Davos 2020: Data regulation won't disrupt tech firms, says Tech Mahindra’s CP Gurnani

Data is valuable and countries and governments have a responsibility to protect it, CEO of Tech Mahindra CP Gurnani said.

Talking to CNBC-TV18's Shereen Bhan in Davos, Gurnani discussed the economic situation in India and his company’s outlook going forward.

“From an IT perspective, the journey towards cloud, the journey towards 5G, the journey towards automation, and data being all-pervasive, I think it has just started,” he pointed out.

Gurnani is disappointed that there are data brokers today who are selling it. "Why not legitimise it? Why not create a market exchange? A government can state that it will not share ‘X’ record or ‘Y’ record.  We need to recognise that data is not only a commodity, but it also has value and let us put it in the hands of the consumer. Data regulation will not become a huge disruption for tech companies, but it can become an irritant,” he noted.

On digital transformation, Gurnani said, “My strategy is very simple – run, change, and grow. Run is running your existing operations, change is changing forward towards digital, and grow is co-investing so that we are ready for the new markets. All the conversations that I have had, in bilateral meetings it is very evident that most organisations recognise the opportunity.”