus emerges to shield workers, emphasizing digital-physical convergence.

Consumer adaptation is crucial, fostering dialogues on intentional tech applicability.

Stringent regulations have compelled corporations not only to monitor their direct emissions but also those emanating from their suppliers and end-users.

In 2024, eco-business delineates 5 pivotal trends anticipated to mould business and society.

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Accelerated Advancement: The Trajectory of Electric Vehicle Adoption in Developing Asia China dominates EV sales, commanding a quarter of the global market, with Hainan province setting a bold 2030 target to phase out traditional vehicle sales. In contrast to solar tech's economic appeal, EVs face challenges in affordability and charging infrastructure, hindering their impact in developing nations. At COP28, 56 governments, including the UK, Sweden, and Germany, pledged support to position EVs as the top option globally by 2030. Developing Asian nations—Thailand, Indonesia, and India—forge independent EV industries.

Thailand, a regional auto powerhouse, sees 9% EV adoption, spurred by a $1.44 billion BYD plant. Indonesia leverages nickel reserves for an EV supply chain, while India, backed by a $1.3 billion initiative, sees a surge in EV ownership, led by electric two-wheelers and rickshaws.

Spotlight on Scope 3 Disclosure The intensifying focus on Scope 3 disclosure compels companies to reveal both direct and indirect emissions involving suppliers and end-users. Ivan Li, Asia Pacific Director of Strategy and Implementation at ENGIE Impact, emphasizes the heightened attention on Scope 3 emissions, citing a 2023 report from the CDP's Corporate Environmental Action Tracker. This report reveals a significant surge in global emissions coverage by companies with Scope 3 targets since 2019, reflecting an increased commitment to addressing indirect emissions and reducing overall environmental impact. Li anticipates greater scrutiny and pressure on companies for more comprehensive reporting in 2024, attributing this focus to new legislation enforcing stringent environmental reporting and sustainability guidelines.

In June, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) introduced disclosure standards covering general sustainability concerns (IFRS S1) and climate disclosures (IFRS S2). The escalating scrutiny from governmental bodies and key stakeholders propels corporations to proactively enhance transparency. Many companies embrace voluntary reporting structures, showcasing commitment through initiatives like seeking approval for science-based targets by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and mandating comprehensive reporting on pertinent Scope 3 emissions.

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Guidance away from Greenwashing This is imperative as corporations integrate climate adaptability into their business strategies, according to Mintel's Crabbe. Trust and reassurance will become integral to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) initiatives. Mintel's survey in the Asia Pacific region reveals that 74% of respondents expect brands to lead in addressing environmental concerns and champion climate solutions. Consumers express a desire for transparency, feeling that many companies are unclear about their positive climate impact. To build trust, brands should elucidate actions taken to reduce food waste, energy, and water usage, minimize packaging waste, adopt a circular economy model, and allocate profits to sustainability or ethical causes.

Election Dynamics in Asia: Impact on the Sustainability Landscape With 40 national elections globally, and a quarter in Asia, observers predict incoming administrations will likely maintain predecessor policies on climate change.

Indonesia's leader, Joko Widodo, expects his successor to continue the ban on nickel ore exports. However, Rere Christanto of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment highlights candidates' silence on downstream nickel industry impacts, such as deforestation and environmental law violations. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of 500 gigawatts of clean energy is short of emphasis on coal reforms, a stance unlikely to change despite elections.

The landscape of 2024 is marked by the dominance of Generative AI. As businesses navigate these trends, a proactive and transparent approach to technology, environmental practices, and governance becomes paramount for success and resilience.

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AI in Marketing

Democratizing Content helping Brand Blitzscale There is a big conversation in the boardrooms today about how the company is and using the power of Generative AI for the next Digital and AI transformation. And everyone is looking at something creative to be done in the Marketing side.

In the past year, marketers have witnessed a dramatic shift in digital strategies and content creation, thanks to significant strides in AI. This technology hasn't just enhanced marketing efficacy and creativity; it has redefined its role as a dynamic storyteller, crucial for brand engagement.

According to a recent global survey, 52% of CMOs are experimenting with generative AI in live projects.

The Traditional Marketing Paradigm Historically, marketing has been the pivotal driver for brand and company expansion, crafting and disseminating campaigns across various platforms. However, the digital revolution has transformed this landscape, not just amplifying brand presence but also becoming a robust lever for growth.

This holds true for digital-native and omni-channel brands alike. The conventional methods of campaign execution have evolved in this digital era, giving way to a more agile, data-centric, and omni-channel marketing approach.

CMOs in the Digital Era: From Marketing to Driving Growth Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are now at the forefront of driving growth.

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In the pre-social media era, their focus was primarily on TV, print, and email.Today, CMOs must navigate over 20 channels, including performance marketing, social media, retention marketing, OTT, affiliate marketing, and more.

With the explosion of channels comes a tenfold increase in the demand for content and creative assets.

Few of the startups find it hard to find the perfect CMO who is equipped to manage all this in one role and hence end up splitting role in to head of growth and head of brand & social marketing.

Generative AI has brought not only democratization and supersonic speed of execution but also an unprecedented level of creativity. The convergence of AI, analytics, and technology has elevated the expectations from the CMO role, endowing them with heightened responsibility in aligning marketing endeavors with tangible business outcomes.

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Uses Cases of AI in Marketing As per industry research, below are few areas where AI in Marketing is expected to be having significant impact: Gen AI is set to transform various aspects of the digital landscape: Content Generation: It will revolutionize the production of material, drastically cutting down the time and effort required.

SEO: Gen Ai enables faster generation of content and blogs will enable more effective content analysis and optimization, leading to superior search engine rankings and audience targeting esp. With the use of programmatic SEO.

without exorbitant spending. With the rise of video content and platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, massive distribution can be achieved at a fraction of the cost.

This has led to the rise of influencer marketing, with over 1 million influencers in India alone.

Today, engaging an audience has become the linchpin of success, with organic social media generating 100% more leads than its paid counterpart.

With distribution platforms getting accessible, use of AI has helped blit scaled the impact.

Customer Service: With the use of conversational chatbot enabled with the company's data knowledge bank, human-like conversational skills would be enabled, helping in a real-time, accurate support, significantly improving the quality and personalization of customer interactions.

Hyper Personalization: By understanding individual behaviors and preferences, AI will allow for highly tailored experiences and content using the digital distribution method helping drive increasing user satisfaction and loyalty. Personalization till now was looked at in copy, now personalization in image and video in near real time is been looked upon.

Analytics: Gen AI will refine analytics processes, aiding marketers in superior and personalized marketing and faster, more informed decisions and gaining a clearer understanding of market trends.

Democratization of Distribution

Traditionally, content distribution was primarily paid for through TV and print.Digital platforms have democratized distribution, disrupting previous cost dynamics and reshaping campaign traction.

Organic content through blogs, social media, and word-of-mouth has enabled virality

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Marketing & Content the biggest impact area "What calculator did to Maths, ChatGPT is doing to Content."

Much like how calculators simplified complex mathematical operations, ChatGPT is streamlining content creation.

It offers a powerful tool for marketers, enabling them to produce innovative, engaging content swiftly and efficiently, thereby transforming the landscape of digital communication and creativity.

The process of content creation is super enhanced with the use of Gen AI tools across Copywriting, Image generation , Music and Video Generation.

Areas in marketing where Gen AI is impacting – Text Copy Writing: Chatgpt, Bard, Copy.ai , Jasper Image Generation: DALL-E 2, MidJourney Video Generation: Runway, Hugging Face Music: Audiocraft, Veed, Hugging Face Currently the advancement has been seen in text and to some extent in video generation.The key has been to effectively use these tools to switch the idea and narrative to build the idea. While building the content from scratch has been the main focus, the prompt based editing method has made it much easier for creative editors to improve and enhance the content.

Decoding Analytics in Marketing "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half” This is a famous quote by John Wanamaker (1838-1922)

Today with more than half of the money going into digital marketing, this is no more a problem. All the money spent in digital marketing generates a lot of measurement kpis , the problem now is how to interpret this and define success.

While management is looking at return on investment and marketing attribution, it is key to start simple and focus on basic kpis and then rollup to looking at overall business impact.

As entrepreneurs pitch in Shark Tank India, social media growth is highly appreciated and the only metric people obsess is FOLLOWERs. But we all know the issues with Fake Followers and how this can be a very managed metric .

Analytics in marketing has transcended mere follower metrics and should be looked into three level metrics esp in the social media world.

Reach : Follower, Impression Engagement : Likes, Saves, Shares, Subscribe Business Impact : Traffic / Footfall, Conversion, Revenue

Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM) has traditionally informed budget allocation in marketing, premised on the belief that higher ad spend drives sales. However, with the advent of digital and influencer marketing, this spendversus-sales paradigm is being challenged. A notable case with a retail brand revealed MMM’s inadequacy in accounting for the substantial impact of a low-budget, high-return influencer campaign. Today, a refined strategy fuses MMM’s analytical strengths with digital marketing’s agility, capturing a broader spectrum of consumer engagement beyond direct advertising, to include the pervasive effects of digital media.

Lastly we would see huge use of advanced Machine learning models been used in Ad platforms especially in google ads and meta ads platform which will be enabling much easier targeting.

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Driving Business Growth with Marketing Growth marketing, distinct from traditional brand-led strategies, is inherently sales-driven, focusing on measurable tactics to boost customer acquisition and retention.

This approach is supercharged in the AI and social-first era. Generative AI rapidly produces diverse content ideas, allowing for quick campaign iterations and real-time adaptability.

This means strategies can be more responsive to market trends and consumer feedback, driving conversions and revenue more effectively.

Moreover, AI's advanced analytics provide deep insights into customer behavior and predict future trends, enabling precise targeting and personalization. These capabilities enhance the customer journey, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.

By leveraging AI for both content generation and analytics, growth marketers can drive business impact efficiently, making informed decisions that propel sustained growth and profitability.

Evolution of Talent in Marketing When refrigerators were invented, it was one of the biggest inventions and products which changed customers' lives. But sadly the companies making refrigerators didn't make money or survive long.

It is the beverage industry of soft drinks , the food industry which really UNLOCKED value and made 1000x more impact.

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There are Producers of technology (Refrigerators companies) and there are Users of technology ( beverage, food industry).

Then there are Consumers of data & AI. These are businesses who put these technologies to transform the products and functions.

As people in marketing think about our careers , if in our core roles we use Data and Ai , we would be transforming the industry and accelerating our careers.

For example : - Creative Designer who becomes super creative and efficient with use of midjourney / dalle2 .

- Marketing executive is able to drive higher campaign ROI with use of ai in copy writing and intelligent targeting.

About two decades back, in job descriptions people started adding "understanding of Word, Excel and PowerPoint" will be key.

Now soon we will see a line in each job description - "having a strong understanding of data, analytics and AI".

This means being able to clearly identify the problem you want to solve, and then breaking it down into smaller, more manageable steps.

WIll Prompt Engineers disrupt the roles ?

In the world of dealing with Gen Ai tools, one key topic is talked about is Prompt Engineering.

To me 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗢𝗕, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝗞𝗜𝗟𝗟. And it is a skill that 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻, regardless of their profession.

The key to writing good prompts is to be very good at 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Once one can do that, you can start to write prompts that will help the AI tool solve your problem.

In simple words being able to explain the tasks to a child is what is Prompt engineering.

Will Traditional Creative Tools like Adobe Loose Steam?

Adobe has long been the standard for advanced creatives, yet over a hundred generative AI tools now offer competitive services at lower costs.

Despite Canva's recent rise as a user-friendly option for novices, Adobe is actively integrating AI into its suite, launching Adobe Firefly ai for image generation and Adobe Express for template-based designs.

Their market strategy includes a free tier, an affordable paid option, and an upgradable professional suite. Additionally, Adobe's textto-image feature enhances the user experience, further solidifying its market position.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has joined the fray with Microsoft Designer. The real contest is in constant innovation, user-friendly design, and affordability. As the generative AI sector grows, major players like Adobe and Microsoft are evolving their offerings, with Canva securing the entry-level market and Adobe enhancing its tools for broader AI adoption.

The Role Of Generative AI and chatbots in marketing In this era of digital transformation, Generative AI and chatbots are emerging as powerful tools in revolutionizing marketing strategies.

With more than 100 M users of chatgpt and bard , it has already disruppted information retrieval uses cases traditionally addressed by search.

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Till now brands had deployed structured chatbot which can help address qurires in a set q&a format.

Chatbots, powered by Generative AI, are key player in reshaping customer interactions.

These conversational agents, armed with a company's data knowledge bank, possess human-like conversational skills, providing real-time and accurate support. This not only significantly improves the quality of customer interactions but also enhances personalization. The use of chatbots is a testament to the democratization of customer service, making it more accessible and efficient for businesses of all sizes.

This gen ai chatbot play will open a world of human like conversation across customer service , product discovery and marketing too.

Look ahead in 2024 :

Today the gen AI hype is at its peak as per latest Gartner report. Which means it is at the height of peak expectations.

2023 was a year of imagining the possibilities and testing waters.

In 2024, the frenzy surrounding Generative AI (Gen AI) in marketing will face a reality check. The initial excitement will give way to pragmatic experimentation, with brands meticulously testing AI's potential for crafting personalized experiences and data-driven content.Instead of impulsive decisions, marketers will leverage AI's insights to orchestrate strategic campaigns, fine-tuning their effectiveness through constant testing.

Generative AI is expected to revolutionize every nook and corner of digital marketing by paving the way for automated tasks, such as simplifying market analytic tools like content creation, prompt services, and personalized advertisements, allowing marketers to gain instant and comprehensive marketing insights to improve decision-making, boosting conversion rates and increasing engagement.

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What Gen AI brings to the table is the ability to generate accurate and reliable insights. It tackles and resolves concerns and challenges associated with AI, such as biased data, by automated analysis processes, identifying and understanding user behaviors and market trends, and offering a treasure trove of suggestions for better and more effective marketing strategies.

2024 will be a year of discovery, where we learn which applications of Gen AI truly captivate audiences, paving the way for a future where innovation and data dance together to paint a brighter marketing landscape.

Saurabh Agrawal Chief Executive Officer, DAIOM

Mr. Saurabh Agrawal, Founder and CEO at DAIOM, leads transformative initiatives within the dynamic omni-channel landscape. A visionary strategist, Saurabh specializes in driving growth through data-centric AI strategies that bridge the online and offline realms seamlessly.

With a profound entrepreneurial mindset, he champions first-principle innovations, excelling in AI, Cloud, IoT, and product development to build intelligent, scalable solutions. His expertise spans fintech, e-commerce, retail, manufacturing, and D2C, empowering enterprises to thrive in a customer-centric, data-driven ecosystem.

Mr. Agrawal has steered enterprise-wide AI and analytics solutions, crafting strategies that harness data for marketing efficiency, performance, and CRM optimization. His impactdriven approach fosters robust enterprise analytics platforms, fueling data-driven decisionmaking.

Mr. Agrawal is a sought-after industry speaker, recognized as a Top 100 AI Thought Leader in India and a LinkedIn Top Voice for Digital Marketing and Analytics. His engagements with renowned institutions like the Economic Times, NASSCOM, and IIM-A underscore his leadership in AI, IoT, Growth Marketing, and Startups.

As a passionate mentor, Mr. Agrawal aids startups in data, analytics, and product scaling strategies. His dynamic career spans leadership roles at Lenskart, MothersonSumi Infotech & Designs Ltd., Tata Insights and Quants, and American Express, contributing significantly to industry transformation.

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Unleashing the Power of Generative AI A Game-Changer for IT Professionals In recent years, the field of artificial intelligence (AI) has witnessed remarkable advancements, from traditional machine learning to sophisticated deep learning algorithms. One of the latest breakthroughs in AI is Generative AI, which has gained significant popularity due to its potential to revolutionize various industries.

In this article, we will explore the evolution of AI, the rise of Generative AI, its implications for common people, students, and working professionals, key players in the field, real-world examples, and how to approach the transformation. We will also address the importance of security considerations when working with Generative AI.

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Evolution of Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science that focuses on creating intelligent machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. Machine Learning (ML) is a subset of AI that enables computers to learn from data and improve their performance without explicit programming. Deep Learning is a subfield of ML that uses artificial neural networks to simulate human-like decisionmaking processes.

Large Language Models are advanced AI models trained on vast amounts of text data, capable of generating human-like text.

These advancements have paved the way for the emergence of Generative AI, which combines the power of large language models with creativity and problem-solving capabilities.

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Real-world examples of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning AI in Customer Service: Many companies are using AI-powered chatbots to provide automated customer support. These chatbots use natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to understand customer queries and provide relevant responses, improving response times and customer satisfaction.

ML in Fraud Detection: Financial institutions utilize ML algorithms to detect fraudulent activities. By analyzing patterns and anomalies in transaction data, ML models can identify suspicious transactions and flag them for further investigation, helping prevent financial fraud.

Deep Learning in Image Recognition: Deep Learning models, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), have revolutionized image recognition.

Applications like facial recognition, object detection, and autonomous vehicles rely on CNNs to accurately identify and classify images, enabling advanced visual capabilities.

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AI in Personalized Recommendations: Online platforms like Netflix and Amazon use AI algorithms to provide personalized recommendations to users. By analyzing user preferences, browsing history, and similar user behaviour, AI models can suggest relevant movies, products, or content tailored to individual preferences.

These examples showcase how AI, ML, and Deep Learning are being applied in real-world scenarios, providing practical benefits and driving innovation across various industries. IT professionals can leverage these technologies to enhance their work, automate processes, and deliver more efficient and intelligent solutions.

The Popularity and Implications of Generative AI Generative AI is gaining popularity due to its ability to generate new content, such as text, images, and music, that closely resembles human-created content. This technology has far-reaching implications for various individuals, including kids, students, senior citizens, working professionals, and IT specialists.

For kids, it can foster creativity and learning by providing AI-powered tools that generate story prompts, characters, and artwork suggestions, encouraging artistic expression and imagination. Additionally, Generative AI can support personalized learning experiences, adapting teaching methods and generating practice exercises tailored to a child's individual needs.

For senior citizens, Generative AI can assist with memory-related challenges, provide personalized health monitoring, and offer social interaction through AI chatbots and virtual companions, reducing feelings of loneliness and enhancing overall well-being. Students can leverage Generative AI to assist in generating creative ideas for projects, while working professionals can automate repetitive tasks, improving productivity and enabling them to focus on more strategic activities. Additionally, Generative AI can empower IT professionals to streamline development processes, enhance code generation, and improve knowledge sharing within organizations.

Key Players in Generative AI Several organizations have made significant contributions to the field of Generative AI. Microsoft, OpenAI, Amazon, Google, and others have developed cutting-edge technologies and large language models. OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and 4, a renowned large language model, has demonstrated remarkable capabilities in generating human-like text and has become a benchmark in the industry. Generative AI also encompasses modality, which refers to the ability of AI models to generate content in different forms, such as text, images, or even music.

Striking the right balance between proofof-concepts and strategic collaboration is pivotal for maximizing the business impact of Generative AI adoption.

This delicate equilibrium ensures effective implementation and tangible results in the dynamic landscape of artificial intelligence. www.CXOTechBOT.com 33

For instance, AI models can generate realistic images from textual descriptions or create music compositions based on a given theme.

Many Applications are using Generative AI offerings, say for example Myntra.

Myntra, an Indian fashion e-commerce platform, has utilized Generative AI in its operations. Myntra has employed Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), a type of Generative AI, to enhance its fashion recommendation system. GANs analyze user preferences, browsing history, and other data to generate personalized fashion recommendations for customers.

By leveraging Generative AI, Myntra aims to provide a more tailored and engaging shopping experience for its users, helping them discover relevant fashion items and make informed purchasing decisions.

Adoption of Generative AI and Business Impact When considering the adoption of Generative AI, organizations must strike a balance between exploring proof-of-concepts (POCs) and collaborating closely with businesses to identify pain points and understand how this technology can be leveraged to increase

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sales, profits, and improve user experience.

By aligning Generative AI with business objectives, organizations can achieve tangible results and drive innovation.

Establishing Centers of Excellence (CoEs) can be a strategic approach, where IT teams and business professionals collaborate to prioritize ideas based on ROI and work towards fast go-to-market (GTM) implementation.

Real-World Examples of Generative AI Generative AI has found applications in various domains. For instance, automatic monitoring systems powered by Generative AI can detect anomalies and patterns in large datasets, enabling timely intervention.

In the context of Agile Ceremonies and DevOps, the Work Units Estimator leverages Generative AI to estimate the effort required for specific tasks, aiding in project planning and resource allocation.

Sentiment analysis on incidents can be automated using Generative AI, enabling organizations to gain insights from customer feedback and improve their products or services. Code generation and knowledge repositories are other areas where Generative AI can enhance productivity and knowledge sharing among IT professionals.

Approaching the Transformation To fully embrace the potential of Generative AI, organizations should consider conducting hackathons that bring together business professionals, IT experts, architects, and AI/ML specialists.

These collaborative events can help identify business problems that can be solved using Generative AI. Additionally, providing training sessions on Generative AI, Python, and different algorithms can spark innovative ideas and encourage professionals to think creatively about how this technology can be harnessed to address business challenges.

Establishing Centers of Excellence (CoEs) can further facilitate the transformation by enabling efficient idea prioritization and implementation based on ROI.

Security Considerations While Generative AI offers immense potential, it is essential to establish robust design guidelines and consider security aspects to protect sensitive and proprietary information.

Organizations must exercise caution when sharing data with large language models and ensure appropriate measures are in place to safeguard confidentiality, integrity, and privacy.

Conclusion

Generative AI represents a significant milestone in the evolution of artificial intelligence. Its ability to generate creative and human-like content opens new possibilities across various industries. By understanding the evolution, implications, key players, real-world examples, and approaching the transformation strategically, IT professionals can unlock the full potential of Generative AI while ensuring security and privacy considerations are addressed. Embracing this technology can empower IT professionals to drive innovation, streamline processes, and enhance productivity in the ever-changing digital landscape.

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Rahul Rai

Global Service Management Leader and ERP Projects, Syngenta Group

Rahul Rai is an accomplished professional recognized as the Al Transformation Leader of the Year, securing accolades such as the Nationwide Awards 40 Under 40, ITNEXT100 CIO Award (2018), INSIGHTS CXO Award (2021, 2022), and the Innovative CIO Award (2022).

Currently working as Global SAP Service Manager and ERP Projects Leader at Syngenta Group, previously held roles like Head of Reporting Factory, Product Manager, Application Lead, Service Delivery Manager overseeing diverse portfolios, including Generative AI, Reporting and Analytics, SAP, Non-SAP technologies.

With a proven track record, Rai has pioneered transformative initiatives and collaborative on establishment of DevOps and Agile/Scrum methodologies for SAP applications. His leadership extends to driving competency in Generative AI, Robotics Process Automation (RPA) for business process automation, setting up a Reporting Factory, and leveraging Lean Six Sigma for operational excellence.

As a visionary, Rai explores cutting-edge technologies, including Sentiment Analytics, Digital Marketing, and Descriptive/Predictive Analytics. Notably, he delves into the realm of Generative AI and identifies innovative ChatGPT use cases within the organization.

His strategic mindset, coupled with a commitment to technological advancement and operational efficiency, positions him as a distinguished leader in the realm of Global Service Management and ERP projects.

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Green Shoots Sustainability now part of the Corporate Agenda for Indian Tech Companies

The 'SRR 4' building epitomises a transformative shift in India's tech industry, where environmental consciousness transcends profit metrics, embracing the paradigm of the 'green line.' In this technological hub, where innovation thrives, the focus extends beyond financial achievements to intricately woven environmental impact, evident in real-time metrics displaying carbon reduction, water conservation, and alternative energy use.

Intel's achievements highlight significant milestones. Smart lighting initiatives, operational since 2019, boast a saving of 2,750 MWh—equivalent to powering 573,000 computers for ten days. Water conservation efforts, with 131 megalitres rejuvenated, mirror the daily water needs of 188,000 homes.

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Intel stands as a prominent advocate for this green movement, echoed by other tech giants in India's awakening to sustainable practices.

Beyond financial considerations, the focus now revolves around the 'green line,' a commitment to mitigate environmental impact and contribute substantively to sustainable trajectories.

This shift signifies a poignant moment in India's tech landscape, acknowledging the responsibility to the planet amidst technological progress. Integrating sustainability metrics into corporate fabric represents a commitment to environmental stewardship, envisioning a future where technology and ecology harmoniously coexist, ushering in a new era of conscientious corporate behaviour.

Technological Giants Redefine the Green Campus Paradigm Intel, SAP Labs, and Coforge, stalwarts in the corporate arena, have seamlessly embraced the concept of a green campus, intertwining it with their overarching sustainability objectives. Notably, technology assumes a pivotal role in this transformative pursuit. Intel India, as a paradigmatic example, deploys an intricate network of over 10,000 sensors meticulously designed to monitor and optimise temperature, lighting, energy consumption, and occupancy levels within its edifices.

The continuous influx of 24x7 data undergoes scrupulous analysis, serving as the bedrock for refining building performance and judicious resource conservation. SAP Labs India, on the other hand, harnesses technology not merely for sophisticated building management systems and energy-efficient apparatus but as the linchpin enabling data-driven decision-making, charting a course towards sustainable outcomes.

Inculcating a Sustainable Mindset, Intel India has upheld its status as a net water-positive site for consecutive two years. A staggering volume of approximately 5 million gallons of water undergoes a meticulous recycling process annually across its sprawling campuses. The water, sourced from rainwater harvesting and in-house sewage treatment facilities, finds purpose in landscape irrigation, toilet flushing, and industrial applications. Notably, the concerted emphasis extends to the realm of alternative energy, exemplifying the comprehensive approach these industry leaders adopt in steering towards an ecocentric future.

Spearheading Environmental Transformation Commencing with a 75:25 ratio, drawing 75% from the grid and 25% from alternative sources, Intel has undergone a remarkable transformation. Presently operating at a 35:65 ratio, the campus relies on the grid for less than 35% of its power needs, generating 65% from eco-friendly sources such as solar panels and fuel cells.

The campus boasts a cutting-edge solid oxide fuel cell installation, catering to the power requirements of buildings, labs, and data centers. A holistic waste management strategy includes recycling food and landscaping waste

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into organic manure and fostering sustainable gardening practices. Food waste is ingeniously converted into biogas, generating 20 kg per day, significantly contributing to the kitchen's gas requirements.

The company is committed to corporate responsibility and sustainability through its RISE strategy. The ambitious goals set for 2030 encompass net positive water use, 100% renewable energy across global manufacturing, a substantial reduction in carbon emissions, and a comprehensive circular economy approach for manufacturing waste streams.

In a similar vein, Coforge's Greater Noida campus and SAP Labs India's facilities exemplify a commitment to sustainable practices. LEED-certified as per US Green Building Council standards, these structures align seamlessly with global Sustainable Development Goals. Coforge's expansive 25acre campus, adorned with 60% green cover, exemplifies environmental responsibility.

The campus incorporates 15 rainwater harvesting pits, decomposers, effluent plants, energy-efficient air conditioning systems, and sensor-based LED lighting to minimise greenhouse gas emissions. Waste from cafeterias undergoes recycling, rendering it a zero food-waste campus. On-site compost plants contribute to sustainable landscaping practices.

The inclusive nature of sustainability transcends individual actions to foster a culture and systems that protect natural resources, combat global warming, enhance environmental systems, and promote societal equality. The company achieved a 19% reduction in scope-1 greenhouse gas emissions in FY23, reflecting a commitment to environmental stewardship. Ewaste disposal adheres to rigorous standards, ensuring responsible recycling or charitable contributions to local establishments, echoing the company's holistic approach to sustainability.

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Intel and SAP Labs Spearhead Ecocentric Corporate Realms Nestled in Bengaluru's Whitefield, the tech epicentre, SAP Labs exemplifies sustainability with its green campus hosting 9,400 employees. Boasting a remarkable 60% green cover and zero single-use plastic, the campus relies on an impressive 98% green energy. The upcoming Devanahalli campus aims to be waterpositive and carbon-positive by 2025.

Silent solar panels contribute 11% of energy needs, reducing annual carbon emissions by 680 tonnes. Innovative technologies like HVAC systems and ethernet-powered lighting emphasise the commitment to minimising energy and water consumption.

SAP Labs diligently pursues carbon neutrality targets, aligning with global goals to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030.

Beyond infrastructure changes, transformative initiatives include digitising food coupons, adopting digital printing, and sourcing local food. Internal carbon pricing for flights aligns with the goal of net-zero emissions. Financially, these green initiatives draw from operational budgets and strategic planning, not relying on corporate social responsibility funds.

Beyond financial considerations, green campuses offer enduring benefits like reduced operational costs and positive stakeholder engagement. Sustainability becomes a potent tool for talent attraction, reflecting a societal shift where individuals seek employers aligned with their values.

SAP Labs India's commitment to campus sustainability, while not consciously driven for brand enhancement, naturally positions it as an appealing workplace for those inclined toward meaningful impact through their professional endeavours.

Intel mirrors this sustainability drive with a dedicated employee resource group comprising over 50 members fervently engaged in diverse programs, contests, and volunteer initiatives focused on energy and environmental conservation. A profound illustration of collective action, last year witnessed Intel employees planting 3,000 saplings on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Gokul Subramaniam, President and Vice President of Client Computing Group at Intel India, underscores the imperative of collective action, fostering an ecosystem where passionate employees and partners collaborate to achieve shared sustainability goals.

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FluxGen Sustainable Technologies Harnessing Technology For A Water-Positive Future In an era marked by unprecedented human development and technological advancements, water is an invaluable resource, serving as the intricate link binding ecosystems and orchestrating essential cycles. A pervasive lack of vigilance has impeded its accessibility, giving rise to pressing issues of water scarcity and disputes, resulting in 163 million Indians lacking access to safe drinking water.

As a critical resource essential for societal functioning, industries face significant challenges in water-stressed regions.

Unregulated water usage poses a direct violation of crucial compliance regulations.

Water scarcity not only increases operational costs for industrial facilities but can also lead to disruptions in functionality due to water unavailability. A substantial risk is posed to businesses, potentially resulting in closures and subsequent financial losses in the order of millions of rupees.

So, how do we address this concern? FluxGen Sustainable Technologies postulates that endto-end digital water intelligence solutions are the key to resolving the water crisis.

Rebuilding the Water Infrastructure All kinds of industries- be it small, medium, or established- face the pertinent risk of water crisis, which, if neglected, can damage their water infrastructure. This would bring the lack of water to dangerous levels, increasing costs for the industries and posing a risk to their continuity and reputation.

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However, most industries still rely on conventional methods of managing water, such as manually recording water data readings. Manual readings have a higher margin of error, leading to water and resource wastage.

Spearheading the digital revolution, FluxGen brings technology-enabled solutions to make water data as transparent and clear as the liquid itself.

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Cloud Platforms: Leading the Charge For industries, preserving groundwater is a must for several reasons. The need to comply with regulations and disclose water usage makes it crucial to focus on conserving groundwater. Understanding and prioritizing the preservation of this essential resource is not just a responsibility; it's a smart and necessary move in today's context.

FluxGen pioneers the digital frontier by bringing water data to life on a cloud platform. This innovation allows for keen observation and comprehension of water usage behaviours within industrial and commercial sectors. A visually engaging dashboard will steer the user towards efficiency, fueled by cloud-powered water data. Through this approach, it is possible to curb unnecessary water consumption and empower industries to embrace a culture of compliance and self-sufficiency.

Pioneering Change Through IoT Sensors Curious about the mechanics of digital water management? Instead of manual readings, introduce IoT-based sensors that precisely measure water flow, level, quality, pressure, and groundwater. These sensorgenerated readings seamlessly integrate into the cloud, offering accessible and shareable data via mobile and web applications.

Beyond ensuring meticulous statistics, this solution equips industries with the means to take corrective action. Leveraging a cloud data science platform, it identifies leakage, minimizes waste, and optimizes water usage through prescriptive alerts, allowing industries to proactively mitigate the risks associated with water mismanagement. It's a sophisticated solution for industries seeking precision and efficiency in water resource management.

Groundwater reserve is the source of 45% of total irrigation and 80% of domestic water.

FluxGen Technologies wants to build a future where technology is leveraged to promote a sustainable ecosystem that supports water conservation through automated identification and water management solutions 44

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Similar to a product-as-a-service model, the integration of IoT hardware and a cloud platform enhances water infrastructure. It constantly monitors every aspect of water management, from usage to wastage, and enters the data into a data science platform to reduce overall water consumption by up to 30 percent.

Envisioning a Water-Positive Future What can be measured, can be managed. At its core, FluxGen Technologies is a B2B company that believes in harnessing technology's unlimited and latent potential to tackle water-related challenges. FluxGen’s approach focuses on creating enduring digital solutions that are not just theoretical but practical, aimed at preserving and saving water.

Incorporating IoT-powered data collection, water pattern identification systems, and a dedicated cloud platform, industries gain comprehensive control over their water management systems. This enables them to effectively handle water data, formulate strategies, and pave the way for a future defined by water-positivity.

Ganesh Shankar Founder and CEO, FluxGen Sustainable Technologies

Mr. Ganesh Shankar, a visionary at heart and a serial entrepreneur, has transformed the ClimateTech landscape by helping the industry venture towards a sustainable future. As the Founder and CEO of FluxGen Sustainable Technologies, he has set a blueprint for industries to de-risk from water crises.

With over 18 years of extensive experience in the tech landscape, Mr. Shankar spearheads digital transformation by incorporating emerging and advanced technologies across a plethora of industries.

His leadership prowess, digital acumen, and vigilance are reflected throughout his career, from starting his journey interning at ISRO to co-founding “The Sustainability Mafia”, an endeavour to amplify the impact and vision of sustainability leaders through goal-oriented collaboration.

Mr. Shankar has cemented his position as the vanguard of the technology ecosystem. His contribution to the ClimateTech space comprises previously launching Airprobe, a tech-drone analytics-powered company that enabled solar farm fault inspection.

An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Science, Mr. Shankar completed his extensive education in the field of entrepreneurship from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley.

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The Future of Work AI and its Impact on Employment

The advent of AI has ushered in a new era in the labour market, marked by rapid technological advancements and shifting employment paradigms. AI's capabilities, ranging from automating routine tasks to facilitating complex decision-making processes, have profound implications for the workforce.

AI and Job Displacement AI's potential to automate tasks has raised concerns about job displacement. According to a report, up to 30% of global workers could be displaced by 2030 due to AI and automation. Industries like manufacturing, transportation, and customer service are particularly susceptible, where AI can efficiently perform repetitive and predictable tasks. However, this displacement is not uniformly distributed

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across geographies or sectors, necessitating a nuanced understanding of AI's impact.

AI and Job Creation Contrary to the narrative of job displacement, AI also exhibits significant potential for job creation. The World Economic Forum's "Future of Jobs Report" highlights that 97 million new roles could emerge by 2025, roles that are more adapted to the new division of labour between humans, machines, and algorithms. These jobs will likely be in fields such as AI and machine learning specialists, data analysts, and software developers, emphasizing the evolving nature of work.

Irshad Saifi

Director IT and Digitization (CDIO), Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co

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Changing Nature of Jobs AI is not only about the binary of job creation or displacement – it is fundamentally altering job roles and skill requirements. Jobs are evolving to integrate AI, demanding a workforce skilled in digital competencies, problem-solving, and critical thinking. For instance, healthcare professionals are now leveraging AI for diagnostic assistance, requiring them to interpret AI-driven insights.

Skill Gap and Reskilling The displacement of jobs by AI is paralleled by the emergence of a skill gap. The "Future of Jobs Report" by the World Economic Forum estimates that 50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025. This gap underscores the urgent need for comprehensive reskilling initiatives to prepare the workforce for AI-integrated roles. It is not just about technical skills but also about cultivating adaptability, creativity, and emotional intelligence.

Policy Interventions and Ethical Considerations Navigating the impact of AI on employment necessitates proactive policy interventions.

This includes updating educational curricula, investing in lifelong learning, and ensuring equitable access to reskilling opportunities.

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Additionally, there is a growing imperative to address the ethical implications of AI in the workplace, including biases in AI algorithms and the implications for worker surveillance and privacy.

AI is redefining the fabric of workforce globally. In this era of transformation, our greatest challenge is not the technology itself, but our ability to evolve with it — to harness its potential while nurturing a workforce that is adaptable, skilled, and ready to step into the future.

Case Studies and Real-World Examples To illustrate AI's impact on employment, consider the case of the automotive industry. AI-driven automation in manufacturing has streamlined production and displaced certain manual jobs.

Conversely, it has created new opportunities in AI maintenance and programming. Another example is the retail sector, where AI in inventory management and customer service has transformed job roles, necessitating new skill sets for employees.

The Road Ahead

The future of work in the AI era is not a zerosum game of job loss and gain. It is an evolving landscape where the nature of work is being redefined, demanding a workforce equipped with new skills and a policy framework that supports this transition. Embracing AI's potential while mitigating its challenges requires a concerted effort from governments, educators, industry leaders, and workers themselves.

Mr. Irshad Saifi, currently serving as the Director of IT and Digitization (CDIO) at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, spearheads the firm's digital transformation strategy, focusing on enhancing productivity and building intellectual property. He is a Stanford Alumni known for his transformative leadership in digital technology.

With over two decades of extensive experience in top-tier organizations like Havells India Ltd, SUN PHARMA, Citi, and Agilent Technologies, Mr. Saifi has consistently delivered groundbreaking digital strategies and implementations. Notably, at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, he led a customer-centric digital transformation strategy, resulting in a 40-60% increase in lawyers' productivity through AI/ML integration and the development of an innovative online platform for commercial dispute resolution in India.At Havells India Ltd, he drove Industry 4.0 initiatives, resulting in a 20% increase in OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) and significant productivity enhancements.

Mr. Saifi’s expertise spans AI, ML, IoT, RPA, and cyber security. He holds a dual MBA, an M.Sc. in Computer Science, and a range of global certifications including PMP, ISO, Six Sigma, CISM, Cisco, Microsoft, ITIL, and Prince2TM. His achievements have earned him recognition from esteemed organizations such as IDG, IDC, Greyhead Media, and Tec Plus Media, as an innovative CXO. Mr. Irshad Saifi is also known for his pro bono engagements as a Stanford Seed Consultant, Member of the Institute of Directors, and Co-Chair of the FICCI National Committee - Digital Transformation & AI.

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Redefining Peace An Incomplete Idea of Social Peace

The traditional understanding of peace often revolves around the absence of war or direct violence. However, true peace encompasses more than just the absence of conflict; it is about the nurturing conditions where all individuals can reach their full potential.

However, there is a fundamental issue that is usually excluded from the discourse of peace: ‘the interconnected cycle of planetary life’ that defines our quality of life.

Environmental Peace: A Core Component of Social Peace

No wealth or luxury matters if the air we breathe is poisonous, the water we drink is contaminated and the nature that soothes us is on fire. Environmental Peace goes beyond human-centric considerations, to emphasize the importance of our relationship with the environment and viceversa.

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The Unseen Link Between Environmental and Social Well-being Environmental peace is a comprehensive concept that highlights the interconnectedness of all living beings and the natural systems that sustain life. In the modern context, where conflicts increasingly stem from disputes over natural resources, this approach is not only relevant but necessary. A healthy relationship with Earth is foundational for cultivating responsible, conscious individuals who contribute to a more inclusive and peaceful society.

A Structural Hell on Earth ‘Ending’ ecological degradation and ‘Preserving’ the environment is not the solution to climate change, because the structural foundations that perpetuate this are not addressed here. The last 200 years of industrial activity have been based upon a linear industrial system whose design is inherently degenerative.

Yashashvi Mukesh Chief Executive Officer, Project 100

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A Smarter Future with Hope

The essence of that industrial system is the cradle-to-grave manufacturing supply chain of take, make, use, lose: extract earth’s minerals, metals, biomass, and fossil fuels; manufacture them into products; sell those on to consumers who, probably sooner rather than later — will throw them away. This design is fundamentally flawed because it runs counter to the earth’s living world, which thrives by continually recycling life’s building blocks.

Ecological degradation is not a luxury concern for our society to leave on one side until we are rich enough to give it our attention. Rather than wait for growth to clean it up, because it won’t — it is far smarter to create society and economies that are regenerative by design, restoring and renewing the local-to-global cycles of life on which human well-being depends.

Reimagining Development

Project 100: Spearheading a Vision for a Regenerative Future

For the last couple of decades the world has been talking about the idea of ‘Sustainable development’ As per the UN, Sustainable Development ‘meets the needs of the present without compromising on the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs.’ In other terms, sustainable development is the idea of growth without any further degradation.

This approach could have yielded the desirable outcomes if the reality of our current world was any better. Given the current state of environmental degradation, to ensure future generations have the resources and ecology they deserve, we must move beyond the idea of sustainable development to the idea of regenerative development.

Regenerative Development: Beyond Sustainability

Regenerative development is an innovative and nature-centric development approach that aims to restore and renew resources, ecosystems, and communities. This economic system is designed to actively improve the health of our planet and its inhabitants. It focuses on principles like restoring natural capital, enhancing well-being, and creating circular, symbiotic relationships within the environment. This model actively replenishes resources, leading to improved ecological health, economic prosperity, and social equity.

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Project 100, a nonprofit organization based in New Delhi, looks at this design of regenerative economy as the foundational principle for building a world with Social and Environmental Peace (SEP). Project 100 is a network of influential and impactful leaders from across the world working together toward social and environmental peace for all. As its tagline “Global Network for Global Impact” suggests, this vision involves engaging world leaders from across various sectors to foster a collective commitment to this radically transformative future.

The Power of Small & Incremental Change: 1 Degree Shifts

Project 100 envisions a regenerative future, where small shifts toward Social and Environmental Peace (SEP) contribute to a harmonious coexistence.

Embracing regenerative development is not just a choice but a necessity for a smarter, sustainable, and equitable world

Every person, from common citizens to policymakers to CEOs of big companies, genuinely wants to do what's right and make a positive impact. The tough part is that we've all gotten used to certain ways of doing things, which makes the change challenging. At Project 100, we believe that change starts with small and incremental 1degree shifts. For this, we work with the leaders and organizations that have huge resources at their disposal or influence the macro level working on the global systems with their decision-making. We convene, engage, and influence these stakeholders towards the larger vision of SEP.

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Yashashvi Mukesh

Chief Executive Officer, Project 100

Yashashvi Mukesh serves as the CEO of Project 100, a global network of influential leaders.

The organization works toward the vision of fostering regenerative global development through international commerce and diplomacy, with a specific focus on Africa and Southeast Asia. Under Yashashvi’s leadership, Project 100 has been spearheading initiatives that address key global challenges, including climate education, climate change mitigation and adaptation, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), skill development, education, and human wellbeing.

Yashashvi’s journey in the field of social development began as a dedicated student of social work and development management. He embarked on his professional career by implementing the Swacch Bharat Mission in 1700 villages of eastern Uttar Pradesh, showcasing a commitment to grassroots development.

Over the years, Yashashvi has played a pivotal role in designing impactful programs and ensuring their successful implementation. His diverse portfolio includes work in India and abroad, contributing to various sectors including climate tech, where he served as the Global Head of Partnerships for a Silicon Valley-based startup.

Prior to his current role at Project 100, Yashashvi established an impact catalyst organization, collaborating with international organizations, corporate foundations, think tanks, UN bodies, and government agencies. This venture aimed to provide comprehensive services in program design, research, and assessment.

In addition to his responsibilities as CEO, Yashashvi actively contributes to several boards and advises high-impact social organizations operating across North America, Africa, and South Asia. His strategic guidance emphasizes climate and sustainability leadership, reflecting his deep-rooted belief in equity and empowerment.

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Navigating the AI Digital Age The Importance of Upskilling The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the digital landscape, transforming industries and work dynamics.

With organizations integrating AI technologies, the need to upskill and reskill employees is crucial. This piece delves into the vital role of upskilling in adapting to the evolving work environment, embracing collaborative human-AI synergy, fostering innovation, and future-proofing organizations.

Adapting to the Evolving Work Environment AI isn't just automating tasks; it's reshaping job roles. Upskilling is essential, enabling employees to understand AI intricacies and apply insights from it. By developing AIrelated competencies, employees position themselves as valuable contributors in the AI-driven workplace.

Fostering Collaborative Human-AI Synergy In the AI digital age, the collaboration between humans and AI is central. AI technologies enhance human capabilities and streamline decision-making. Upskilling empowers employees to seamlessly integrate with AI systems, ensuring a harmonious blend of human intuition and technological prowess.

Cultivating a Culture of Innovation and Creativity AI skills are catalysts for fostering innovation. Upskilling empowers employees to think critically, experiment with new ideas, and create innovative solutions. This leads to improved processes, new offerings, and increased competitiveness in the market.

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Employee Engagement and Retention

Investing in upskilling significantly boosts engagement and retention. Providing learning opportunities in the rapidly evolving AI domain fosters motivation, loyalty, and retention of top-tier talent. AIcentric skill development offers a path for career advancement, enhancing job satisfaction.

Future-Proofing the Organizational Fabric Proactive upskilling is essential to futureproof the workforce. Organizations must ensure their workforce possesses the skills to effectively utilize AI's potential. By investing in AI-related competencies, organizations strengthen their workforce for long-term success.

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The emergence of AI marks a transformative era, reshaping work. To thrive in the AI digital age, organizations must recognize the necessity of upskilling. It goes beyond choice; it's an essential requirement for organizations looking to succeed in the continually evolving work landscape. The time has come to elevate upskilling to a strategic imperative, empowering the workforce for success in the era of AI.

ESG In the pursuit of adhering to the critical 2°C threshold, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles have evolved into a pivotal driver for value creation. Business leaders in India, recognising the indispensability of ESG, acknowledge its transformative impact on sustainable and financially resilient enterprises. The KPMG 2023 India CEO Outlook Report reveals compelling trends indicating a strategic upswing in ESG adoption among CEOs, particularly in areas crucial for long-term success.

ESG Strategies as Value Drivers CEOs in India are strategically aligning their businesses with ESG principles, with a notable 54% affirming the full integration of ESG into their operations. The KPMG report identifies seven key areas where CEOs anticipate the greatest impact of ESG strategies. Notably, ESG emerges as a potent value driver in building customer relationships, enhancing brand reputation, and influencing M&A strategies.

as a Value Driver for Building Customer Relationships, Brand Reputation and M&A Strategy Customer Relationships: A Cornerstone for Success Building sustainable brands and fostering customer relationships stand out as the top priority, resonating with 26% of CEOs. Recognising customer loyalty as a linchpin for organisational success, CEOs are intentionally focusing on enhancing brand reputation through robust ESG performance. Leading brands across various sectors are strategically incorporating ESG considerations into their Customer Experience (CX) strategies, with the potential to unlock an estimated additional $200 billion in value.

ESG as a Catalyst for M&A Strategies M&A strategy, identified by 19% of CEOs, constitutes the second significant area where ESG is expected to exert a substantial impact over the next three years. Despite economic uncertainties,

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there is a noticeable surge in CEOs' appetite for M&As, rising from 42% to 48%.

However, with the M&A landscape becoming more challenging, companies are increasingly leveraging ESG as a paramount value-creation tool for existing assets.

Navigating the Financing and Stakeholder Landscape As CEOs confront the escalating importance of ESG, concerns about financing and stakeholder expectations have risen to the forefront, acknowledged by 33% in 2023 compared to 28% in the previous year. This heightened focus on ESG is propelled by shareholders seeking associations with purpose-driven organisations. Remarkably, 33% of CEOs express readiness to withstand potential scrutiny from stakeholders and shareholders regarding ESG practices.

India Inc. Pioneering Environmental Initiatives With climate change at the forefront of global challenges, Indian companies are prioritising environmental sustainability. The report highlights that 38% of CEOs in India are actively addressing environmental challenges to achieve net zero. Environmental/climate change has risen to the second spot as a risk to growth, indicating a proactive stance by Indian CEOs in combating climate-related risks.

Opportunities Amidst ESG Focus Despite challenges, CEOs in India anticipate a significant return on their ESG investments within three to five years. The current wave of ESG focus presents a unique opportunity for Indian companies to shift towards creating shared value for all stakeholders. Vigilance on evolving ESG regulations ensures the preservation of brand reputationand customer relationships, and positions businesses to explore new growth opportunities in this ESG-centric paradigm.

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ESG emerges as a catalyst for value creation, aligning with customer loyalty and influencing M&A decisions. As companies navigate an evolving landscape, ESG due diligence becomes integral, emphasising sustainability for resilient and attractive futures. With heightened scrutiny and stakeholder expectations, India Inc. pioneers opportunities, positioning ESG as a transformative force for shared value creation and enduring success in the corporate arena.

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