Western Digital’s India Innovation Bazaar 2019 Fosters a Culture of Data Transformation and Innovation

Western Digital hosted the third edition of India Innovation Bazaar, a unique forum for employees to present ideas in the areas of research and engineering excellence. The platform paves the way for employees to curate ideas that enable themselves and Western Digital to unbox innovation and accelerate digital transformation.

The two-day event saw patent worthy-ideas, tech talks from industry veterans and engaging discussions. This year’s edition received more than double the entries of last year, standing at 585 abstracts across 39 different categories. Over 100 internal reviewers assessed the abstracts to select 160 to present at the Innovation Bazaar 2019. The shortlisted abstract went through a rigorous test categorized under four crucial parameters - clarity, usability and functionality, novelty, and business impact.

Supria Dhanda, Vice President & Country Manager at Western Digital India said, “The industry is transforming at a relentless pace and we need to empower our employees to raise the bar with new ideas and innovation. India Innovation Bazaar is an exclusive platform for our highly talented and capable engineers to showcase breakthrough inventions. We feel the spirit of camaraderie and passion to make a difference is unmatched.” She added, “In India, data has the potential to solve a variety of challenges, and through this initiative, we are fueling the next wave of data innovation.”

This year’s edition also saw papers from non-engineering categories as well, including documentation and process and methodology. Innovative ideas were presented at the event across categories like Big Data, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Memory/ Flash Models and Storage File Systems.

Anand Venkitachalam, Vice President for Silicon Technology & Manufacturing (STM) at Western Digital India commented, “I am delighted to see this flagship event grow in leaps and bounds from the previous years. This is a great initiative to encourage our engineers to take out time from their regular corporate routine to showcase this level of innovation. In today’s day and age, it is very important to encourage the spirit of innovation and provide a platform for disruptive ideas to flourish.”

The event also saw keynotes from industry leaders who touched upon the startup ecosystem, India’s technology landscape and its innovation journey. Venkatesh Kumaran (Venki), President and Partner at AXLerateNOW, Co-Chair of IOTNEXT hosted by IESA - India Electronic & Semiconductor Association and TiE Bangalore Board Member, emphasized how the Indian startup ecosystem is a key innovation driver and plays a pivotal role in providing solutions to contemporary challenges.

Mohan Kumar R, Country Head of Wearable Technologies AG highlighted the fast-growing wearable segment and the role of Big Data, Fast Data and Edge Computing in its transformation. The sessions ended on a lively note with Matt Crowley, Vice President, Design Systems, Silicon Technology & Manufacturing at Western Digital, speaking on entrepreneurship and managing innovation in the context of deep technology.