CXO Outlook – January 2022 – India Edition – Business Trends to Watch Out for in 2022 by Connecta Innovation

INDIA EDITION

JANUARY 2022

INSIGHTS. IDEAS. INSPIRATIONS

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CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

January 2022

Vol - 3 Issue - 1

Business Trends in 2022 (India Edition) Head of Advisory Board Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

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CXO OUTLOOK January May 2020 2022

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

New Year, New Opportunities!

020 was a fancy number, and we were all optimistic and excited for a new decade. But we know what happened in the first quarter. The word became something else in 2020. In 2021, we thought everything would become normal. But the second wave was waiting for us. Now it is 2022. The third wave was at its peak for some time. Fortunately, we were already prepared to face it. Countries including the UK eased most of the restrictions, asking people to get used to living with the virus. It was a positive move, and the vibrations were visible across the sectors. As 2022 unfolds, organizations are embracing rapid transformations happening around them. The distinction between new-age, tech-driven companies versus old-world organizations, is sharpening further. For instance, the way we work has changed entirely over the past couple of years. It is subjected to evolution as more younger people enter the workforce. Experts believe that traditional full-time employment will be a thing of the past. With more remote workers

and gig workers connected from all over the world, companies would look for hiring talent on a contract basis. The shift in the hiring process would change the fundamentals of organizations’ structure. Instead of a rigid top-down pyramid structure, companies have started exploring flatter, more agile forms that would help them respond to change quickly. As the world of business is changing, we need to be updated so that we can travel with the world, or maybe, a step ahead of our peers. In this issue, we help our readers by bringing exclusive opinions and insights on trends that business leaders need to know in 2022. Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

Dr. Kuldeep Nagi, Ph.D, MBA, BSc.

Program Director of Ph.D, Recipient of Fulbright Fellowship Award & Dan Evans Award for Excellence and Writer columnist.

Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD, MBA, MPhil, MCom, LLB. Former Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU

Mamta Thakur Former CEO (ASEAN), Arc Skills

Mr. Amulya Sah, PGD PM & IR, PG Diploma in PM&IR (XISS Ranchi)

Chief Human Resources Officer, Former Head HR group Samsung R&D Institute India,Transformative HR Leader, Change agent, Digitization facilitator, Engagement architect, Trainer and Diversity champion.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

Dr. Ajay Shukla, Ph.D, MBA, BE. Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Higher Education UAE

Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com Former Senior General Manager: Panasonic Middle East & Africa, Thought Leader, Speaker & Author of ‘Moment of Signal’ (Amazon’s International Bestseller)

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

CONT E CONTENTS

EXPERT OPINION

4 Trends That Will Drive the Startup Sector in 2022

Madhurima Agarwal, Director – Engineering Programs, NetApp India

New Opportunities in the Smoothie Market 2022

Samrat Reddy, Founder & Managing Director, Drunken Monkey

Cloud Computing Trends for 2022

Chetan Anand, Associate Vice President – Information Security & CISO, Profinch Solutions, & ISACA Global Mentor

7 Strategic Sales Management Skills to Keep an Eye on in 2022

Sarita Digumarti, Chief Learning Officer, UNext Learning

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

E NTS EXPERT OPINION

2022 Skincare Trends

Dr. Gagan Bhatia, Founder, Uniqaya

What Lies Ahead for the Fintech Sector in 2022?

Anuj Khanduja, Vice President & Head of Products, Manipal Business Solutions

AR, VR will Bring Transformation in Digital Marketing Space in 2022

Rakesh R, Business Head & Director, Deepsense Digital

Plant-based Alternatives to be the Biggest Trend in 2022

Rithwik Ramesh, Co-founder, Alt Co

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CONT E CONTENTS

LEADER’S INSIGHTS

2022 In Technology: What The Trends Reveal

Anuj Vaid, Executive Director, CMS IT Services

Trends And Challenges That Will Define India’s Education Sector In 2022

Dr Akhil Shahani, Managing Director, Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management, Shahani Group & CEO, Ask.Careers

Charging Infra to Play a Key Role in the EV Revolution in 2022

Rajesh Gupta, Founder, Nupur Recyclers

IN MY VIEW 2022 APAC Business Predictions, Trends and Benefits

Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala, Sr. Vice President-Security Products, Ivanti

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

E NTS IN MY VIEW

Digital Printing Will Grow More in 2022

Kuldeep Malhotra, Dy. Managing Director, Sales & OP marketing Division, Konica Minolta

How Technology will Shape the Insuretech Sector in the Year 2022

Sanchit Malik, Co-Founder & CEO, Pazcare

The Top 4 priorities for CIOs for 2022

Yogita Tulsiani, Director & Co-founder, iXceed Solutions

Refurbishing Industry Trends to Look Forward to in 2022

Dipanjan Purkayastha, CEO & Co-founder, HyperXchange

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LEADER’S INSIGHTS

2022 IN TECHNOLOGY: WHAT THE TRENDS REVEAL Anuj Vaid, Executive Director, CMS IT Services

Anuj Vaid is Executive Director at CMS IT Services. He is responsible for executing CMS IT’s strategic agenda and contributes to the entire revenue generation chain. His role spans strategy development, practice leadership (automation, cybersecurity, digital, cloud &datacenter), sales enablement, and ecosystem partnerships.

or CEOs – no matter what their industry or geography – 2022 is going to be the year they focus intensely on elevating the digital experience. Why? Because, after two years of living and working virtually, users have much higher expectations from their online interactions. Consumers have rapidly adopted new technology. For example, EY’s Global Fintech Adoption Index ranks India at number one. Similarly, online learning, appbased delivery of essentials, and family-wide video calls have pushed many users to invite more and more digital experiences into their lives, teeing us up for the eventual adoption of a global metaverse. These digital-native users are the new market-shapers. Their ambitious expectations are setting new standards and changing how entire industries function. How well

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

and how fast you are able to respond will determine your ability to attract customers and meet high growth targets. Like it or not, the CEO priority in 2022 will be creating human-centered, sustainable virtual experiences that fulfill and even exceed ambitious user expectations. To keep your customers happy, you will need to create and deliver a variety of new digital experiences, even as you strive to keep operations functioning smoothly, and enable organization-wide innovation. That’s no easy task, especially when viewed against the backdrop of the Great Resignation. Because of the unprecedented attrition and the war for tech talent, companies are hard-pressed to deliver on their customer commitments and expectations. CEOs are urgently tasked with shaping a sustainable culture that attracts and retains the right talent.

LIKE IT OR NOT, THE CEO PRIORITY IN 2022 WILL BE CREATING HUMAN-CENTERED, SUSTAINABLE VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES THAT FULFILL AND EVEN EXCEED AMBITIOUS USER EXPECTATIONS

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

Employee priorities are shifting largely because of the two years of disruption we’ve experienced. People have a deep desire to do more meaningful things with their time. They want to work with purpose and they want to know that their actions are creating a visible impact for customers and society at large. The pandemic-age employees demand a flexible and frictionless environment. They expect an organization that seamlessly supports asynchronous working and allows for individual flexibility. They want more transparent and agile workflows that enable them to focus on the things/ tasks/activities that truly matter and not waste time on bureaucratic hurdles and inane activities. Given these expectations, enterprise success will rely heavily on

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

how much friction you are able to eliminate from your operations, both for the employees and the customers. This can’t just be done by adopting a new handbook, setting new rules for employees, and making some adjustments in leadership styles. It requires proactive configuration of the technological infrastructure that can actualize the best workflows while minimizing some of the threats created by hybrid work. HRtech, Martech, and Govtech are some of the more obvious examples. Smart CEOs will embrace this transformation as challenging, exciting, and essential. As CEOs build this new digital-forward enterprise, what technology choices will help them eliminate the most friction?

Cloud-native Cloud computing has already proved its worth in keeping businesses afloat (and even thriving) during the pandemic. Cloud-native models that span the spectrum of infrastructure and applications – including data center, network management, end user management, and cybersecurity – will continue to be the best way to achieve and sustain infinite scale. As companies race to reduce operational friction, there will be a surge in the adoption of distributed and multicloud systems, SaaS delivery models, open standards, advanced analytics, and mobility solutions.

BE IT RECRUITING, ONBOARDING, STAFF COMMUNICATIONS, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, OR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT, PERSONALIZATION CAN TRANSFORM AND ELEVATE THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE BEYOND RECOGNITION

Automation Automation at scale is used to deliver a 360 degree frictionless experience.Tedious, repetitive and error-prone human interactions will be increasingly eliminated and replaced by bots, rapidly creating efficiencies and scale for customer operations. Apart from the obvious advantage of freeing up time and energy for workers that would be better directed to

human-requisite tasks, process automation integrated into a comprehensive cloud system can generate a positive feedback, with digitized enterprise operations through cloud services better enabling automation of some domains, and some automation continually tuning the cloud setup. Personalization ML and AI, paired with data and analytics, allow you to deliver more individualized, contextualized experiences over channels of the user’s choosing. Marketers have long used personalization to deliver tailored recommendations, content, offers, and experiences, across all channels and devices, along the entire customer journey. The same concept can be extended to your employees to provide a truly flexible, individualized work setting. Be it recruiting, onboarding, staff communications, employee benefits, or learning and development, personalization can transform and elevate the employee experience beyond recognition. Real-time Delay in decision-making creates the most friction for employees. To accelerate decision-making, harness real-time data and analytics. A modern data system – with real-time data processing, analytics-driven insights,and AI/ML models to fine tune the system – provides the visibility you need to adapt to swiftly changing priorities, drive productivity, and invest for growth. Security As always – and more so because of hybrid working making the enterprise perimeter porous – cybersecurity will be one of the biggest threats to the organization. Enterprises are going to need multiple strategies, frameworks, and methodologies to embed security throughout the architecture to prevent malicious agents from accessing their most critical assets and the data flowing through them. Treating identity as the new access and adopting a zerotrust posture will help us deal with this. Zero trust is grounded in the tenets of defensible cybersecurity, operational resilience, and defense-in-depth principles to deliver an overarching secure enterprise architecture. As we march into 2022, I want to leave you with this one thought. If ever there was a time to be customer obsessed, it’s now. It’s time to follow our customer’s lead and make bold moves to create a brave new experience economy. An economy that puts our customers – internal (employees) and external (users, vendors, partners) – center stage and allows our people to deliver extraordinary value even in the time of global upheaval.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

IN MY VIEW

2022 APAC BUSINESS

PREDICTIONS, TRENDS AND BENEFITS Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala, Sr. Vice President-Security Products, Ivanti

n the past year organizations have continued to face disruption from different forces – COVID, a war on talent and an increasing number of cyberattacks. The businesses who have more readily adapted to the changing dynamics saw more success this year. 2021 made it clear that businesses needed to be more aware of their technical environment and sped up digital transformation for all organizations. This year I learned that leaders don’t wait for the “new normal,” they build one. For the next year, automation, zero trust security frameworks and remote/hybrid work are three trends that I see dominating 2022. ● Organisations will benefit from implementing these trends into their day-to-day operations through increased productivity by automating basic security hygiene like patching, edge discovery services, and systems inventory

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

which frees up IT’s time to focus on more mission critical activities. ● A recent Ivanti survey of US employees found that while 50% of respondents found themselves working more non-office hours than before the pandemic, 52% claim their morale had been impacted positively. This evidence shows that a remote/ hybrid work environment can have an encouraging effect on employees and could improve productivity. ● Finally, implementing a zerotrust framework that incorporates unified endpoint management with on-device threat detection and anti-phishing capabilities can help stop breaches and improve the overall security of data, devices, and employees. Cybercriminals are continuing to find new ways to exploit their victims, but a zerotrust framework can provide the infrastructure needed to defend in this evolving world.

Cybercriminals are continuing to find new ways to exploit their victims, but a zero-trust framework can provide the infrastructure needed to defend in this evolving world

Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala is Senior Vice President of Security Products for Ivanti. He was the founder and CEO for RiskSense until Ivanti acquired the company in August 2021. He is a recognized authority in the artificial intelligence (AI) and neural networks communities and was part of a think tank that collaborated with the U.S. Department of Defense on applying these concepts to cybersecurity problems. Dr. Mukkamala is responsible for Product Management for all Ivanti Security products and will continue to drive innovation in integrated security solutions across all company pillars: ITSM, Security, and UEM. Dr. Mukkamala holds a Ph.D. and a Master of Science in Computer Science from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

Healthcare and manufacturing are industries that I predict will be the most receptive towards adopting new trends

Industries will be more receptive With the way that the cyberthreat landscape is evolving it’s critical that all organisations adopt these trends. If they do not, then they face the risk of being left behind with outdated infrastructure, policies, and services. Healthcare and manufacturing are industries that I predict will be the most receptive towards adopting new trends. Both industries have recently seen the devastating effects of ransomware and supply chain challenges that could be assuaged through the implementation of these trends. APAC organisations need to do more to ride these trends It will take an investment and proper planning to fully realize the benefits of these trends. Implementing a zero-trust strategy is not something that can be done overnight and requires planning across all facets of the organisation including groups outside of IT and Security. The same goes for automation in that planning is key to ensuring there are no critical work disruptions while moving to this new model of IT. It will take bold leadership to fully embrace the idea of a permanent hybrid workforce. With such a massive change, organisations will have to accept a cultural evolution to help drive the adoption of a dispersed workforce. With proper planning, leadership and execution APAC organisations will be ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

EXPERT OPINION

4 Trends That Will Drive the Startup Sector in 2022 Madhurima Agarwal, Director – Engineering Programs, NetApp India

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

T Madhurima Agarwal works as the Director for Engineering Program with global responsibility for leading NetApp’s startup program called NetApp Excellerator – startup.netapp.in. She also plays a key role in driving enhanced collaboration between engineering and market-facing functions across NetApp India and acts as the touch point for all external partnerships. She brings with her over 17yrs of experience spanning domains across the globe with leading financial firms. She’s been an entrepreneur and currently dons the hats of a mentor and advisor to startups. An alumna of IIM, Ahmedabad, Madhurima enjoys driving innovation and taming the power of technology to achieve organisational growth.

he last two years saw a tectonic shift across sectors, brought about by the pandemic and ensuing lockdowns. Thanks to the rapid advancements in the field of deep-tech and digital technologies, our lives didn’t come to a standstill, and these played a pivotal role in helping us move forward. Deep-tech companies and startups are expected to create a much bigger impact in the coming year. Innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship are the three key pillars that make the Indian startup ecosystem as vibrant and dynamic as it is today. Although 2022 promises to be a year to remember, the lessons learned in the last two years will become key as startups navigate through the new normal. Here are some trends that the startup ecosystem in India will see in the coming year. ● A larger investment pool Technology-led startups and their solution offerings played a vital role when the pandemic caused billions of businesses to digitally transform their operations. Among the key technologies adopted, cloud computing proved to be the clear winner. It quickly became the primary infrastructure for millions of people having to work and learn from home. The surge in demand for cloud software led to big returns, which is expected to continue well into 2022. As cloud computing continues to be the preferred mode of operations, VCs will look to increase their investments in B2B tech startups that are driving cloud solutions across sectors. Indian SaaS companies are likely to touch $30 billion in revenue, capturing eight to nine per cent share of the global SaaS market by 2025, according to the Indian Saas Report 2021. In a way, this points to a growth in interest that will be generated amongst the investor community. ● A transformed deep-tech ecosystem A new Indian deep-tech ecosystem is emerging, driven by innovation, and fueled by investors who have pumped in significant funds in the sector. This year, the Indian startup ecosystem outdid itself, with startups raising as much as $26 billion within the first eight months of the year. With a young population and increased connectivity, the emergence of companies going public, and startups building deep technological solutions, India’s vantage points are unique. The use of deep tech has become more of a need than an option.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

A new Indian deep-tech ecosystem is emerging, driven by innovation, and fueled by investors who have pumped in significant funds in the sector 22

As sectors such as healthcare, education, industry, manufacturing, and others have increasingly adopted its use in their operations, it is safe to say that India is the next deep-tech hotspot. ● A bigger and stronger unicorn club India is becoming the world’s fastest-growing startup ecosystem. In a recent Mann ki Baat episode, Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that there are over 70 unicorn startups, as of 2021. These organizations are valued at approximately $168 billion and India now has the world’s third-largest unicorn ecosystem after the United States and China. It is said that fintech, SaaS, and e-commerce will continue to grab the bulk of investments and 2022 can expect many more such startups joining the unicorn club. ● Collaboration between corporates and startups Partnerships between startups and large global corporations are critical to the advancement of technological

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

innovations and this association is important for the long-term growth of businesses of all sizes. With more B2B startups eyeing global expansion, it is important for them to have access to a high scale of infrastructure and support. To a great extent, this can be provided by large corporates that will help these startups access the pool of data they have. Validating this, a recent report by Zinnov stated that the relationship between large corporates and startups will be further strengthened, basis the need for the latter to ramp up their team and optimize the resources that corporates offer through their accelerator programs. As we move into the new year, innovation will continue to drive the startup ecosystem. 2022 will be a fruitful year for new-age technologies, as they make a stronger impact on society. India’s startup space is driven by a passion to build cutting-edge solutions. We have a lot to look forward to, and through collaboration between corporates and startups, we can expect to see the business landscape in India transform before our eyes.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

IN MY VIEW

DIGITAL PRINTING WILL GROW MORE IN 2022 Kuldeep Malhotra, Dy. Managing Director, Sales & OP marketing Division, Konica Minolta

he global pandemic has literally acted as a ‘survival test’ for businesses and the world in general. People had no idea how things would change overnight, and adapting to this transition will become a necessity. The story of print players is no different! In the wake of COVID-19, it became essential for print businesses to closely look at their existing processes and revamp the areas that called for quick reshaping. For instance, they had to start refocusing on their operations in terms of sitelevel (reduced staff due to social distancing and lockdowns) and ordering mechanism (customer orders – from physical to digital). One of the top trends witnessed during this period was digital printing. Many players in this domain started introducing digital printers while also switching their operations from offline to online. Here are some of the print trends that we came across during the pandemic:

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

Touchless Technologies COVID-19 made social distancing a critical practice for everyone to follow. In fact, it was the only possible way to contain the virus transmission. As a result, print players began investing in touchless advancements like biometrics or smart-card authentication, enabling users to give print commands and get the work done without even touching the device. The pandemic is here to stay and it is thus envisioned that these technologies will only evolve in the times to come, making the overall printing experience more effective and easier for everyone. Integrated Collaboration Several companies have already made work from home (WFH) permanent for their employees. It means mastering collaboration tools and platforms is more important than ever now – something that businesses need to adopt on both ends, i.e., office and home. This is what has created

After the pandemic hit the world, it has become even more important for print businesses to eliminate paperbased processes and adopt digital replacements

A veteran with more than 38 years of experience in the Indian printing industry, Mr. Kuldeep Malhotra is the Dy. Managing Director, Sales & OP marketing Division, Konica Minolta. He was previously associated with leading companies in the IT industry for over 30 years in senior leadership roles. Throughout his career, Mr. Malhotra has worked across several key business functions such as Sales, Business Operations, Marketing, Finance, Channel Management, and Business Planning. He has combined this extensive expertise with a sharp business intellect to drive strong year-on-year turnover growth for Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt Ltd.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

Leaders must realize that consumer touchpoints are increasingly becoming digital, which calls for an innovative design language – motion graphics and animations

fresh opportunities for MPS providers to increase their productivity levels while also becoming cost-efficient at every point possible. These solutions are also crucial for businesses to ensure end-to-end customer interaction and engagement when it comes to addressing routine queries and spreading awareness around the new developments of a brand.

Cloud-enabled digital workflow solutions After the pandemic hit the world, it has become even more important for print businesses to eliminate paper-based processes and adopt digital replacements. This change has created space for more innovations like multi-function printers (MFPs) that allow users to perform document capture tasks more efficiently while automating their existing workflows and making functions more seamless than ever. However, as the world goes digital, print players must also ensure robust security to their customers owing to the ever-evolving threat landscape and malicious actors that are always on the lookout for data breach. Focus on sustainability design With growing awareness and consciousness around the environment, manufacturers are focusing on reshaping their operations and making products that are sustainable and not harmful for the nature. And this philosophy will be seen across the brand lifecycle, be it creating new products, packing them or delivering them. The world has already witnessed so many disasters, including forest fires in Australia, flooding in Maharashtra, winter storms in Texas and much more. It’s high time for brands and businesses to rethink and re-strategize their working and manufacturing operations to ensure highest sustainability across all levels. It is a much-needed step and we all must come together to address this global issue. Move towards organized retail The labels and packaging industry is growing like never before. Thanks to rapid expansion of organized retail, and

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

other drivers like rising exports and e-commerce sector. We have also seen massive transformations in consumer behaviour during the pandemic as people were stuck at home and thus shopping and working online. In line with this change, people are now demanding brands to be much more than just selling quality products. They want brands to be secure, eco-friendly, and deliver seamless user experiences. It is believed that products and services in the future will not only be in sync with stated preferences but also behaviour. As a result, brands must optimize their packaging strategies to meet these evolving customer expectations, and look forward to keeping them engaged with personalized and innovative packaging. In a nutshell, ‘packvertising’ will work wonders in this new era and all businesses must adapt to this concept. And digital printers are going to play a pivotal role here. Role of motion design In the wake of digital innovations, having static graphics as part of a brand’s visual assets won’t cut it. Leaders must realize that consumer touchpoints are increasingly becoming digital, which calls for an innovative design language – motion graphics and animations. For instance, several brands have already started deploying animated logos. Moreover, motion isn’t limited to apps or websites. In fact, we are seeing brands incorporating AR in their design strategies. In terms of packaging, brands are expected to use QR codes labelled on their products so that consumers can scan that and experience more engagement around the brand story. In closing While one might be thinking that COVID-19 is the worst thing that can happen to humanity, several print businesses are considering it a newfound opportunity to innovate and grow like never before. Although digital printing is just a start of a new era in this ecosystem, the future of printing is likely to be hybrid, where businesses must focus on paper printing as well as digital servicing. After all, nothing can replace the importance of touch and feel!

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

EXPERT OPINION

New Opportunities in the Smoothie Market 2022 Samrat Reddy, Founder and Managing Director, Drunken Monkey

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

A Mr. Samrat Reddy is the Founder and Managing Director of the Drunken Monkey- the only Indian smoothie bar chain with a pan Indian presence.Started in February 2016, Drunken Monkey was initially a single smoothie bar in Hyderabad. Today the company boasts of 120+ outlets across the country and is still growing! Samrat Reddy can be best described as someone who is continuously looking for novelty, speed, and competition. After acquiring an Engineering Degree from Chennai, he worked in Australia for a while before moving to Scotland for MBA from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.

fter everything that’s happened with the pandemic, this new year is a year where all of us would agree that health and wellness is the most important wealth one can possess. Drunken monkey aims to be a torchbearer for the same and promote our vision of a naturally high lifestyle. This year we expect to gain momentum to what we call a smoothie revolution. We expect that through our efforts smoothies become a part of every Indian’s lifestyle and daily diet. Following the pandemic, consumer preferences shifted dramatically in favor of healthy, organic foods. Many businesses opened in late 2020 and early 2021 with a focus on healthy, farm-to-table food. However, with the global success of COVID-19, this tendency is likely to become a way of life for many in the future years. Market-trend-based strategies for the food and beverages market will include shifting to natural ingredients, introducing functional beverages, collaborating with e-commerce platforms to increase sales. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, are in higher demand as consumers recognize the need of leading cleaner and healthier lifestyles. The food and beverage market will welcome more products featuring these components in 2022. COVID-19 has acted as a catalyst to boost the demand for healthy products. The aim is to expand to not just in the metros but to tier ii and iii cities too. Given the expanding coronavirus frequency in the country, various health and immune-boosting aspects of an organic, nutritious diet are becoming increasingly popular. As a result, growth in ‘healthbased’ restaurants and brands pushing healthy lifestyle products is projected in the market. An increase in preventive eating habits and an overall rise in health consciousness have been creating new growth opportunities in the juice and smoothie bar industry, evidenced by the fact that the industry’s size continues to grow. Revenue in the Juices and Smoothie segment amounts to US$1,850m in 2021. The market is expected to grow annually by 3.57% (CAGR 20212026) and that’s thanks in part to how millennials have embraced smoothies as a lifestyle. The juice and smoothie bar industry size will undoubtedly continue to grow over the next several years. Smoothie bars, realizing the business potential are sneaking into small sites that other caterers cannot reach. Packaging

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

An increase in preventive eating habits and an overall rise in health consciousness have been creating new growth opportunities in the juice and smoothie bar industry 30 healthy punch to boot, many brands are coming up to serve the health freaks. Compared to 5 years ago, today the number of people putting wellness at the forefront of their minds has risen meteorically. From marathons and cross-fit training to extreme fitness, meditation, and yoga to green beauty products, health, and wellness trends are more mainstream than ever. Health is no longer about going to the gym or following a particular diet, it is a lifestyle. Drunken Monkey has grown from strength to strength, expanding the business to achieve its goal to make Drunken Monkey synonymous with smoothies and smoothies synonymous with Drunken Monkey, thus bringing about a “Smoothie Revolution”. Effective utilization of the “first-mover advantage” ensued the brand to be a pioneer in the natural smoothie segment Thus, smoothie chains are a great way to add additional profit for any restaurateur. They don’t take a lot of space or equipment, and one can cater to their customer’s nutritional needs and whims in just moments. As more and more commercial players move into the business, competition is emulating the differentiation that has been so successful in the coffee market.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

LEADER’S INSIGHTS

TRENDS AND CHALLENGES THAT WILL DEFINE INDIA’S EDUCATION SECTOR IN 2022 Dr Akhil Shahani, Managing Director, Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management, Shahani Group and CEO, Ask.Careers

Dr Akhil Shahani is the Managing Director of Thadomal Shahani Centre For Management, Shahani Group and CEO, Ask.Careers and runs a range of colleges in business, media, real estate, finance and others. His colleges incorporate global industry-oriented education systems that make their graduates truly employable. He is also a Venture Partner in Kaizen Private Equity, India’s first private equity fund focused solely on the education sector. Besides, Akhil serves as the Chairman of Global Discovery Schools, a franchised chain of 14 innovative schools. In 2020, HSNC University appointed Dr Akhil as a governing board member.

he education sector in India has witnessed many developments over the past few years. Be it the introduction of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, or the meteoric rise of the edtech industry and the pandemicinduced transition to online learning, there is an ongoing largescale churn in the way teaching and learning are conducted, placing the sector on the precipice of change. Edtech on the rise With nearly 580 million Indians between the ages of 5-24, India has the advantage of being a ripe market for the online education industry. It is estimated that, by 2026, the online education industry will grow by 11.6 billion. This growth projection is reflected heavily in what the edtech sector has

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

managed to achieve in terms of funding within just the last two years. From being one of the least-funded sectors in 2019, to raising USD 4 billion between January and August 2021, and adding three unicorns and one decacorn to its tally, the edtech ecosystem has been thriving. These numbers are proof that the edtech revolution is not just a temporary trend fuelled by the pandemic, but a permanent change in the way education will be imparted in the future. The colossal scale of the transfer of knowledge, and the availability of interactive learning, made possible by edtech platforms have breathed in a new life into India’s education system that was traditionally rigid when it came to adoption of tech. Thus, in 2022 and the decades to come, edtech

IN 2022 AND THE DECADES TO COME, EDTECH WILL CONTINUE TO TRANSFORM TEACHINGLEARNING PROCESSES FOR THE BETTER

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

will continue to transform teaching-learning processes for the better.

Hybrid and blended learning models to lead the way Even before the pandemic happened, traditional methods such as the one-way mode of pedagogy, where teachers spoke and students listened for hours on end, were facing serious questions about their effectiveness. Once the pandemic-induced school closures led to the rapid adoption of online education, both educators and learners were exposed to the benefits of tech-enabled learning. And while e-learning may not replace in-person learning completely in many cases, some technology-led components are here to stay. For example, hybrid learning models entail a combination of face-to-face teaching and distance learning approaches such as video conferencing, online discussion platforms and pre-recorded videos. Meanwhile, through blended learning, educators can incorporate edtech features into in-class lesson plans and activities to supplement and enhance the learning experience for students. Initially, both these models were slow to be adopted. However, since the emergence of the pandemic, they have become increasingly present in classrooms. A PwC 2020 report titled Re-envisioning Higher Education through Digital Adoption echoes this sentiment, noting that 85 percent of the management they interviewed, from central, state and private higher education institutes, indicated their intention of opting for holistic technology solutions in the near future.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

The skilling and employability challenge Despite all the positive developments discussed above, the education sector in India still has some serious challenges to overcome. Chief among them is the ability to smoothen the path from education to employability in order to tackle the skill gap and growing job crisis in the country. India is poised to be home to one of the world’s youngest populations, with over 64 percent of its people in the working-age group, and we are looking at a significant unemployment problem in the coming years. Nowhere was this looming crisis more evident than in the videos that came out of Madhya Pradesh last week, where nearly 11,000 applicants lined up for just 15 job openings for peons, drivers and watchmen. The applicants flocked from all corners of MP and even from nearby Uttar Pradesh, and included those with post-graduate, engineering, and MBA degrees. The images and videos of the snaking queues reveal just how dire India’s job crisis is becoming, and the urgent need for the education sector to revamp itself in order to tackle this effectively. Hence, perhaps one of the most significant and ongoing changes in the education sector is that, right from the primary level up to higher education, there is a sharp focus on industry-relevant skills. Whether it is the NEP 2020 introducing Coding as a subject as early as 6th grade, or the government’s 2015 Skill India initiative to train over 40 crore Indians in various industry-related jobs, the messaging is clear – education has to help cultivate a highly-skilled workforce and lead to better chances of employability for India’s youth.

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IN MY VIEW

HOW TECHNOLOGY

WILL SHAPE THE INSURETECH SECTOR IN THE YEAR 2022 Sanchit Malik, Co-Founder & CEO, Pazcare

uman beings have been crippled with technology for a very long time now. And with all the facilities shifting online and available at just a click, it has reached unprecedented heights of comfortableness for individuals. The ease of ordering in food and unhealthy eating habits have resulted in decrease of immunity levels. All this has led to irregular sleep patterns and increased medical problems. Keeping this in mind and with the advent of technology in the insurance sector, it could reach greater heights in the coming years. Technology is growing at a rapid pace currently. It is developing by the minute, and with each new addition, the scope of further improvement also increases. It is no secret that the insurtech market is booming! With integration of the latest technology, the first thing to look forward to is the growing use of Artificial

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Intelligence (AI). The use of AI is not only limited to machinery but it also incorporates online transactions of any and every nature. AI could be used in fraud detection as well as make the claiming process hassle-free. Changes in customer preferences also plays an important role in shaping up the insurtech sector. The flexibility and ease that it provides have been taken well by its consumers. The insurance sector needs to redefine it’s ways of providing insurance plans and policies according to what is demanded by the general public. This will ensure that they stay relevant throughout. The redeveloped customer support and services platform has also been taken well by the customers because of its easy to use and user friendly experience. With new developments, it has become important for the providers to listen to their customers.

The insurance sector needs to redefine its ways of providing insurance plans and policies according to what is demanded by the general public

Sanchit Malik is passionately working for Pazcare to make it a success in the insurtech industry. Previously, he co-founded Townscript (Acquired by Bookmyshow). At Townscript, Sanchit used to lead and drive the sales and marketing team.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

To stay relevant, they need to be more accessible and up to date with every recent development. This should be done to remain competitive and on top of their game. As the AI progresses and people have started looking deeply into where and how their resources are being utilised, it is imperative for the insurance providers to give the option of customisation. With different people belonging to different backgrounds, it is of utmost importance for the insurance providers to offer incentives with their policies. Due to the increase in competition in the market, the one with the best alternatives would always be the first choice for the public. Therefore, it is imperative to provide customisations according to each individual. On top

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

of that, applications are being made for easier access. Companies are coming up with their own personal mobile applications to provide a more holistic approach towards their services. With the pandemic shaking everybody’s daily routine, technology has become an integral part in the everyday life. Offices and schools have completely shifted to online mode and hybrid teams are encouraged as well. Using technology is now a necessity and utilising it to the maximum is on the people. With new advances, the ease and trust on technology is increasing. People are now less skeptical about handling their finances online. Insurtech sector has emerged really well. The future looks promising for the insurance sector because of the same.

Higher Education Digest September 2020

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

EXPERT OPINION

Cloud Computing

Trends for 2022 Chetan Anand, Associate Vice President – Information Security and CISO, Profinch Solutions, and ISACA Global Mentor

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

A Chetan brings over 18 years of professional experience in information and cyber security, business continuity, privacy, risk and quality. He has worked in various industries such as IT, ITES, Fintech, Healthcare / Pharma, Manufacturing, Research and Development, in various capacities including Technical, Managerial and Leadership roles. He has contributed to the ISF’s research on Continuous Supply Chain Assurance, report review and functionality testing of ISF tools. He is a member of and volunteers with ISACA. He is an ISACA Global Mentor, is on the review panel of ISACA Journal and has contributed to ISACA whitepaper and blog.

s we welcome 2022, it is a great time to explore trends that may impact the IT industry. Let us take a look at those trends specifically related to cloud computing, given its increasing importance today. With the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations have opted for online and hybrid models for their work environments. Information technology assumed centre stage with new technologies that were harnessed to their full potential to keep the wheels of the economy moving. The need for online collaboration increased within organizations and with external parties such as customers and suppliers using cloud technology. While cloud has made life a lot easier, it is still in its nascent stage in India and continues to evolve with each passing day. One of the biggest challenges that cloud computing poses is the threat of hacking, although there are numerous options available to protect data from external threats and attacks. As cloud computing continues to evolve as we enter 2022, I foresee a few trends that will define the space: New Use Cases 2020 and 2021 witnessed large adoption of virtual meeting applications. With the buzz around 5G and Wi-Fi 6E gaining momentum, this means that more new types of data can be streamed. Studies and expert opinions reveal that the arrival of cloud virtual and augmented reality (VR/ AR) can lead to cheaper and smaller headsets. With this cloud technology, every other technology becomes faster, lighter and more accessible to the end user, which will propel more services migrations to cloud platforms. Hybrid Cloud As the name suggests, this upcoming year could witness increased adoption of multiple cloud platforms – private and public. The combination of hybrid cloud will be used to allow workloads to juggle between public and private clouds, giving clients greater adaptability. Zero Emissions Per the World Economic Forum, the next big cloud competition is the race to zero emissions. Cloud computing and data centres have become core global infrastructure – the roads and bridges of the internet economy. But they’ve also become a significant driver of carbon emissions, responsible for an estimated 1.8% of US electricity consumption and the plurality of emissions for many tech companies. Google is working towards 24/7 clean power for its data centres, Amazon is shooting for 100% renewables by 2025, and Microsoft is leading the way on transparency for its cloud customers. But these targets

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

are just the beginning. Cloud computing and data centres are responsible for the majority of emissions for many tech companies, creating competition to provide cleaner cloud services. The more savvy and transparent corporations get about their carbon footprint, the more pressure they’ll place on major cloud providers to accelerate the road to zero carbon. Cloud Audits Upskilling is necessary for everyone no matter how many years of practical IT experience you have on your team. One of the areas that will become even more important to gain training and knowledge in is cloud audit, as cloud auditing is essential to effective cloud management. ISACA, a global leader in training, education, and certification for information security and information technology professionals, in association with Cloud Security Alliance, a global leader

One of the biggest challenges that cloud computing poses is the threat of hacking, although there are numerous options available to protect data from external threats and attacks in cloud security research, training and credentialing, offer the Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge (CCAK). CCAK is the first-ever, technical, vendor-neutral credential for cloud auditing. This certificate fills a gap in the industry for competent technical professionals who can help organizations mitigate risks and optimize ROI in the cloud. CCAK prepares IT professionals to address the unique challenges of auditing the cloud, ensuring the right controls for confidentiality, integrity and accessibility and mitigating risks and costs of audit management and non-compliance. Changes to ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 Standards Organizations will also need to ensure they are conforming to the latest standards that relate to information security.

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Professionals should pay close attention specifically to ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Information technology – Security techniques – Information security management systems – Requirements and the ISO/IEC 27002:2013 Information technology – Security techniques – Code of practice for information security controls standard, which are both undergoing changes. The latter will become the “Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection – Information security controls.” As per the ANSI National Accreditation Board in the US, twelve new controls will be introduced in these standards, including information security for use of cloud services. This means organizations that are certified for the ISO 27001 information security management system standard need to gear up to implement this control once the standard is released. Serverless Cloud computing envisages a design where businesses access IT infrastructure on-demand without the need for any investments on servers and infrastructure. Serverless is a subset of PaaS, which needs more processing power, but in intervals or bursts. Serverless cloud is also used by companies that are developing new applications but lack the resources to deal with the required infrastructure. Automation A key element to cloud computing is automation. With data and systems on a centralized cloud, companies can automate many of their internal processes – be it data consolidation from different sources or business intelligence dashboard creation. Organizations today are looking to tighten connections between different pieces of software and make sure that solutions from multiple vendors work seamlessly. Edge Computing With thousands of IoT devices connecting to the internet every second, organizations are bound to face security, latency and bandwidth issues. With organizations using more advanced technologies like robotics and artificial intelligence, the need for more power and faster processing increases. Going forward, organizations will decentralize the entire cloud environment and create localized data centres that offer readily available storage and computing power near places where they are needed. As dependence on cloud continues well into 2022, the complexity of the cloud environment will also grow and continue to challenge businesses to innovate and find newer ways to harness its full potential, as well as to provide their teams with relevant training and credentials to stay up-to-date with cloud knowledge and trends.

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LEADER’S INSIGHTS

CHARGING INFRA TO PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THE EV REVOLUTION IN 2022 Rajesh Gupta, Founder, Nupur Recyclers

Rajesh Gupta, Founder of Nupur Recyclers has a vast experience of over 25 years in the Business & Financial Market. His knowledge and expertise have helped the organization to build new growth horizons. His vision has enhanced the diverse services provided by the company and has enriched our clientele. Rajesh Gupta is B. Com (Hons) from Delhi University. Recognized for his top-notch knowledge and noteworthy ability, he is playing an important role in company management by organizing the unorganized metal recycling industry. His professional familiarity has helped the organization to establish new horizons, apart from enlarging the service range. Besides, his honest vision has helped us in mounting the clientele.

he year 2021 has seen a plethora of movements in the electric vehicle (EV) sector with several largescale partnerships. From new non-traditional auto players to state policies and subsidies and new product launches, several EV players have ramped up their production lines to handle the anticipated volumes in 2022 at OEM, battery, and component levels. Industry leaders and start-ups have announced their future plans, and 2022 will be the year to witness the execution of these plans on a massive scale.

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The future of mobility is at a critical point of inflection. Every time oil prices spike or climate change is debated and discussed, Electric Vehicles (EVs) are inevitably mentioned as a part of the solution. Electric vehicles (EVs) are revolutionizing the world of road transport. The global EV market grew 43% annually on average over the last five years, and the worldwide automobile market penetration rate of EVs stood at about 2.6% in 2019. This is expected to explode during this decade.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE SLOWLY STARTING TO CATCH ON IN THE INDIAN MARKET, THOUGH CHOICES IN THE FOURWHEELER SPACE ARE STILL LIMITED

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

IN THE NEXT DECADE, THE NUMBER OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES (EVS) ON OUR ROADS WILL LIKELY RISE SUBSTANTIALLY, AND IT IS BELIEVED THAT READILY ACCESSIBLE CHARGING NEAR ONE’S HOME (OR ONE’S WORKPLACE) WILL BE A KEY TO SUPPORTING EV GROWTH

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

India’s vision to become a global leader in the EV revolution is becoming a reality. The outlook for electric vehicles (EVs) remains very promising thanks to the rapid pace of innovation. The new technology of smart charging has already accelerated EV adoption across the world in the past few years. Electric vehicles are slowly starting to catch on in the Indian market, though choices in the four-wheeler space are still limited. With an increased number of electric vehicles on the road today roughly around six lakhs, for which we have only 2,000 public charging stations. This poor density of the charging stations is limiting the ease of EV usage. We are at a stage where the expansion of the charging stations across the country is the utmost priority. Charging infrastructure will play a decisive role in the efficient take-off of the EV revolution in the country. On July 6, 2021, as many as 350 new EV charging stations have been installed and were functional across the country under the FAME II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and EV) scheme. Government Now aims to make 30% of private cars, 70% of commercial vehicles, 40% of buses and 80% of two and three-wheelers go electric by the end of the decade. Given a central estimate of 5% penetration of EV total vehicle parc by 2030, the market could require about 120,000 to 235,000 fast-charge points or about 30,000 to 60,000 charging locations. In the next decade, the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on our roads will likely rise substantially, and it is believed that readily accessible charging near one’s home (or one’s workplace) will be a key to supporting EV growth. Automobile culture, today is supported by a large number of fuelling pumps, this network balances the competing demands of low cost and efficiency, locational convenience, and capacity utilization. The result is that most motorists in most situations can easily find a competitively priced fuelling station and not wait in line for an open pump. Similar dynamics are expected to shape the emerging network of EV charging stations. On the economic front, large-scale adoption of electric vehicles is projected to help save $60 billion on oil imports by 2030, currently, 82% of India’s oil demand is fulfilled by imports. Secure and reliable charging infrastructure will support the migration to e-cars. The current trajectory of adding more cars running on expensive imported fuel and cluttering up already overcrowded cities suffering from infrastructure bottlenecks and intense air pollution is unfeasible. The country needs a transportation revolution and EV is the revolution for next the decade.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

IN MY VIEW

THE TOP 4 PRIORITIES

FOR CIOS FOR 2022 Yogita Tulsiani, Director & Co-founder, iXceed Solutions

he accelerated use of technology during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in redefining the role of CIOs in an organization. In the present scenario, organizations need a digitally driven workforce to not only run day-to-day operations but also stay ahead in the market. CIOs – Chief Information Officers are stepping up to create an omnichannel digital transformation of organizations to evolve business outcomes. CIO’s have become outwardly focused on deeply understanding the business needs as per market trends and translating them into technology roadmap. As the world moves towards rapid digital transformation, organizations have redefined the role of CIOs in increasing IT spending. According to a recent survey finding – the country’s IT spending is expected to grow at 8 percent to $92.7 billion in 2021.

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Considering the ruckus that COVID-19 has created in organizations, CIOs are changing their IT mission and adapting to dynamic business needs. Large-scale corporate organizations are adopting advanced technologies to reshape business operations and culture. In the upcoming year, CIOs are ready to take a leap from technology / IT head to key business driver. Here’re the top 4 priorities CIOs can focus on in 2022. Technology in customer experience In the present world of business, competition has become fiercer. The market is turning saturated and organizations are competing to acquire customers. With many options available to them, customers do not even take a moment to shift to other brands. This drives the need to implement technology in leading online experiences for customers.

In the upcoming year, CIOs are ready to take a leap from technology / IT head to key business driver

The dynamic Ms Yogita Tulsiani is armed with a Master’s in Business Administration from ISB, Hyderabad. The versatile businessperson has more than a decade of experience in Business Development and Consultancy across various industries in the UK, USA, Europe and APAC. Her repertoire includes an illustrious clientele in the Financial Services, Telecom, Retail, Information Technology and Learning industries like Genpact Headstrong and HP. The current role of Director in IXCEED has been a culmination of various roles in her career. Global expansions and exponential revenue growth have been the trajectory that Ms Tulsiani has followed.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

integrated as the center of technology strategy. The advantages of the cloud such as speed, flexibility and costeffectiveness are crucial for organizations in optimizing their business. This requires CIO’s effort to fully realize its potential and align software, infrastructure and services for the cloud to help enterprises accomplish their fundamental goals. The key priority for CIOs in 2022 will be to master cloud economics. This will help them target business areas with a precise focus on new businesses, innovative practices and new sources of revenue enabled by the cloud.

Great technology talent is crucial for any business to generate value, especially in a digitallydriven world

When IT is closest to the customer, it becomes easier for an organization to understand customers’ needs and it succeeds in delivering that value. Furthermore, technology is crucial for organizations in spotting customer needs just like the product teams. That’s where CIOs need to focus on making the IT team work closely with product managers as well as customers to deliver value. Integration of Cloud Embedding cloud in business operations is effective in improving business performance. However, to make a noticeable change in an organization’s growth, it has to be

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

Making tech team a part of talent strategy Great technology talent is crucial for any business to generate value, especially in a digitally-driven world. Investing time and resources in aligning technology and talent strategy is amongst the highest value moves for organizations. When the corporate world moved to remote work culture, it became a crisis situation for organizations to manage their talent. In that case, technology played an integral role in keeping the workforce engaged, motivated and feel safe in raising issues quickly. In 2021, CIO’s embraced new-age technologies at the workplace. In 2022, CIOs are expected to leverage the potential of these technologies and be role models to support specific behaviour of teams in order to provide world-class tools to make their lives convenient. Promoting learning to adapt to changes The post-covid world has changed the way organizations work to succeed. It has become more about learning, adapting to new market needs and integrating technology to meet new business goals. The present world requires CIOs to develop a culture of learning that goes beyond attaining certifications and training. For instance, CIOs can develop regular skill projections based on need and roll out a reskilling program for their people. Since non-tech people make the majority of the workforce for the organization, it becomes imperative for CIO to make tech literacy a priority for the business. CIOs can chalk out a plan to educate non-tech leaders and expand tech literacy for better business performance. Takeaway Every business in today’s age needs to have a robust technology infrastructure. With this digital move, CIOs have now got the opportunity to be a forerunner in driving business performance and accomplishing goals. In the upcoming year, the CIOs role will mainly be centered on putting technology at the forefront of business.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

EXPERT OPINION

7 Strategic Sales

Management Skills to Keep an Eye on in 2022 Sarita Digumarti, Chief Learning Officer, UNext Learning

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

N Sarita Digumarti is the Chief Learning Officer at UNext Learning. She is responsible for academics, content, and delivery for online degrees, certifications, and enterprise (B2B) programs at UNext. Prior to assuming her current role in UNext Learning, she was the COO and Cofounder of Jigsaw Academy. She also worked as a Group Manager for 5 years and as an AVP for 1 year in Genpact LLC and with GE Capital International Services as an Assistant Manager for 8 months in Bangalore. She holds an M.B.A. in Finance from T.A. Pai Management Institute and a Master in Arts, Quantitative Economics from Tufts University.

obody can add value to a product or service with as much conviction as a seasoned salesperson. Pandemic or not, the Sales Team continues to be the driving force behind the success of all organizations across industries. However, the whole culture of remote working and no physical meetings did open a whole new can of worms for this particular segment of professionals, making the already difficult situation more challenging. Taking on the problem head-on, these dynamic professionals have gotten creative with their approach to customers. They have successfully managed to change the landscape of how sales work. With the year 2021 getting over in the blink of an eye, it is now the right time to acquire these 7 Strategic Sales Management skills: 1. Generating Demand and Identifying the Right Lead It is crucial to pursue prospects and convert cold calls into meetings proactively. This can only be achieved through specific strategies and approaches designed based on customer needs and creating a sense of demand to pipe up their interest. By projecting the right qualities, one must help generate demand amongst potential customers before identifying and converting the right leads. 2. Identifying Competition Observation and critical thinking are vital to identifying and dealing with competition in any game. A successful sales strategist must recognize the unique selling points of their product or service compared to existing or potential competitors. They must study and understand the sales strategies used by other competitors and curate unique sales plans to safeguard the business from rivals. 3. Digital Sales Strategies The pandemic has increased the importance and necessity for digital sales strategies. To convert customers, one must know how to incorporate various digital tools like personalized emails, messages, WhatsApp text, etc. However, these cannot be sent out randomly, instead, adopting strategies like sending out emails immediately after an event or a telephonic conversation can go a long way. 4.Customer Relationship Management (CRM) According to the 2021 Sales Trends Report, 92 percent of sales teams currently use or plan to purchase a

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

With data making tremendous contributions to all aspects of business, data analysis can significantly benefit sales teams 54

sales CRM. CRM aims to simply improve business relationships. Adopting CRM helps manage your company’s associations and interactions with customers and potential customers.

approach towards the customer. The conversation needs to be more engaging, interactive, and customer-centric, emphasizing upon the customer’s benefits from the particular product or service.

5. Leveraging Data and Predictive Analytics With data making tremendous contributions to all aspects of business, data analysis can significantly benefit sales teams. It becomes easier to predict and prepare strategies that might work and give effective results by collecting and analyzing data regarding customers, sales patterns, etc.

7. Team Management Unlike our good old Jack, leading a team does not involve just standing in front of the ship and shouting out the order in the name of being the captain. Team management is a crucial skill that helps ensure the productivity of every member of the team. There is a constant need to manage expectations, be result-oriented, hire coachable representatives, set high but realistic goals, and chart out good business with the entire team’s support. Sales is no longer just interaction between two individuals. Today, the focus is on building an elaborate, effective and efficient strategy that would help in higher conversion rates and keep the customer’s faith without much face-to-face interaction.

7. Excellent Communication Skills Communication is the key to building long-lasting relationships. According to a study by Forrester Research, only 15 percent of clients said yes when asked if they valued conversations with sales representatives. This indicates the urgent need to change the salesperson’s

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

EXPERT OPINION

2022 Skincare Trends Dr. Gagan Bhatia, Founder, Uniqaya

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

aying that the Beauty industry or the Skincare industry is evolving is merely an understatement. Every year, we see new trends and new ingredients that make the news and add more prominence to skincare. However, after the rolling year of 2022, we are way behind those chemical-loaded and generalized beauty or skincare products. To have something new, skincare brands come with a new way of skin treatment. And this year too, the skincare brands will be focusing on trends that would become ‘norm’. Give your skin a fresh start with these skincare trends 2022.

Dr. Gagan Bhatia, founder of Uniqaya is a naturopath who believes connecting with nature is the greatest way to heal and recharge. She is a BSc graduate and completed her master’s in naturopathy. She has eight years of clinic experience in treating people with naturopathy and healing modalities. Uniqaya is an emerging skincare brand dedicated to giving you only the best. With the highest quality natural ingredients, it delivers paraben-free, nonsulfate & non-phthalates products for the skin. Furthermore, it is GMO(Genetically modified organism) free and cruelty-free.

Blue Light Skin Protection Rising threats to step outside, the pandemic has confined us to our beds and compelled us to stare at the screens most times of the day. Whether it is work or entertainment or a mere catching up with friends, gadgets are our nobles! But, they are not really noble as they constantly emit skin-damaging blue light rays. Blue Light rays are scientifically known as HEV Light or High energy visible light. Though not exactly, UV rays and HEV rays have the same photoaging effects on the skin. In both cases, the skin suffers damages like sunburns, inflammation, red skin, pigmentation, sun spots, and others. Of course, the market is filled with sunscreens that can protect from the UVA and UVB rays of the sun, but what about HEV rays? Limiting the use of gadgets to decrease screen time and thus reduce the signs of aging and prevent it. However in order to prevent the blue light rays from entering the skin and damaging the skin even more while indoors, you need to indulge in blue light skincare. First of all, you should try and limit the screen time; use the blue light filter on your gadgets to reduce them to a certain extent; third, make use of broad-spectrum sunscreen in your skincare routine. Research on the detrimental effects of blue light not only on the skin but also on the eyes and health of individuals is still ongoing. It is worth knowing that dermatologists are a little serious about the same. That said, with more knowledge on light and virtual life as of now, 2022 brings about a skincare routine to battle the blue light rays. Anti-inflammation We have all heard about inflammation and aging- the two things that hamper skin health. Inflammation has been a really highlighted term in skincare lingo, but it may get more spotlight this year. Even board-certified doctors say that pandemic-related stress shows up in the skin in diverse ways. For one, maskne is yet another skincare issue that arose since the pandemic. These, too, have evidently

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

inflammatory components like redness, irritation, and breakouts. Additionally, unmanaged stress can lead to eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, cold sores, fever blisters, hives, and other skin rashes. Considering these situations, beauty care has started including the quintessential “calming” ingredients in the products. This 2022 year, the products can get you rid of all kinds of inflammation and related skin issues. Thus, the products have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, soothing, and moisturizing properties. One of the other serious skin issues is inflammation caused due to certain lifestyle reasons- also known as micro-inflammation- aka inflammation. This word is a hybrid of inflammation and aging. This destroys the skin’s collagen and elastin, robbing the skin’s dewiness. Lifestyle factors that trigger inflammation are pollution, stress, anxiety, smoking, poor diet, sun exposure, and increased usage of screens. All the more reason to indulge in sunscreen, slap some SPF and remind yourself that everything will be OK. DIY skincare DIY skincare treatments are set to continue rising in popularity. Lockdowns have made people learn a lot about the skincare trade using home remedies. People have been experimenting with ingredients from the kitchen for great skincare. This trend will definitely see a hike in the year 2022. People have become more aware of the chemical products and want to spend time researching and making the recipes themselves.

Refillable Skincare Products For a happy skincare routine, eco-friendly beauty care products are always in! It is an important factor in packaging design. A number of brands are inclined toward using sustainable packaging items or skincare vessels. Further, the sustainable packages do not have to be “crunchy”. As more and more brands are focusing on eco-friendly options, they are trying to be more affordable. It is even better if brands commit to using 100% recyclable options in the years to come. It seems that more and more brands are adopting this trend in the new year, which would become the “norm”.

For a happy skincare routine, eco-friendly beauty care products are always in! It is an important factor in packaging design

Personalised Skincare Generalized skincare seems to be a headline of the past! We all love personalized items- whether a simple coffee mug to favorite quotes on a T-shirt- so why not your skincare is personalized? After all, every skin has its unique texture, tone, and profile. Thus, each skin deserves special attention, love, and care. Brands are focusing on products that are formulated in a way to suit all skin types or either they are working on product range considering the skin type. Personalize your

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

skincare with the best of the brands. And this is not limited to skincare only, in fact, hair products are customized too as per the hair type or needs.

Microbiome Focused Skincare The skin is just like mother earth. Just like the latter supports our existence- the existence of the human species. Similarly, the skin supports the existence of a large scale of biomes- the good ones obviously! So, if you are aware of good bacteria, then you must know that for us to work and look healthy, we do need the help of certain bacteria. Also known as Probiotics they have been in the news quite lately but, in 2022, it shall be even more pronounced. Hitting the market in 2014 and 2015, the probiotics are more evolved and focused this year. Earlier, where the idea of slathering the face with organisms seemed fringing is now a worldwide accepted idea. Moreover, the demand for friendly bacteria skincare products is rising at an unprecedented rate. Why? Well, for many reasons- when the biome of your skin is balanced and has all the good bacteria, it makes the skin healthy and balanced. Conversely, the imbalanced biome leading to imbalanced skin causes acne, eczema, and other inflammatory skin issues.

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Higher Education Digest October 2020

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

IN MY VIEW

REFURBISHING INDUSTRY TRENDS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2022 Dipanjan Purkayastha, CEO & Co-founder, HyperXchange

ith the growing business, awareness, and acceptance of the refurbished products in India, the industry reached 70 million mark in December 2021, with a 35% YOY growth. The pandemic modified the financial situation of many, making it hard for individuals acquainted with a particular sort of way of life to reconform to being, if not economical, more moderate in their use. Thus, many of them were glad to pick the refurbished option, both to save some money and to make a proclimate choice. As we enter 2022, it is important to understand where the industry stands currently and what are the trends to look forward to: Last-mile delivery to tier-2&3 cities Handling and conveying an online order is complex business. When an order is placed, it goes through several phases across inventory, QC, pick/

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

pack processes and multiple logistics hand-offs before the delivery is complete. One of the most significant and the last advance of this cycle is “Last-mile delivery”, especially the light of quicker delivery timelines being offered to consumers. It includes dispatching the items to the customer through local nodes, rather than from a centralized hub. Development in online business has prompted a requirement for big business focused last-mile delivery benefits that are accessible on request. The developing requirements of the customers such as visibility of the delivery cycle, fast delivery on-demand, and so forth have driven the operations business to think of an effective framework. With viable last-mile delivery, the refurbished business centers could focus on route enhancement, assessing the critical parts of pick-up points, drop-points, weight, volume, cost of the vehicle, arrangement, and the delivery

Today, it isn’t about having a presence on the web or offline alone, everything must be interconnected

Dipanjan Purkayastha established Hyperxchange in February, 2016. He has 20 years’ experience working in the Tech space across US & India. He has focused equal parts of his career growing businesses and sales teams, as well as structuring large investment banking transactions. His previous corporate role was Vice President of Tech Mahindra.Dipanjan is guest faculty for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at leading institutions like IIT- Delhi and IIMCalcutta. He is an Engineer from NIT Kurukshetra and MBA from SP Jain Mumbai.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

time, and so forth – especially in Tier-2 & 3 zoness, where traditional distribution networks aren’t well-developed. Omnichannel distribution system It is impossible for B2C players to overlook the recent changes that have shaken the whole business segment: influx of technology, millennial buying habits, the rise of D2C, and so forth. Customers need to purchase in the manner that is convenient, wherever they are the moment. Consequently, an omnichannel experience is the most effective way for brands to wrap their customers in an immersive experience of the brand. Today, it isn’t about having a presence on the web or offline alone, everything must be interconnected. Omnichannel let’s customers to experience the products and services of the brand across a continuum, rather than at a traditional point of sale, enhancing the relationship right from the get-go and building a deeper mind-space.

Brand-owned refurbished platforms Looking at the skyrocketing demand and increased focus of consumers in buying planet-friendly sustainable products, it is safe to say refurbished products are here to stay. However, until further advancement just a small bunch of brands stand apart in this industry as early purveyors for providing topend quality, through in-house refurbished platforms. One thing is for sure – brands must not overlook the industry trends. There is a need for refurbish electronics among buyers, brands only need to find out if putting resources into in-house refurbished platforms would be simply one more source of expenditure or it very well may be an important method for improving the client experience, make brand a local name and show more economical accreditations in an undeniably competitive environment. Increasing global competition The worldwide refurbished mobile phone market fell 9% (on-year) in 2020 owing to Covid-19 lockdowns and related monetary impediments. The data for 2021 is still in works, but given the demand on the ground, everyone expects a huge growth turnaround in refurbished electronics, as work from home norms explode device demand, while semiconductor chip shortage reduces new product sales. Be that as it may, not all portions of the market declined in 2020 – Indian refurbished space continued to scale at phenomenal pace, with top players like hyperXchange posting 8X growth in revenue. As one of the world’s biggest phone markets, India is probably going to keep fabricating a solid case for worldwide competition. While there are a set of refurbished market leaders, new players are moving into India, while some Indian players are making global forays.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, customers have become more mindful of the sustainability

Sustainability Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, customers have become more mindful of the sustainability. And refurbished electronics carry the flag when it comes to making groundlevel impact through consumer action. Consider this: every time a customer purchases a refurbished phone instead of a new phone, it results in an effective reduction of 19kg in greenhouse gas emissions. And for every additional year consumers continue to use that phone, the planet sees a reduction of ~ 12kg in emissions. Now consider that leading refurbished brands like hyperXchange sell anywhere from 1-5 million refurbished phones every year, and reuse more than 80% of these phones for 2 years or more, the savings in emission alone is in megatons! Given this reality, organizations are creating products utilizing recyclable materials which can be reused, fixed, or refurbished. Also, refurbished items are sold at lower cost with a year-long warranty, making it a budget-friendly, guilt-free choice for today’s consumers. Even though it is difficult to decide how precisely the refurbished electronics market will progress in the long run, it will secure a praiseworthy spot in the Indian mobile industry, if not disrupt the current business models. The advancement in technology makes all of it work. E-commerce platforms are pushing deals of their refurbished products by alluring crazy deals. As individuals continue to find ways to tackle economic frailty, exploring wide variety of refurbished electronics, apparel, furniture, home merchandise and vehicles sold for a portion of the market cost is a more appealing choice than giving out cash for new items.

CXO OUTLOOK K12 Digest November January 2021 2022 Sept-Oct 2020

EXPERT OPINION

What Lies Ahead for the Fintech Sector in 2022? Anuj Khanduja, Vice President and Head of Products, Manipal Business Solutions

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

T Anuj Khanduja has over 20 years of experience in Digital Payments & Telecom across multiple product lines. Before joining MBS, he was Head – Product Management (Financial Inclusion) with Nucleus Software. He led product development for various successful B2B and B2C products where he was instrumental in leading product development and deployments from scratch. He has experience of working in multiple geographies like Africa, Middle East and Latin America. Anuj is a B-Tech in Computer Science and MBA from MDI with specialization in IT & Marketing.

he pandemic truly altered the way we live our lives. As we step into this next phase of the recovery, the future is uncertain in many ways. Financial services organizations are functioning in a changing world, the one that is constantly evolving. From banking and investment management to commercial real estate, financial services firms have a no-turning-back opportunity to shape their and the industry’s future. Majorly, services will be driven by the boom in technology and the adoption of digital services since the pandemic. At an adoption rate of 87% in financial inclusion, Indian regulators, industry bodies, banks, and fintech have worked together to establish a finer economy. According to a report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the country’s fintech sector is estimated to be about $150-160 billion by the year 2025. The onset of the pandemic has given a certain push to welcome digital, and API based banking in the country. Bank accounts opened under the Government’s flagship financial inclusion drive Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) reached 43.04 crores. Deposits in Jan Dhan bank accounts stood at more than Rs. 146,231 crores. These schemes have created the required banking infrastructure to enable financial inclusion, but a lot must be done to provide opportunities to access these services. Across sectors, financial organizations could overcome challenges and soar to new heights by prioritizing digital transformation. The Government and regulators have created a conducive environment for enhancing this industry and achieving strategic objectives of financial inclusion i.e., to provide affordable and timely availability of financial services to the masses. The extension of facilities of banking services supported by Business Correspondents (BC) is further enhancing the financial inclusion and equality of opportunities to access financial services within rural masses. These agent networks of BC are easing out the pain points of customers in accessing financial services in rural areas. These agents have built trust relationships with customers through basic banking services using AePS (Aadhaar enabled Payment System) and value-added services etc. A key focus area for FY-22 would be in the expansion of outreach of financial services through the vast existing BC network, to the areas not currently covered by Banks and offer a bouquet of services to

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

customers like hassle-free micro-credit, insurance and payments. The objective should be to bring lowincome groups into formal banking services ambit and protect their income, wealth and other resources. Insurance is the most under-penetrated financial service in India with an insurance penetration of 4% for FY 21 . With the growing awareness of the need for protection especially in post-pandemic period, customers (including rural) have realized the need for insurance services. Such services including general and life insurance will enable them to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances. Companies need to focus on building awareness and coming up with innovative products which would suit the needs of the masses in rural areas e.g., crop insurance etc. BC channels would play a major role in taking these products to the masses through their vast agent network and help achieve the vision of ‘Surakshit Bharat’. Low penetration of lending to retail and MSME segments in rural areas is also an opportunity where banks can offer better user experience and faster turn-around in lending through their BC partners. These networks of agents can also play a major role in generating leads along with servicing borrowers & collections and hence help decongest the branches. These networks enjoy significant operating cost advantages as compared to Bank branches. With the growing demand for financial services owing to the rapid expansion of mobile and internet, there is a need for stringent data privacy and cybersecurity policies. Security aspects would play a key role as with the advent of digital payment there are increasing cases of frauds/hacks and identity thefts being reported. People at the bottom of the pyramid are more prone to hacks as they are inexperienced with digital financial transactions. Recently, RBI introduced new auto-debit rules mandating additional factors of authentication, effective 01, Oct 2021 to improve the safety and security of card transactions. Adequate precautions need to be strengthened to address issues of cybersecurity, data confidentiality, mis-selling, customer protection and grievance redress through appropriate financial education and awareness programs by the private and public sector institutions. Given these trends, going ahead, the sector will truly see monumental growth whilst creating many opportunities for various players to join and play their unique roles.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

Higher Education Digest July 2020

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

EXPERT OPINION

AR, VR will Bring Transformation in Digital Marketing Space in 2022 Rakesh R, Business Head & Director, Deepsense Digital

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

R “It is not about the destination that you reach, it is about how you reach the destination.” This is the life mantra of Mr. Rakesh R, Business Head, and Director, Deepsense. His present scope of work includes managing finances and overlooking operations and business development of his firm. Through his consistent and focused efforts, Mr. Rakesh seeks to leverage his knowledge in the fields of sales and management to lead his company to become a pioneer in the field of digital solutions. His unique skill set includes a noteworthy 5 yearlong experience in sales and a 4-year long experience in the field of management.

ight from traditional marketing methods, such as hoardings, billboards, print ads, fliers to the new-age digital ones, the world of marketing and advertising has evolved immensely over the years. We know that digital marketing is about understanding the needs and demands of consumers so that businesses can offer them a great user experience. However, as the digital landscape continues to undergo a groundbreaking transformation, so does the way firms interact with their customer base. With deep internet penetration and technological advancements at an all-time high, it’s not surprising that digital marketers are making the best use of emerging and immersive techs such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (VR) for their advertising campaigns. According to a report by Statista, the global VR market is advancing and estimated to go beyond $12 billion by 2024 from nearly $5 billion in 2021. When it comes to AR, the number of its users are predicted to grow to 1.73 billion in the next three years. Evidently, these technologies are not just influencing digital marketing, but are changing the landscape forever. Let’s explore how AR, VR will bring transformation in the digital marketing space in 2022. What is Virtual Reality Marketing? In contrast to AR, VR does not club the real and simulated environment. Rather, Virtual Reality engages the consumers into a whole new reality. This should be possible by utilizing visual assistance like 3D glasses, audio tools like headphones or speakers, or a mix of technologies. VR will manipulate multiple sensory inputs often to create a new environment. By and large, VR exercises a 360-degree approach in a computergenerated environment that consumers can interact in and with. As an individual stands up or bows down, their point of view changes as it would in actuality. There are numerous practical applications for VR already in place for organizations to implement and reach their target consumers efficiently and effectively. Simply put, businesses with complex services and products can enable Virtual Reality marketing to break down the various pieces of their product in ways that would make it easy for the end-users to comprehend. Consequently, this will push them to opt for your brand rather than choose their competitors, thereby, directly increasing the ROI.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

What is Augmented Reality Marketing? In simple terms, AR offers digital marketers the power to transform a stagnant entity. For instance, a printed advertisement or magazine cover into a vivid 3D encounter. AR is way different from VR. Virtual Reality works by completely submerging the user in a simulated world, while AR adds to the world the user would normally see and improve it by utilizing computerized overlays. From the marketing perspective, AR allows a brand to directly communicate with its consumers, while at the same time letting them explore its products virtually. For instance, an AR marketing campaign for a furniture brand will allow customers to view products from their displayed catalogue as if they were set up in their own homes. Moreover, the technology has the potential to adjust the size of the products, so they match the dimensions of the customers’ rooms, offering them the option of “try-before-you-buy.”-buy.”

It would be appropriate to say that the latest technologies like AR and VR are the biggest disruptors to hit the marketing industry

How are AR and VR bringing transformation in the digital marketing space? It would be appropriate to say that the latest technologies like AR and VR are the biggest disruptors to hit the marketing industry. Undoubtedly, they are bringing transformation in the digital marketing space. AR and VR digital marketing campaigns help in increasing brand awareness by developing a wow factor. The experience of interacting with a brand via AR/VR is still a novel experience for most of the users, thus, they are effective in raising awareness. Interestingly, one of the biggest advantages they provide is the ability to link digital marketing campaigns to the customers’ physical experience in new and imaginative ways. They bridge the gap between traditional and digital marketing channels. This allows a brand to transform a static physical advert or pamphlet into a digital experience, which can be connected to the digital marketing campaign. The bottom line Organizations can efficiently offer consumers a unique perspective by leveraging the potential of AR and VR. The users can evaluate countless items in minutes to track down the ideal fit, or they can see firsthand the social effect their buys have. In addition, the best part is that these marketing techniques are achievable even for small businesses as well. Now is the time and an ideal opportunity for businesses to embrace VR and AR digital marketing in order to thrive and touch new heights.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

EXPERT OPINION

Plant-based Alternatives to be the Biggest Trend in 2022 Rithwik Ramesh, Co-founder, Alt Co

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

e are living in a “woke” world with people growing more environmentally conscious by the day. The onset of the pandemic has further fuelled this thought of preserving the environment and the planet, acting as a wake up call and making everyone think twice before depreciating the green cover. With a health conscious and environmentally aware population, if there is one buzz that seems to be mushrooming exponentially – it is people opting for plant-based alternatives.

Rithwik Ramesh, the Cofounder of Alt Co., is known to handle the managerial and financial operations of the brand. He also serves as the Head of Strategy and Planning at Rithwik Projects Pvt. Ltd, one of India’s leading infrastructure development and Management Company. He is an economic and finance graduate from Drexel University and has made a rapport in the field with his extensive experience in the field of finance. Rithwik plays a salient role in the strategic usage of the funds and budgeting of the company.

Plant-based, sorry what? Plant-based alternatives are not a sampling or a shrub to enhance the air quality at one’s home but rather a lifestyle that prioritises living life the green way. Helping people in minimising dairy-based products and increasing plantbased meals and munchies, brands are stepping up and introducing alternatives for people to live by. Plant-based alternatives consist of alternate options to dairy milk, egg and meat. For instance: ● Plant-based meat impersonates meaty products such as sausages, chicken, prawns, salmon, scampi, tuna and others to provide a greener alternative including vital wheat gluten or seitan, soy and tofu, pea protein, potato starch, coconut oil, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds and vegetables. ● Furthermore, the dairy choices are substituted by almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, coconut milk and other alternatives. Plant-based superfoods taking the lead Superfoods are the food items that offer a maximal number of nutritional benefits and escalate the nutritive content in one’s diet. Initially, dairy products might have caught people’s attention but with buckwheat, quinoa, millets and other green alternatives making their debut in the market, plantbased substitutes are now taking the lead in the superfood domain as well. Talking facts and numbers The current trends making it big in the country, it is only fair for plant-based alternatives to not only join the list but spearhead it instead. Here are a few stats to reflect how the plant-based trend is making its space while anticipating tremendous growth in the near future. According to the data from Google AdWords also shows that vegan-related searches shot up by 47 per cent in 2020, indicating the interest of consumers shifting to plant-based diets.

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

As per a survey by Good Food Institute (GFI) ● Over 196 new unique investors made investments in the plant-based protein space in 2020, increasing the total unique investors active in the sector 44 percent from 2019 ● The rising consumption demand for plant-based options is driving restaurants and retailers to offer more plant-based selections

80 percent of the customers who have tried plantbased meat plan to replace some or all animal-based meat with plantbased meat in the next year

● 80 percent of the customers who have tried plantbased meat plan to replace some or all animal-based meat with plant-based meat in the next year ● 56 percent of consumers appreciate the health benefits of switching to plant-based proteins and more than 70 percent of consumers view protein from plant sources as

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022

healthy, compared to about 35 percent who view animal protein as healthy. These facts and statistics amongst many others (that reflect how 1 in every 3 people in the UK consume plantbased milk and how plant-based foods in the U.S. are a $7 billion market) further indicate the skyrocketing success of plant-based alternatives across the oceans. Plant-based diets to change the world? As per a study, among animal-based foods, beef is the largest contributor to climate change. It generates 25% of total food emissions, followed by cow milk (8%) and pork (7%). This, in turn, results in more greenhouse emission and thus disrupting the green cover and proving to be an intervention in the process of creating a better today and a safer, healthier tomorrow. United Nations leaders are also stepping forward and requesting people to consume less meat and go crueltyfree with plant-based alternatives. The peace-keeping, world-nurturing organisation recently commented on how making food production more climate-friendly is essential to reduce hunger in a warming world. Discussing UN stepping up to indicate the need for change, here’s how the organisation called out the people across the nations – The UN suggests eating less meat?! Throwing light on the special report on climate change and land by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN came forward as a responsible leader and recommended consuming less meat. It stated plant-based diets as a major opportunity for mitigating and adapting to climate change; further including a policy suggestion to combat the numbers with respect to meat consumption. What next? These measures, impact and stats together signify how plant-based diets are contributing their bit to battle against grave concerns of today while also helping us to integrate a source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in our diets with extensive health benefits. Aiding to curb issues such as weight management, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease and the microbiome, plant-based alternatives have the potential of not only being a hard-hitting trend in 2022 but a permanent part of routines and lives for the days to come. Plant-based alternatives are a sustainable ecological solution that is changing the world one day at a time, without compromising with the flavour palette of the food items.

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CXO OUTLOOK Higher Education Digest November January 2020 2022

CXO OUTLOOK January 2022