Relax, Automation ≠ Job Loss
San Jose-based Automation Anywhere, a company that “puts AI to work across organisations,” recently launched its AI Agent Studio platform, enabling rapid automation development for Indian enterprises. This low-code tool allows businesses to create custom AI agents that learn from enterprise data, make informed decisions, and execute actions across systems, accelerating processes by up to 90%. But how well is India positioned to adopt AI and automation, and what about the threat that rallies around them? Contrary to fears, automation does not equate to job losses. Instead, it transforms how tasks are executed and creates opportunities for upskilling. “We’ve observed concerns around automation limiting entry-level roles, which are critical for talent development. To address this, we’ve embedded training capabilities into AI agents,” Ankur Kothari, co-founder and COO of Automation Anywhere, said. “Junior employees who previously spent significant time on manual tasks can now upskill through the platform itself.” This approach ensures that while automation reduces repetitive tasks, it simultaneously prepares the workforce for more advanced roles, fostering long-term growth and adaptability. Advantage: India During Automation Anywhere’s Imagine event’s press meet, speakers highlighted India’s potential as a global leader in automation, evident since Automation Anywhere’s inception. The country presents a unique opportunity in this field, given its history as the hub for outsourced processes. “Consider how China embraced automation in manufacturing. Instead of focusing solely on manual manufacturing, it positioned itself as the global leader in the sector. Today, it contributes nearly half of the world’s manufacturing output,” he said. Kothari highlighted India’s strength across three segments: Indian corporate heavyweights, global capability centres (GCCs), and global partners with significant operations in the country. “With these, India is poised to become the global capital of automation,” he added. India’s automation journey, once tepid, is now accelerating rapidly with advancements in AI-enhanced automation. According to Kothari, GCCs, Indian corporations, and major system integrators have already established governance frameworks, making it easier to adopt new innovations. “From my experience, there’s a lot of positivity around adoption. While governance and security concerns are valid, automation and AI are now top priorities for most C-suite executives. Whether driven by the fear of missing out or the need to stay competitive, leaders are focusing on large-scale transformations,” he noted. Automation Use Cases in India When it comes to automation adoption, the frontrunners are sectors like banking, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail. Financial services stand out for their scale and complexity, while healthcare benefits from automation in areas like compliance and process optimisation. Retail and manufacturing are also advancing, driven by supply chain challenges and the demand for real-time inventory management. In healthcare, automation has significantly improved processes like patient care and authorisation. Gathering patient data, verifying it with insurance providers, and creating a care package used to take 8-10 days, but can now be done in 3-4 hours. “Three agents—one handling patient interaction, one liaising with the provider, and another managing the care system—work simultaneously, processing data and updating systems in real-time. Previously, these steps were time-consuming, involving manual inputs into ERM systems,” Kothari explained. The legal industry, too, is benefiting from AI-driven automation. Global consultancy firm Masin, which specialises in engineering and construction disputes and arbitrations, recently implemented Automation Anywhere’s custom AI agents. Rohit Singhal, Masin’s CEO, shared a case involving a $10 billion airport project dispute. Disagreements between stakeholders and the construction company jeopardised the project, potentially causing delays and financial losses of up to $1 billion. “To address the crisis, Automation Anywhere’s solution was deployed. Thousands of documents were processed through the platform, trained on similar data, enabling stakeholders to identify key information and resolve the dispute in just two weeks, a process that would have taken months,” said Singhal. This resolution not only saved the project but also mended the relationship between stakeholders. Singhal noted this as a testament to the transformative potential of AI-driven automation in industries like construction. What’s Next? AI agents are changing the game across professions. Unlike bots, which focus primarily on automating processes to improve efficiency, agents enable professionals to operate at a much higher level of capability. “With AI and automation, the way work is organised is changing completely. Instead of addressing individual processes sequentially, you can now feed data into a general model, apply contextualised formulations, fine-tune prompts, and essentially create a specialised “brain” for specific functions. This can then be connected to automation workflows, enabling AI agents to orchestrate work more efficiently,” Rushabh Parmani, co-founder of Automation Anywhere, said. He explained that when ChatGPT emerged, it was often described as enabling anyone to become a “10x engineer.” By bridging experience gaps, even a less experienced professional can perform at a level closer to that of a seasoned expert. In customer service or support roles, for instance, an AI agent can provide instant product knowledge, levelling the playing field for less experienced agents. What distinguishes great professionals in this context is not their knowledge because the AI provides that, but their empathy and ability to understand the customer’s needs better. With AI agents, professionals across fields can amplify their impact exponentially, benefiting organisations and individuals alike.
India’s automation journey, once tepid, is now accelerating rapidly with advancements in AI-enhanced automation.
At Nutanix’s press meet, speakers highlighted India’s potential as a global leader in automation, evident since Automation Anywhere’s inception.
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Vidyashree is enthusiastic about investigative journalism. Now trying to explore how AI solves for all.