Use of analytics in Indian enterprises: an exploratory study

Purpose - In 2007, India accounted for one-third of the total $17-billion global market for analytics. However, the rate of adoption of analytics for decision making and enhancing the customer experience has been slow on the uptake. While the term "analytics" has found universal usage in almost all business platforms, what it refers to and the specific contexts in which it ought to be used is still ambiguous among senior managers in the Indian corporate milieu. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the analytics in the business context across organizations in India. Design/methodology/approach - To uncover the antecedents of these observations, at least in part, the authors conducted a survey among 84 senior managers across domains, company profiles and regions across the country. Findings - It was found that an effective understanding of analytics as a decision-craft tool grows with time and experience for most individuals, and the prevalence of more heuristic-based decision making is still in vogue. Further, only companies of a certain size ( turnover of 500 crore or more) make a concerted effort to maintain and update data necessary for efficacious use of analytics, and place this high on their priorities. Further, many ambiguities regarding the definition and scope of analytics were observed. Research limitations/implications - The sample size was not adequate to perform industry-wise analysis though the overall trends in the use of analytics in the Indian context have been adequately represented by the data. Practical implications - The paper, for the first time, offers insights into the use of analytics in India. It shows that the business world has to go a long way in terms of effective use of analytics. Originality/value - In the Indian context, this is a pioneering effort.