Empowering the edge will drive unparalleled innovation for India, says Aerospike VP at Tech Leaders’ Conclave

India’s digital transformation is driving change across the social landscape, threading its way through various sectors, empowering businesses of all sizes and finding innovations all the way up to the edge. 

As the country transitions into a more decentralised IT infrastructure, companies are recognising the value of enabling real-time data gathering and processing on edge devices, catching and correcting real-time issues and bolstering data security instead of sending it to a central server or cloud for processing. Edge computing is powering the next wave of innovation in India, and Aerospike is at the forefront of that change. 

Aerospike, a California-based database solutions provider, assists organisations in various sectors, feeding their AI/ML systems with reams of real-time data. Aveekshith Bushan, Vice President, APJ – Aerospike, joined Rishabh Mansur, Head, Community, YourStory Media, at Tech Leaders’ Conclave 2024 for a fireside chat titled ‘Powering the Edge: Data for scalable growth’, covering everything from edge computing to real-time responses and the India context. 

Exploring the India context in real time

Bushan said the developments in India in the real-time space, are “mind boggling”. Amid the pandemic, both the Aadhaar system and the United Payments Interface (UPI) provided invaluable support, making everyday payments digital, swift and seamless. 

While digital-native companies in India are already riding the real-time wave, larger enterprises have also realised that they need to be online and provide similar services. When Aerospike began its journey in India, the company collaborated with digital natives. The company sees great potential in bringing enterprises into this ecosystem. 

“Digital natives, because of the very nature of their business, are very nimble and agile. So for them to make a decision on new services or innovations is second nature. For an enterprise, because it's a big elephant, it's difficult for them to move as quickly as they can,” said Bushan on the difference between digital-native startups and bigger enterprises. 

He believes that the ecosystem in India allows for both. The country has provided systems like UPI, Central Bank Digital Currency and Rupay, which create a level playing field for companies of all sizes. 

Additionally, India presents a unique opportunity for Aerospike. Not only is the country discovering new use cases for data on the edge, the sheer scale of operations gives Aerospike the chance to build unique partnerships and venture into different sectors. 

“In the India context, scale is a given, right? Even if you're a startup, you're talking of starting off with a million users, going up to hundreds of millions of users. For us, having a recent funding round was very important, but more important is using that funding round to help a market like India,” he said. 

Enabling swift decision-making at the edge

Edge computing is gradually slipping into mainstream tech in India, enabling all kinds of next-gen innovations. Bushan gave the example of an autonomous vehicle to illustrate the potential of edge computing. For an autonomous vehicle, driving down the road involves making swift decisions. In India, this type of vehicle must navigate weather conditions, poorly maintained roads, pedestrians and the occasional cow or stray dog. In situations like this, the car needs to make decisions like turning or braking in sub-milliseconds. 

“The reality is decisions have to happen in real time with data, which is available immediately. Now it's all fine to have data at the core. However, the core relies on existing data and typically recommends an action that makes sense. But unless and until you can make your decision at the edge, it’s probably going to be too late,” he said. 

Aerospike has worked with multiple clients in India, including Dream11, Airtel, and top ecommerce companies, powering their recommendation engines and providing real-time options based on customer preferences. In the case of Airtel, the app had to provide quick recommendations and seamless transactions to over 350 million users. This, Bushan said, was made possible by leveraging a powerful core and moving decisions to the edge. 

The 5G rollout and edge computing

The rollout of the 5G network has great implications for edge computing. According to Bushan, more apps are being built for mobile devices. However, if the apps lack the speed to be delivered in real time, half the battle is lost. 5G infrastructure provides the speed, scale and performance to enhance the digital experience for customers. In India, 5G is still in its infancy, but Bushan predicts many innovations as the rollout continues. 

The fireside chat ended with a discussion on Aerospike’s Real Time Data Summit 2024, held on June 24 and 25. The summit examined real-time data use cases, challenges, and trends across the real-time ecosystem in India and globally.