While 2012, had been a year of subdued consumption, budget cuts and guideline revisions, 2013 is expected to start on a brighter note for $30 billion domestic IT market. According to advisory firm Zinnov, with over 5,000 large enterprises and over 10 million SMBs ready to consume IT, the domestic IT market is expected to grow between 15-18% in 2013.
Here are the top ten levers that are likely to drive the growth of the domestic IT sector this year:
IT solution selling:
More and more companies will focus on creating end-to-end solutions to provide better value to its customers. Around 50% of all new IT deals in 2013 are expected to be structured around solutions and not as standalone products.
New IT solutions for India market:
With over 850 R&D centres, India has been a popular destination for many large and mid-sized foreign MNCs. As more and more companies eye the opportunities in the local Indian market, R&D and incubation teams will increase their focus on designing new solutions specifically relevant for Indian market.
Innovation for emerging markets:
Indian R&D centers of foreign MNCs will also be looked upon to deliver innovations for other emerging markets including APAC, Middle East, Africa and New Zealand. India will evolve as a test bed for products for other emerging markets.
Software-enabled data centres:
Increased use of software in storage, network, server and security would be looked upon to ensure better flexibility and efficiency in the way enterprises are consuming IT. The ratio of software to hardware in datacenter environment will grow rapidly in 2013.
Channel partner capacity & capability:
While the channel partner ecosystem in the country is 12,000 strong, MNCs still struggle to tap the huge SMB opportunity in the country. A lot more focus will be given this year on up leveling the channel partner capability in the country.
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Digital marketing:
While print has forever dominated the advertising market, digital marketing will see a much larger focus in 2013. Digital marketing will grow faster than any other form of advertising media in the country.
Big data:
Big data will become reality in 2013. While traditional verticals such as BFSI, telecom, and manufacturing will see massive adoption, non-traditional verticals such as energy & utilities, transportation, smart cities, and power will take big data to a new paradigm.
IT related training & certifications:
Training and certification on new technologies such as cloud, big data, virtualization, and automation will see mass scale adoption and rapid growth this year.
Social media:
Consumption of all forms of social media will continue to grow rapidly in 2013. India is currently at an inflection point with respect to usage of social media as a marketing & business tool. Over 100 million Indians will use social media in some form in 2013.
Start-ups & Accelerator Partnership:India currently has over 3,000+ technology focused start-ups. Focus on start-ups will continue to increase in 2013 as number of accelerators, VCs and angel networks scale up their operations.
Source: Zinnov