Perhaps the most groundbreaking change in technology since the birth of the internet is generative AI. Rarely does software have an impact on the business world as much as machine learning algorithms have. Always at the forefront of exploration of the frontiers of tech, India is already pushing the boundaries of what AI can offer. India’s AI market is projected to touch $17 billion by 2027, growing at an annualized rate of 25-35% globally. We are already seeing widespread usage in media, business intelligence, data processing, marketing, engineering and a hundred other areas.

The Dell Technologies Innovation Catalysts study, found that 93% of Indian businesses believe that there will be greater human and machine partnership within five years, with 72% of Indian businesses acknowledging that AI innovation is a key part of their strategy.

Given the obvious benefits of AI to all business functions, it’s important, therefore, to understand that access to the compute power and tools required for advanced intelligent algorithms is a prerequisite for today’s businesses.

Reports have highlighted India as a global frontrunner in AI adoption, with a staggering 70% of companies having operational or ongoing AI projects. That being said, in today’s technology landscape, access to the most advanced AI tools and capabilities can be challenging, especially for businesses looking to innovate and differentiate themselves. This was also highlighted in Dell’s report which found, 52% of Indian businesses said they were struggling to keep up with the pace of disruption.

The dominance of a few major technology providers has led to a proprietary approach, where the latest AI innovations may be tightly controlled and not easily accessible to a broader range of organizations. This proprietary nature of some AI ecosystems can present obstacles for businesses, especially those in the Indian market, to truly innovate and be creative with AI. They want to use the latest and greatest AI capabilities, but the lack of openness and compatibility between different AI systems gets in their way.

The need for openness

Developers need open standards to create new AI applications, offering the flexibility to deploy solutions on-premise, in the cloud, or on edge devices. Additionally, optimized compute engines for various devices ensure AI performance where it’s needed most. Open standards in software and hardware enable interoperability, giving customers the freedom to choose AI tools and infrastructure that best meet their needs, fostering innovation without vendor limitations.

The technology industry should focus on democratizing GenAI through open ecosystems and diverse silicon options. Organizations embracing this flexibility will gain a strategic edge over those relying mainly on public cloud services for AI workloads. Access to the latest generative AI hardware further amplifies these advantages, providing a competitive edge.

Powerful hardware

For organizations developing custom AI models and processing large bodies of data, the latest hardware designed from the ground up to be optimized for GenAI significantly lowers TCO, meaning leeway for research and experimentation even within tight budgets.

Better hardware also means projects reach production quicker, and end-users get faster results and an overall better experience.

Open software

Hardware power and capabilities unlock an organization’s freedom to innovate without cost overrun, but the software running on it has to offer compatibility with existing AI frameworks, libraries, and models for true portability and compatibility.

Without openness, it’s impossible to achieve that portability across platforms, and therefore, AI can’t be considered democratized.

An integral part of democratized GenAI is, of course, the open-source ethos. OSS (open-source software) drives quality and excellence, with thousands of users and developers refining and improving the code, allowing increased innovation.

Better together

Open-source also equates to open flexibility, a situation that means developers can create GenAI-based products and services that operate on a range of devices with upstream support that is available from hundreds of the open-source projects that dominate the GenAI world.

GenAI’s transformative powers offer Indian businesses a unique opportunity to develop the next generation of AI-powered software outside the constraints and deliberate roadblocks placed by big tech’s policies of separation and compartmentalization. The horizons can open with just a straightforward deployment configuration tailored to their needs and running on optimized hardware.

Summarizing, openness in AI can advance societal goals like safety, innovation, and inclusivity in the Indian enterprize landscape. According to the Dell Technologies Innovation Catalyst report, 95% respondents believe AI and GenAI will significantly transform their industry. Addressing India's complex challenges can extend solutions to other emerging economies. India's strategy involves tackling global issues through technology, using its vast landscape as a test-bed for sustainable, scalable solutions. By gradual industry AI adoption, India can adapt this technology to its unique needs, fostering innovation and building foundational AI capabilities for long-term competitiveness. 

Dell Technologies Innovation Catalyst research