Bihar is now a potential hub of Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT, which needs sensors, refers to the network of physical objects that can be accessed through the Internet. Sensors detect and capture changes in motion, temperature, light, etc., and they are necessary to turn billions of objects into data-generating ‘things’ that can receive and send information.

IoT is here to revolutionise lives, CII-PwC report predicts.

We can assume that the share of the eastern Indian states (Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal) in the country’s IoT revenue will be approximately 5%. This will mean potential revenue in the range of $750-900 million to be tapped from the region.

Strategic geographic location, the Union Government’s Act East Policy, and most importantly, Sankalp released in June last year by the Department of IT in Bihar, make the state a potential hub of Internet of Things (IoT) activities.

Sankalp has set a clear-cut agenda for e-governance and the overall development of the ICT sector. Adding that a strong ICT policy will provide proper support and direction for IoT start-ups, which will in turn provide a great fillip to the industry.

From shoes to watches, refrigerators, televisions, cars, washing machines, parking spaces, houses, to an entire city — everything is being drawn into the digital fold by IoT. Adding that with the sky being the limit for IoT it can help consumers achieve goals by greatly improving their decision-making capacity via the augmented intelligence of IoT. For businesses, IoT helps companies achieve enhanced process optimisation and efficiencies by collecting and reporting on data collected from the business environment. More and more businesses are adding sensors to people, places, processes and products to gather and analyze information and make better decisions and increase transparency.

Every industry will see their productivity, market intelligence and reporting processes shaped by IoT. But some sectors are already gaining a distinct advantage in this truly connected working environment.

They are Home and Buildings for smart homes, building alarms, security, fire intrusion, solar energy; Education for M-education, attendance tracking; Security for alarm system monitoring, video surveillance, facility management; Manufacturing for customised solutions in asset management, smart sensors, data collection; Utilities for smart meters-energy and fuel consumption for home, smart grid; Agriculture for water resources management and weather information; Transportation for fleet management services, cargo management, GPS asset tracking, fuel consumption, etc.; Consumer Electronics for remote monitor and control interoperability between devices, TVs, e-readers; Retail for ATM machines, cash replacement, paper availability, card payment, account balances, and Healthcare for remote patient monitoring with smartphone, smart body sensors, etc

While these regions were traditionally regarded as rich in terms of skilled resources and fostered academia through seminal educational institutions, they have been given a further boost through steps that are being taken by the respective governments for their digitization.

Further, these states are willing to welcome investors with open arms and are in the process of building the right kind of framework and support structure for nurturing the growth of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

Citing a report by Gartner, a technology research firm, which has identified IoT as one of India’s top technology trends in recent times, the CII-PwC report predicts that the outlook for acceptance of IoT continues to look optimistic.

The Gartner report also said 4.9 billion connected objects will be in use in 2015 (a 30% jump from 2014). This figure is estimated to reach 25 billion by 2020, which means that there will be twice as many IoT devices talking to each other as there will be smartphones, tablets and PCs.

This presents a huge opportunity for the (eastern) states to leverage IoT to its fullest potential. Gartner estimates that, globally, the total revenue generated by the IoT industry will be $300 billion, while connected devices will be worth $27 billion by 2020.

The Central government has allocated Rs 7,060 crore for the smart cities project. This, according to DeitY, will lead to massive and quick expansion of IoT in the country.  As part of the Digital India initiative, the Government has announced the launch of the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for IoT in Bengaluru. This CoE will be run on a public-private partnership (PPP) model, with seed funds from the Government.