I got a chance to attend the International Conference on Digital Landscape (ICDL) 2019, and it was a great opportunity for me. The sessions had many interesting talks related to digital transformation by national and international speakers. It was a three-day conference from November 6–8. The conference aimed to inspire the next generation to innovate and invent to make the world digitalized. It takes into account the Agenda 2030 approach towards problems related to social, economic, and environmental fields.
The three main aspects of attaining the goal of digital transformation are inclusiveness, excessiveness and affordability. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be attained by collective efforts for the betterment of the future. These ambitions will come true when we walk together to make our future digitized and innovative. Shoko Noda, the UNDP Resident Representative in India, stated, “the internet is a human right.” Technology is not just for the current development programmes only. It will also solve the emerging challenges of tomorrow. Machine learning (Artificial intelligence) will lead our future where we want—a more sound and technologically-advanced. Thus, digitalization would help countries like India grow.
India emphasizes on transparency, development and digital fineness, where technology plays a crucial role. Ten years ago, we did not have the tools we have now. “If India succeeds, the world will also succeed as India play an important role,” says Shoko Noda. Customization of digital technology at grassroots is very important. We need to make biome technologically effective. If we convert our resources of information in a simple, digitized form, it will make our learning process fun. Just like there is no need to teach WhatsApp and Facebook to the young generation because it is in an interesting and self-learning form. We can also do a lot to make our world more sustainable by new technology and trends through our products—like availability of vaccines through smartphone apps.
Digitized and innovation goals of UNDP have also shaken up the business approach in industries. Technology-use is safe, fair and inclusive so that we will leave no one behind. And to attain this objective, every country should work in an organized way—rather than depending on an international organization.
Radical transformation is necessary because if we don’t get digital, we will lag. Gagandeep K. Bhullar, Founder and CEO, SuperHuman Race, talked about an intellectual, industrial and technological revolution, which would lead the humankind forward. The sustainable revolution is a wide aspect covering individual choice to business approaches, from governmental plans of a country to global sustainability. “Fear and fun are two big things that drive sustainability,” said Bhullar. She used the term “sustainability mindset” for this view.
She also discussed key points for business model, which are long and short view, data storytelling and choice architecture. This short term view is related to everyone, whoever is a decision maker and engaged in business. The long term views are for an individual or group of individuals from a futuristic point of view. Vernacular videos are example of both kind of views. Data storytelling is another aspect. Data is just an input from external world, it not an automated form. Automation of data is standardization of data, and it should be simple for everyone to understand.