Illustrations for Mint Business Print Edition
I. Politics – what happens as Ai changes the way we view the ‘State’ and power? (And Can States Learn to Govern Artificial Intelligence—Before It’s Too Late?)
II. Economy and its facets– Infrastructure, roads, railways, transportation, logistics in the new budget 2024.
III. How will the new budget transform corporate banking and financial services? (Here it means, the future is the cloud, rural India is adapting to digital money faster, the idea of ‘savings’ has shifted forms and debts are still a huge concern)
IV. Economy, Energy, Environment
V. Agriculture
VI. Jobs and Education
VII. What the Budget 2024 brings for various Industries, how the structure machinations work and correlate further with the integration of ai (textiles, automobiles, steel, pharmaceuticals, etc)
VII. As telecom giants are competing for the 5g bidding and on a space war for the spectrum, what does it mean for telecommunication in India’s digital divide especially with relying on heavy automation and telecom bill ÷ by the budget?
IX. On Markets, Algorithm & Trading. Stocks have seen unexpected fluctuations and manipulations last fiscal year. Can AI predict the future now and turn the stock market sphere into a crystal ball?
X. AI is set to assist in fraud detection and discrepancies that may be missed by human laid systems. Do you think it’ll work?
XI. What is in store for lakhs of Indians losing their livelihoods to digitised technologies and automations? As we delve into the realities of what labour means, how skill is defined, what can be monetised and whether the deftness of craftsmen will be honed or invisibilised ; the budget is a jigsaw puzzle waiting for pieces to be fit across people and skill development.
XII. Personal Finance – India’s desire to become a superpower has sold an aspirational dream to Indians without addressing inclusion, access, inequity, debts. Our people, the truth keeps circling back to cyclical loans and hunger.
XIII. The Interim Budget 2024–25, with an allocation of ₹ 90,171 crore for health, aims to improve access to healthcare services and infrastructure in India. However, the implementation of these measures require robust processes. Focus on research, education, offloading work away from ground staff and nurses remains critical. Hoping that technology can bridge the gap and assist in making healthcare inclusive, more transparent and less laborious.
XIV. India’s Research & Development spending continues to be lower than other emerging nations.
While the budget largely addresses its defense technology R&D, there are many crucial segments waiting for more clarity. Investment in science and knowledge sectors has been insignificant and deep tech entrepreneurship continues to suffer like academic research.
How do we look far beyond until we look deep inside?
XV. In the corporate sector, Data Management for better customer service is still a top priority. Algorithms and heaps of information is gathered for better product recommendations and the focus this year is on improved efficiencies in deliveries and streamlining work processes.
What are the new ways B2C enterprises are bridging the gap and bringing in the human element ironically through a screen?