Cloud computing: Empowering small businesses in India by securing and storing data

Until about a decade ago, the biggest challenge for small businesses was the humungous costs associated with acquiring the technology. Large enterprises with deep pockets were more than a match for bootstrapped enterprises that simply could not invest in CAPEX. Cloud computing, however, challenged this status quo.

Small businesses with limited infrastructure and manpower have turned to on-demand pay-per-use cloud solutions. They are using cloud to either augment their business capabilities using SaaS or just using cloud for storage. Either way, cloud has become indispensable for MSMEs.

MSMEs embraced cloud computing, and accessed scalable, secure, and enterprise-grade technology to extend their capabilities putting them in the league of large enterprises. 

An ecosystem for building stronger MSMEs

In India, the digital shift during the pandemic greatly expanded the number of MSMEs which currently stands at about 90 lakh units. (IBEF). Digital tools in the form of services and platforms are helping MSMEs embrace disruption, fostering healthy competition, and leading to better results and overall economic growth.

Pay-as-you-go cloud computing, on-demand services and exemption from upfront commitment are helping small businesses move from CAPEX to OPEX costs. And government policies are creating the perfect ecosystem for their adoption. In India, the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises introduced the ‘Digital MSME’ scheme to disburse a subsidy of up to Rs 1 lakh for micro and small enterprises to encourage them to use cloud computing for information and communications technology applications. 

Cloud technologies help MSMEs use cutting edge applications and infrastructure economically, while cutting down on CAPEX infrastructure or heavy reliance on IT specialists. 

When using cloud as SaaS, MSMEs are benefitted with best-in-class software coupled with standardized business processes. Cloud eliminates overheads on data backups and data privacy and helps MSMEs avoid costs incurred on infrastructure. It powers automatic updates, assures application availability, and helps small business with much-needed business continuity and resilience.

When using cloud as storage, MSMEs are benefitted with:

• Near-infinite storage: MSMEs could either used cloud-based storage as file sharing platform for enhanced collaboration among workers (who could even be remote), or to store backups of business data or documents.
• Greater flexibility and reliability: Businesses benefit from paying for just the capacity used, and not over-provision for future needs. Cloud storage offers phenomenal durability (They usually offer Eleven 9s Durability – could roughly mean that even with one billion objects stored in cloud, you would likely go a hundred years without losing a single one). Plus, the data is usually replicated to multiple data centers, further improving the availability – even in case of a local disaster.
• Data Security: Even though the data is stored in public cloud, one can easily configure to prevent unauthorised access, or offer least privileges even at a file level, thereby reducing or nearly eliminating chances of data tampering. 
• Data Encryption: Encrypting the data stored in cloud is another easy-to-use option to further safeguard data, even if it were to fall into the hands of wrong people. Further, all data transfers over internet always go via secure encrypted channels.
• Data safety: MSMEs can benefit from the highest security certifications and practices of the cloud providers and can shift their focus from data safety to other value-added tasks. 
• Inexpensive: On one hand, you pay only for the capacity used, and even that could be very minimal cost (per GB, per month). MSMEs can further choose from a range of cloud storage tiers depending on their use cases. Depending on frequency of usage, or how critical the files are, companies could choose between a range of hot, warm, and cold storage options – including support for multi-year archival options at very low cost.

Riding the tailwinds with cloud

Indian MSMEs, bolstered by the Digital India program, were well placed to make the most of the pandemic-induced transformation. Access to smartphones, ubiquitous, fast, and reliable broadband, and maturity in digital payments accelerated the rate at which MSMEs embraced digital. These enterprises are at a sweet spot when it comes to scalability with a business cloud. 

And they can choose from a range of cloud providers. Hyperscale’s like AWS, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Azure are recognizing these trends and building platforms and services that are making it easy for small businesses to implement cloud in their IT strategies, even without strong technical know-how. Creating a new cloud account, connecting with a cloud via the internet, and using a SaaS application, or storing files in cloud storage, can all be done in less than a day! 

Cloud-first strategy accelerating growth

According to IDC, the Indian Public Cloud Services (PCS) market is likely to reach $13.5 Billion by 2026. Cloud is a force multiplier helping MSMEs keep up with innovation demands. Digital transformation has unleashed unprecedented amounts of data across sectors, driving the need for better computing capabilities. 

While on one hand, enterprises are recalibrating their business strategies with digital at the core, on the other, cloud providers are building solutions specifically suited for the complexities and aspirations of this region by building their data centers in India.

MSMEs not just from big cities, but even Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities have begun their cloud adoption journey and are taking on the large enterprises with renewed strength. With support from both the government and cloud service providers and assisted by top-notch tech talent, Indian businesses are well-positioned for hyper-accelerated growth.

The article has been written by Krishna Kishore, Cloud Evangelist, Bahwan CyberTek