The phrase 'contact-less' has assumed many avatars in a post-COVID world and the pandemic has effectively accelerated India’s march towards a contact-less economy.

This emergent economy is being driven by supply-side factors like the rise and adoption of digital technologies, 5G, cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics. On the demand-side, the need for convenience, along with a heightened awareness for health and safety among consumers are the biggest pull factors.

As India reaches an inflection point where technology redefines operating models, businesses are having to digitise at a pace never seen before. Concepts like tele-medicine, delivery by drone, on-the-go education are now a reality. Many sectors have seen companies traverse the phygital world to service the customer and others like online food delivery, retail, ecommerce and payments are reporting a surge in both digital adoption and usage.

So, as we settle into this contact-less ecosystem, what kind of technological innovations can we expect? What kind of policy support or shift will be needed to enable India’s transformation into a contact-less universe?

To take the discussion forward, CNBC-TV18’s Shereen Bhan spoke to Kunal Bahl, co-founder and CEO of Snapdeal; Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals; and Debjani Ghosh, President of Nasscom.

(Edited by : Bivekananda Biswas)