Welcome to the AI Era, Where the Future Is Already Underway

There was a time when Artificial Intelligence (AI) felt like science fiction—smart assistants, predictive diagnostics, and self-healing machines belonged on screen, not in boardrooms or city streets. But that boundary is fading fast.

In a wide-ranging conversation with Krishna Tripathi, General Manager and Business Unit Head of the Artificial Intelligence Platform at NEC Corporation India, we unpacked how generative AI has gone from experimental sandbox to real-world transformer—redefining industries, rebuilding customer experiences, and reimagining the architecture of cities.

This isn’t just about fancy algorithms anymore. It’s about AI stepping out from behind the curtain and reshaping daily life—quietly, powerfully, and everywhere.

Generative AI Grows Up: From Pilots to Production Lines

One of the biggest shifts Krishna observes is how generative AI has matured from buzz to backbone. It’s no longer just powering prototypes—it’s actively integrated into business cores.

“Generative AI has rapidly progressed from being merely experimental to enabling full-blown enterprise-scale applications,” Krishna shares.

Across industries, AI is automating workflows, accelerating decision-making, and delivering actionable insights at scale. That’s enabled, in part, by parallel investments in cloud infrastructure and high-performance computing—not to mention a huge push in upskilling talent to make AI usable and sustainable.

But let’s talk impact.

• Retail is getting personal. AI is curating customized shopping journeys, tightening logistics, and is expected to boost retail efficiency by 59% by 2035.

• Healthcare is going early. AI aids in early diagnosis and remote monitoring, with projections that 90% of hospitals will use AI tech by 2025.

• Finance is getting faster. AI-driven fraud detection systems now cut detection times by up to 90% compared to traditional methods.

The takeaway? AI is no longer a “nice-to-have.” It’s becoming a mission-critical asset for businesses that want to stay ahead.

Productivity Redefined: What AI Is Doing Behind the Scenes

Krishna breaks it down: generative AI isn’t just about flashy chatbots. It’s about quietly lifting the productivity ceiling in industries where every second—and every decision—matters.

In Healthcare

• AI platforms are powering predictive modeling to improve diagnostic accuracy.

• Think: early disease detection from imaging and smarter patient care pathways.

• Plus, it's trimming the fat—automating administrative workflows to clear the bottlenecks that have long clogged up healthcare systems.

In Banking & Insurance

• NEC has deployed tools like the Identity Fraud Solution and Retail Bank Fraud Solution using facial recognition, OCR, AI, and ML.

• These aren't just futuristic features—they're operational necessities now, helping banks catch fraud, protect data, and stay compliant.

• In insurance? AI helps predict claim values and detect anomalies, giving companies a major edge in reducing losses and speeding up claim settlements.

And it doesn’t stop there. NEC has even helped digitize India's pension system through PFRDA-TRACE, showing how AI can handle sensitive financial ecosystems with care, scale, and precision.

In Manufacturing

• AI tools analyze real-time machine data to predict failures before they happen.

• The result? Less downtime, fewer defects, better throughput.

• And with tools like Cotomi Pro and Cotomi Light, companies can deploy high-speed, AI-enabled infrastructure across complex environments—no friction, just results.

Chatbots, Meet Humanity: Rethinking Customer Service with AI

We've all had that annoying conversation with a chatbot that doesn’t get us. But AI's getting smarter—and more emotionally intelligent.

“Chatbots now provide 24/7 support, handle volumes, and deliver tailored responses—but emotional intelligence remains a challenge,” Krishna cautions.

That’s where NEC’s Generative AI Service comes in. It’s designed to blend AI’s efficiency with human-centric design—automating inquiries, delivering personalized suggestions, and supporting users across industries like healthcare, finance, and retail.

But Krishna is clear: AI adoption also means ethical responsibility.

• Data privacy isn't optional—it’s foundational.

• Integration with legacy systems remains a real hurdle.

• Maintaining trust in digital interactions requires careful, deliberate architecture.

With the right checks in place, AI isn’t just a chatbot behind a screen—it becomes the bridge between automation and empathy.

Designing Smarter Cities: AI at the Infrastructure Level

Here’s where things get big—like city-scale big.

At NEC, AI isn’t just supporting businesses—it’s becoming the digital nervous system for entire urban ecosystems.

“Our ICCCs in cities like Meerut, Saharanpur, and Thiruvananthapuram use AI to optimize traffic, monitor safety, and enhance civic operations,” Krishna explains.

Some of NEC’s most striking deployments:

• Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and Red Light Violation Detection (RLVD) to curb violations and improve enforcement.

• Smart Parking systems that help solve the everyday chaos of urban commuting.

• Solid Waste Management platforms that bring real-time tracking and efficiency to one of city governance’s trickiest challenges.

But this isn’t just about control—it’s about designing resilient systems that adapt in real time.

Take DigiYatra, NEC’s biometric boarding system in India. With touchless facial recognition, it makes airport travel seamless and secure.

NEC’s vision of smart cities isn’t just high-tech. It’s deeply human, built to respond to actual urban pain points—from commute jams to public safety—with precision and scale.

From Command Centers to Cloud: AI in Public Infrastructure

One word Krishna repeats a lot: integration.

AI’s power lies in how it connects—systems, sensors, cities, and citizens.

• The NEC Mi-Command platform integrates data and analytics to manage essential city services—traffic, utilities, waste, emergency response—all from a single window.

• In cities like Gurugram, Surat, and Hubballi Dharwad, these systems are already live and changing how municipalities operate.

Then there’s transportation.

Through projects like UPSRTC, NEC is transforming public bus systems by deploying:

• Vehicle Location Tracking

• Emergency safety (panic) buttons

• Cloud-based software for real-time monitoring

The result? Safer rides, smarter planning, and smoother operations—especially critical for a country where public transport is the lifeline of millions.

And this isn’t a one-size-fits-all model. Krishna emphasizes a “from India, for the world” approach, showing how NEC’s tech is globally scalable while solving for local complexity.

Responsible AI, Built for Impact

The conversation ends not with hype, but with humility and purpose.

“NEC is committed to driving responsible innovation by creating secure, human-centric solutions,” Krishna says.

It’s clear that for NEC, AI isn’t just a technology—it’s a responsibility. One that requires empathy, ethics, and ecosystem-wide thinking.

In a world where digital transformation often races ahead of regulation, NEC is pushing for balance—where speed meets security, and scale meets sensitivity.

The Takeaways You Shouldn’t Miss

Generative AI has moved from lab to enterprise core—shaping everything from healthcare to highways. NEC’s AI solutions are creating smarter cities, safer transit, and more personalized services. Responsible AI is not just about what tech can do, but how well it does it for real people.So yeah, AI’s future isn’t coming. It’s already here. And thanks to leaders like Krishna Tripathi and companies like NEC, it’s shaping up to be a lot more intelligent—and a lot more human.

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