COVID-19 Boosted the Era Of Digital Tech: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Digital technology has become a lot more enveloping beyond industries during the pandemic, he said

By Prabhjeet Bhatla

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Twitter/Satya Nadella

Seattle-based Microsoft's chief executive officer Satya Nadella said the pace of adoption of digital technology has grown considerably amid the pandemic and has at present become the nucleus to both resilience and business stability efforts of enterprises.

Digital technology is also transporting to the next level of productivity gains and driving efficiencies crosswise industries, Nadella said while speaking at a TiEcon Delhi-NCR event.

"It's not about the tech industry in its narrow sense, its digital tech becoming much more pervasive across all industries and entrepreneurial activity getting that amplification because of software and digital tech," stated Nadella while talking to Flipkart group chief executive officer Kalyan Krishnamurthy.

He cited industries such as retail, healthcare, and manufacturing that have leveraged digital technology to reach customers amid the pandemic that enforced people to uphold social distancing.

"Digital technology is becoming core to both how we think about resilience and business continuity as well as bringing about that next level productivity change and gain efficiencies across the industry," Nadella said referring to industries such as healthcare, retail, and e-commerce.

Krishnamurthy foregrounded how the lockdown from early 2020 thronged momentous changes in consumer behavior, which in turn, altered the route of many establishments.

Krishnamurthy pointed out that the Walmart-owned company focused on accelerating innovation to meet the increasing needs of consumers through multilingual interfaces, digital payments, voice-enabled search, and other solutions.

"It's a very exciting time to see the level of ambition of the entrepreneurs and startups and the transformation they are bringing about in the broader economy and society at scale. Our mission is to be the platform provider, the tool provider. We have the most differentiated, the broadest platform from business applications to cloud and edge infrastructure. We are seeing that broadly getting used to transforming society," he explained.

"E-commerce helped keep consumption, manufacturing, and distribution alive by preventing the economy from shutting down completely and all of this was possible only through technology," he concluded.

Prabhjeet Bhatla

Former Staff

News and Trends

Indian Automotive Sector Records Six-Fold Uptick in PE Deals in Q1: Report

The growth was primarily driven by a USD 1 billion investment in Erisha E mobility by an undisclosed investor based in of UAE and made up for 89 per cent of the total PE activity for the first quarter of 2025.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

News and Trends

Kolkata-Based Lab-Grown Diamond Brand Jewelbox Secures USD 3.2 Mn

The startup will primarily use the funds to expand its retail footprint, growing from eight stores to 30 locations by the end of this year.

Leadership

How Successful Leaders Get More Done in Less Time

The most successful leaders don't work longer; they manage their time with intention. Here's how to master time-blocking, prioritization and delegation to get more done in less time.

Side Hustle

This Couple Started a Side Hustle to Improve a 'Terribly Made' Bathroom Essential. Now the Business Earns More Than $3 Million a Year.

Michael Fine and Lisa Schulner-Fine launched lifestyle brand Quiet Town in 2016 and have been growing it ever since.

Science & Technology

The Deepfake Threat is Real. Here Are 3 Ways to Protect Your Business

The rising use of deepfakes is a growing threat to businesses and society as technology advances. Here are three tips for companies to combat this threat.