Why I have high hopes from Hyderabad when it comes to data readiness

Data is to the modern world what the Force is to the world of Star Wars.

Sounds rather far-fetched, doesn’t it? Allow me to convince you that this analogy, as fantastic as it might seem at first glance, is quite accurate. Data, after all, is everywhere. We are surrounded and influenced by it at every step of our digital journeys.

The benefits of data-driven paradigms, especially in the context of business and commerce, have been counted and recounted over and over again. As more organizations leverage their access to information to enhance business operations and productivity, data is emerging as the most important enterprise resource.

But the power of data is also overwhelming, on account of its sheer enormity. There exists a dark side to the whole affair with data, most prominently exemplified in the rise of fake news.

The Dark Side of Data

Fake news refers to the practice of data manipulation with the aim of spreading misinformation. It exploits the challenges that non-data literate individuals face in wrapping their heads around the whats and hows of data, as well as verifying its veracity.

To begin with, fake news actors inundate multiple channels of engagement with falsifications, outright lies, and deliberate data manipulations that often agree with their target audiences’ inherent biases. This false information is then amplified when both unsuspecting victims and seeders of misinformation share and reshare them within their peer circles.

India and Fake News

In India, growing digital connectivity has made this issue especially problematic. More and more people are coming online for the first time and are exposed to all kinds of information and services. Without the necessary data literacy tools, they are unable to distinguish facts from the deluge of propaganda and misinformation.

The problem with fake news is that the loop feeds itself. The reiteration of the same fake data from multiple sources tends to reinforce biases and prevents even the most well-meaning of people from critically engaging with the information that is being served to them. As a result, they fall prey to inaccurate decision-making and reshare fake information to influence yet more people.

A 2018 report titled Beyond Fake News, commissioned by the BBC World Service, underscores the gravity of the situation, highlighting the role of social media platforms and messaging services in propagating nationalistic propaganda and fake information. All of this makes it necessary that we direct our focus on enabling data literacy among not just corporate professionals but also the younger generation.

Data literacy training, I believe, should be integrated into the academic curricula of schools and higher education institutions across the country. The recent Qlik Data Literacy Survey highlighted how people between the ages of 15 to 24 years – the ones who were most prominently exposed to information on the digital media – were also amongst the most underprepared to deal with the data-driven world of tomorrow. It is, therefore, only fitting to empower young learners in India with data competencies and skills from an early age, considering that a majority of urban teens and pre-teens across the country are already exposed to data and are actively engaging with it.

Hyderabad: A New Hope

Given the context, it is extremely gladdening to see that educational institutes in Hyderabad are emerging as trailblazers when it comes to enabling their students to become more data-ready. On March 22, I had the privilege of being invited as the Guest of Honour at ‘Aagam 2019’, the annual event of Anurag Group of Institutions (AGI), which became the occasion for the inauguration of the Data Analytics Club.

The mission of the club is to enable career development of students as well as equipping them with the right skills and tools in analytics. To achieve this end, the club will leverage cutting-edge platforms and resources such as the Qlik Academic Program. This program is designed to drive data literacy by providing qualified university professors, students, and researchers with free software and resources to help educate and train the next generation of experts on data and analytics. The objective of the Club is to provide hands-on data education to young learners while hosting insightful events, program simulations, and guest lectures to enhance their learning experience.

At the event, which was attended by over 200 students and professors, I had the pleasure of talking about the need for students to become more data literate in light of the rapid technological advancements. Data analytics, after all, is becoming increasingly indispensable – particularly since advanced technologies such as AI, machine learning, robotics, etc. are converging with traditional processes and witnessing worldwide adoption across all sectors. It is not surprising that data literacy is taking on pre-eminence even as we speak.

Talking about the above-discussed event, 53 students and professors associated with AGI have successfully gained the Qlik Sense Business Analyst Qualification, showing their commitment to both the Academic Program and Qlik. Several more initiatives focused on developing a wider engagement between AGI and Qlik are in the pipeline. I am optimistic that schools and colleges in other Indian states will soon follow in Hyderabad’s footsteps.

The knowledge and proficiency required to work with data are necessary for not just surviving and thriving in the world of the future, but also to make sense of it. Whether you use data to your advantage or let yourself be drawn to the dark side depends on how soon you are able to gain mastery over this immense field. As is the case with all good things, data’s power can only be wielded to good effect by those who have had dedicated training to read, work with, analyse, and argue with it.

In the end, to all the explorers starting out on their data literacy journey: may the Data be with you!