The cloud-enabled small businesses are finding solutions to pressing societal problems in education, healthcare, and agriculture, as per an Accenture research report commissioned by AWS.
Small businesses that embrace cloud-enabled technologies in India’s education, healthcare and agriculture sectors could unlock up to ₹1.6 trillion in annual productivity gains by 2030—a 152% increase on current levels.
Also, 45.9 million jobs are expected to be supported across these sectors by 2030, according to the “Realizing a Cloud-enabled Economy: How Cloud Drives Economic and Societal Impact Through Small Businesses” report, which covers 12 countries, including India.
The report uses the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) definition of cloud adoption levels to forecast a cloud enabled-economy in 2030 where 90% of all businesses adopt at least a basic level of cloud technology.
The report reveals that 28% of businesses in India are using at least basic cloud services, such as web-based email and storage. This leaves a lot of room for growth, as cloud services can offer multiple benefits such as cost saving, scalability, and agility.
“Cloud enables small businesses to access the same set of scalable and secure technologies as large global enterprises, and also helps them to focus on solving business problems at a fast pace and in a cost-efficient way. By adopting advanced cloud-enabled technologies like generative AI, small businesses can accelerate their growth and digital transformation. AWS is working alongside governments, educators, and the industry to help small businesses in India realize economic and social benefits while creating a better future for all,” said Deepti Dutt, Leader – Verticals, Public Sector, AWS India Private Limited.
“While there are significant benefits that are unlocked by small businesses adopting at least a basic level of cloud technology, there is still a huge opportunity for them to further advance their cloud adoption as this will accelerate their ability to address some of the biggest challenges in society,” said Aaron Hill, Managing Director of Economic Insights, Accenture Strategy and Consulting.
From facilitating remote medical consultations and improving access to education to enhancing precision agriculture, small businesses can make considerable contributions to the economy and society by moving to cloud, the report shows.
All of these contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations.
