India’s approach is focused on effective sustainable development: Fujitsu’s Vivek Mahajan

Be it Software as a Service (SaaS), artificial intelligence, chatbots, blockchains, quantum computing or others, new technological developments are superseding the previous models rapidly. However, with this, threats of being cyberattacked, data breached and sustainability loom large. With India leading in the ICT sector globally, Japanese firm Fujitsu has opened its centre in the Silicon city Bengaluru and mulling to expand its base with it in the country and abroad. Fujitsu's Corporate Executive Officer Vivek Mahajan recently interacted with Mint and shared his views on how global firms see India as a leader in technological space.

Excerpts:

1) With India leading in the digital services sector globally, what drove Fujitsu to open a R&D center in Bangalore? What sort of work is being done there?

India commands a leading position in the digital services sector on a global level and is also in an enviable position of being home to a rich pool of tech talent. The presence of governing bodies that promote innovation and foster growth. These were some of the driving factors for opening a Fujitsu R&D centre here in India.

The activities at Fujitsu Research of India Private Limited (FRIPL) are largely focused on the creation of cutting-edge technologies, innovations around AI, next generation processor development, network virtualization software for 5G and beyond and research on quantum computing.

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2) As multiple ICT firms are operating globally and Indian firms are leading from the front, why should people choose a Japanese firm – Fujitsu?

There is no doubt that Indian IT firms compete on a global level with some at the very forefront. However, Fujitsu also comes with a history of innovating in the field of ICT since 1935. We work closely with organizations from all sectors to co-create digital solutions that overcome their business challenges.

Fujitsu’s R&D center in Bangalore, India, is also focusing on AI, next-gen processor, network software and quantum software. Fujitsu works for our global customers – including government and public sector – include location-based information systems, high-performance computing, and e-government solutions. Besides, we also offer a far wider and deeper set of solutions that can be deployed on a global level while creating a ‘cleantech’ image in India.

3) Speaking about sustainability, especially in technology development and services, how do you see India on a global platform?

Technology leadership is the primary gateway here to achieve sustainable development, which is what India is doing. India's approach to sustainability is focused on effective sustainable development. This encompasses a variety of development schemes in social, clean energy, clean water, and even sustainable agriculture. The Indian government has also committed itself to a bold goal of net zero emissions by 2070. Countries are also looking to India for ways to achieve their sustainability goals and reverse climate change.

4) Recently AI-driven technologies are making noises, especially ChatGPT and similar ones. How do you see this new technology breaching the sector?

Yes, ChatGPT has created quite a disruption in the workplace and home. The use cases and application of generative AI are growing everyday. There are several technologies like Human Sensing AI, Graph AI, Explainable AI, digital annealing, blockchain that have or will eventually also prove to be disruptive and ground-breaking in nature. One thing that is common to all this technology is the powerful computing infrastructure that is required to support it all. All these technologies require high-performance computing – and soon, quantum computing – to deliver a smooth, secure and lag-free experience.

5) Also, reports of data leak through chatbot are making the headlines. According to you, how safe are chatbots when securing data are concerned?

Generative AI is still in its nascent stages at the moment. As we speak, new use cases are constantly being created and the underlying technology is getting updated and optimised. That said, new innovations will usually be followed by such incidents and possible cyber threats. Security breaches such as the data leak or the misuse of generative AI are incidents that usually occur when any new technology is introduced to the public.

Every disruptive technology innovation will also have to be assessed thoroughly with a robust cybersecurity strategy to prevent misuse, unauthorized access and compromise of user data and privacy. Our AI Innovation Platform, Fujitsu Kozuchi (code name) provide Trust by Design which we are working with top security research institutions like Ben Gurion University in Israel.

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6) Fujitsu claims to be at the forefront of Quantum Computing research. However, looking into the future, what do you see the upcoming data centres may look like?

Quantum computers will dramatically accelerate the process of discovery in many fields. It is one of the most exciting technological frontiers because of its transformative potential. In the near-term, processing power of a data centre will become highly commoditized. In fact, it is already a reality, which Fujitsu is delivering under the name ‘Computing as a Service’.

In our research lab in India, we are now expanding our R&D team to build software for world-leading 2nm processor, called ‘FUJITSU-MONAKA’ for next-generation Data Center. This processor will reduce the use of electricity usage by 1/10 and will significantly contribute to sustainable future.

7) Software as a service (SaaS) is not new for India, and now your firm is stressing on Computing as a Service (CaaS). So, what is it, how will it work and how are you mulling to proceed with it?

Access to high performance computing is expensive. CaaS lowers the barrier of entry by giving end-users–like freelance coders, CG artists and dev teams–access to processing power in the public cloud, according to their requirements, to fulfil their rapidly growing computing needs.

CaaS democratises high-performance computing (and quantum computing) by providing the service to users to solve highly complex problems with AI and ML. CaaS also includes Fujitsu’s quantum-inspired Digital Annealer technology, which is the same computing technology at the heart of Fugaku – the world’s fastest supercomputer.

With CaaS, users will be able to tap into advanced computing resources – which are otherwise available at prohibitive costs – to solve global problems like distribution and logistical issue resolution, disaster prediction & prevention, drug discovery, gene therapy and more.

8) Lastly, new technologies are evolving every single day. What new technology trends do you see that may unfold in the near future?

Without a doubt, organisations need to focus on sustainability if they want to achieve mid to long-term growth. Digital transformation will morph into sustainability transformation because more organizations are beginning to take notice. According to a survey commissioned by Fujitsu and carried out by Forrester Consulting, sustainability is now given more importance than it was two years ago. For this, data and digital technologies are essential to creating a beneficial impact on the environment, society, and economies.