In this exclusive interview with Prasad Tripurari, Chief Technology Officer, Ramoji Group of Companies, a diverse conglomerate operating across media, entertainment, hospitality, and more, we delve into how the organisation aligns its technology strategy across varied sectors, from custom-developed solutions to AI-driven initiatives that enhance operational efficiency and customer experience. We also explore the group’s approach to data management, the integration of emerging technologies like generative AI, and the leadership qualities essential for navigating the rapidly evolving digital landscape. With a focus on innovation and continuous improvement, this interview highlights how the Ramoji Group is positioning itself for the future of IT, ensuring seamless operations and a competitive edge in a fast-changing world.
The Ramoji Group operates in multiple sectors, including media, entertainment, hospitality, and more. How do you ensure that technology is aligned across such a broad portfolio of businesses?
We have established cross-functional teams within each business unit to ensure that technology initiatives are tailored to meet the unique needs of every sector. By fostering knowledge sharing across these teams, we continuously enhance and upgrade our technological capabilities.
Our infrastructure strategy is designed to support the specific requirements of each unit:
- On-premise solutions: Intra-group applications, which do not require external exposure, are hosted in on-premise data centres, ensuring security and control.
- Hybrid infrastructure: Public-facing applications are deployed in a hybrid system, combining both on-premise and cloud solutions. This approach allows us to optimise costs while maintaining flexibility and scalability.
The majority of our servers are Linux-based, ensuring performance, security, and cost-efficiency across our operations. Most of our applications are custom-developed, designed as modular systems for ease of integration and maintenance. Each module is interconnected through APIs, facilitating seamless updates and ensuring scalability as business requirements evolve. In line with our commitment to continuous improvement, we are actively implementing automation and AI-driven solutions to streamline operations, enhance productivity, and drive efficiencies across diverse functions within the organisation.
With data being a key asset, how do you ensure the proper collection, management, and analysis of data across different business units?
We adhere strictly to data regulations in all aspects of data collection, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards. To facilitate seamless and secure data exchange across business units, we employ robust APIs and middleware solutions.
Key measures implemented to uphold data integrity and security include:
- Automated data validation: At the point of entry, automated validation rules are in place to prevent errors and inconsistencies, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the data across systems.
- Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC): Sensitive information is safeguarded through the implementation of role-based access controls, ensuring data access is restricted to authorised personnel only.
- Automated backups and disaster recovery: We have established automated backup systems and a comprehensive disaster recovery plan to maintain data availability and business continuity during any disruptions.
- Regular system reviews: To handle the increasing volume of data and meet evolving business needs, we periodically review and upgrade our systems, ensuring they remain scalable, secure, and efficient.
Can you provide examples of AI-driven initiatives that have significantly improved operational efficiency or customer experiences at Ramoji Group?
We have successfully implemented AI-driven initiatives to elevate customer experience and streamline operations:
- Customer support chatbots: We plan to deploy AI-powered chatbots to provide swift, uninterrupted 24/7 customer service. These intelligent chatbots will resolve customer queries instantly, elevating satisfaction and fostering trust through seamless and reliable support.
- AI-based ad placement tool: Our AI-driven ad placement tool dynamically optimises advertisements on our website by analysing factors such as geographic location, platform type, and keyword relevance. This ensures precise and eƯicient ad delivery to the target audience. We are actively working on enhancements to further expand its capabilities and extend its reach.
- Real-time user analytics: We have integrated AI for real-time analysis of website visitors. This capability provides actionable insights into user behaviour, enabling us to tailor experiences and improve engagement.
- Automated Learning Management System (LMS): For the Ramoji Academy of Movies, we have developed a fully automated LMS. This system allows registered members to seamlessly access learning materials, take exams, and view evaluation results without requiring team interaction. Even subjective answers are scored automatically using Gen-AI models, ensuring a comprehensive and efficient learning experience.
- Coding skills enhancement: Our developers are increasingly adopting advanced AI tools to streamline coding processes and enhance code quality. These tools enable the optimisation and restructuring of code, improving performance, readability, and maintainability while ensuring the integrity of its functionality.
As AI continues to evolve, how do you plan to incorporate emerging AI technologies like generative AI, quantum computing, or AI for real-time data processing into your business strategies?
We have successfully automated several processes using AI, marking a significant step toward enhancing operational efficiency. Building on this progress, we have ambitious plans to further integrate AI and generative AI (Gen AI) into our workflows to improve performance and accelerate process execution.
A notable achievement includes implementing a GenAI feature in one of our projects, enabling the automatic evaluation of subjective answers and assigning accurate scores—a transformative solution for time-intensive tasks.
To build on our momentum, we have identified key use cases specifically tailored to our industry’s unique requirements. To address these challenges effectively, we are focused on training our AI models with relevant data and developing applications designed to tackle critical business problems.
This approach ensures that our efforts not only foster innovation but also deliver measurable, tangible outcomes aligned with our strategic objectives. By leveraging AI in this targeted manner, we aim to drive efficiency, enhance decision-making, and maintain a competitive edge in our industry.
Integrating technology across various industries and business units can be complex. What challenges have you faced in aligning different technological ecosystems within the Ramoji Group, and how have you overcome them?
Integrating multiple systems and applications can undoubtedly be challenging. However, advancements in API development have significantly simplified this process, enabling seamless communication between various platforms.
While most modern systems readily support API integration, a few older legacy applications present unique challenges due to their lack of API compatibility. To address this, we have undertaken a systematic approach to upgrading these legacy systems, enabling them to integrate effectively with APIs.
To date, we have successfully integrated the majority of our systems using API technology, enhancing interoperability and streamlining operations. Our ongoing efforts focus on modernising the remaining legacy systems to ensure a fully interconnected ecosystem that supports our organisational goals and drives efficiency.
What leadership qualities do you consider are essential for CTOs in today’s fast-paced digital environment?
In today’s rapidly evolving digital environment, CTOs must demonstrate a blend of technical expertise, strategic foresight, and a commitment to continuous learning. Staying abreast of the latest technological advancements is crucial, but equally important is the ability to apply visionary thinking and adaptability to evaluate where and how technology can truly add value.
The role demands a pragmatic approach: Technology should be implemented only when it is essential to enhance applications and drive measurable outcomes. Adopting every new release without clear usage or steady benefits risks diluting focus and resources. Instead, CTOs should prioritise technologies that align with organisational goals and deliver sustainable impact.
What does the future of IT look like in your group companies, and what technologies or IT innovations are you most excited about in the coming years?
We are committed to implementing the latest technologies tailored to the evolving needs of our business. Our approach focuses on achieving comprehensive end-to-end automation across processes, ensuring seamless efficiency and enhanced operational performance.
To achieve this, we are prioritising the development of interconnected applications and modules that communicate effectively through advanced API technologies. This interconnected framework will provide a robust foundation for integrating various components of our systems, enabling real-time data exchange and streamlined workflows.
Furthermore, we aim to incorporate cutting-edge AI models and intelligent agents to enhance decision-making and expedite processes. These AI-driven solutions will empower our teams by automating repetitive tasks, delivering actionable insights, and improving overall productivity.
Our ultimate goal is to build a technology ecosystem that is agile, scalable, and future-ready, aligning with our mission to innovate and drive success across all aspects of our operations.