Architecting tomorrow: Industry experts discuss building next-gen intelligent platforms

The digital world generates a staggering amount of data every minute. For large corporations, this data volume balloons by 40-60% annually. But harnessing this data effectively – storing, organising, analysing, and extracting value – is a major challenge. Companies are grappling to make sense of this data deluge, knowing that true value lies in the insights and actions it unlocks.

Against this backdrop, robust and intelligent data platforms have become critical. Recently, Databricks, in collaboration with YourStory, convened a closed-door roundtable conference in Bengaluru with some of the most distinguished voices from leading companies deliberating on the evolving landscape of data architecture. Titled 'Architecting tomorrow: Pioneering the next-gen intelligent data platform', this exclusive discussion, moderated by Madanmohan Rao, Research Director at YourStory, brought to the forefront crucial insights into strategies, challenges, and future directions in harnessing data intelligence for driving business growth and innovation.

Industry leaders share their experiences

Ramesh Kumar Saxena, Head of Data Platforms and Engineering, Pharmeasy: Saxena underscored the pivotal role of data in shaping the future of digital healthcare. He elaborated on Pharmeasy's mission to leverage data analytics and AI to enhance user experience and drive profitable growth.

Mathangi Sri Ramachandran, Chief Data Officer, Yubi: Ramachandran highlighted the significance of a central data platform in the finance industry, emphasising its role in driving financial inclusion and industry transformation.

Narendra Babu, CTO, PayU: Babu shed light on the importance of data insights in empowering merchants and optimising the payment ecosystem, stressing the role of analytics and machine learning in enhancing various functions.

Vishal Singh, Senior Director of Engineering – Data, Slice: Singh outlined key design principles for effective data platforms, emphasising the importance of vertical pillars and horizontal capabilities for scalability and governance.

Alok Tiwari, Sr Director-Analytics, Ola: Tiwari discussed Ola's ambitious project of building electric scooters embedded with IoT devices, emphasising the challenges and use cases in analysing vast amounts of data for product enhancement and operational efficiency.

Abhishek Ranjan, Director of Engineering, Apna: Ranjan shared Apna's journey of leveraging AI to connect job seekers with suitable employment opportunities in India, highlighting personalised job recommendations and improved recruiter efficiency.

Ravi Madhira, EVP Engineering and Merchant Services, Pine Labs: Madhira shared insights into Pine Labs' efforts to revamp their data infrastructure to support product analytics and merchant engagement while ensuring data security and regulatory compliance.

Mallesh Bommanahal, Chief Data Scientist, ACKO Insurance: Bommanahal highlighted the challenges of leveraging language models for customer service in the insurance sector, focusing on the importance of aligning data pipelines with AI requirements.

Raghu Koratagere, VP-Engineering, NoBroker: Koratagere discussed NoBroker's journey of building a robust data lake infrastructure to support real-time analytics and improve customer engagement.

Sumaer Bahl, Head of Digital Native Business, Databricks: Bahl provided a broader perspective on the evolution of data platforms and AI technologies, showcasing Databricks, Data Intelligence Platform and its capabilities in managing complex Data & AI use cases. He discussed Databricks' extension of its platform to support the lifecycle of Generative AI and LLM models and also elaborated on the platform's capabilities in managing data to effectively leverage their full potential.

From healthcare to finance, from ecommerce to transportation, the speakers exemplified diverse applications of data intelligence across industries. While successes were celebrated, challenges were acknowledged, emphasising the ongoing journey towards architecting tomorrow's intelligent data platforms.

As industries continue to embrace digital transformation, the insights shared by these industry leaders serve as a guiding light, paving the way for a future driven by data-driven decision-making and transformative experiences.