Digital data created in country to grow by 50%: study

Digital bits captured or created each year is expected to grow from 127 exabytes to 2.9 zettabytes between 2012-2020

The digital information explosion driven by continued growth of internet usage, social networks, and smart phones among and falling cost of technology, digitization among others will results in a 23-fold growth of India's digital universe between 2012 and 2020.

According to a EMC-sponsored IDC Digital Universe,  the digital bits captured or created each year in India is expected to grow from 127 exabytes to 2.9 zettabytes between 2012 and 2020.

Rajesh Janey, President, EMC India and SAARC said: “India’s digital transformation is happening at a rapid pace exposing gaps in technology investments that exist in enterprises today. These gaps exist in all aspects of digital information management including storing, securing, managing and deriving value through analytics.”

The study also said that total digital data created in India will more than double every two years or grow by 50% every year and Big Data offers a significant opportunity for the country.

“While India’s digital universe is expected to grow by 50% every year through 2020; the number of IT professionals managing it is estimated to grow in single digits only. Although cloud computing is at a nascent stage in India, it is already having an impact on the digital universe,” the study stated.

 The study also reveals that 22% of the digital universe in the country in 2012 is cloud enabled and is estimated to double by 2020 with 42% of digital information to be based on cloud technology. India and China together contribute 17% of the digital universe and by 2020 the contribution from these two countries to the total digital universe is expected to be as high as 29%, it added.