As I reflect on the past year, one thing is clear: 2024 was a year of bold moves and transformative progress that emphasized the growing importance of collaboration, innovation, and sustainability. It wasn’t just about chasing the latest tech trends—it was about redefining how businesses innovate, operate, and collaborate in a fast-paced, intelligent, and sustainable world. For me, true transformation happens when technological innovation begins delivering results at scale. In 2025, we are set to witness some significant breakthroughs.
As we step into 2025, it feels like the momentum is continuing to grow. These advancements are set to mature, becoming critical drivers of competitive advantage. Organizations must focus on key areas that go beyond buzzwords and deliver tangible impact. Here's my perspective on the four trends that are not just shaping the future but defining the playbook for success in this new chapter.
- A Hyper-Connected World with Intelligent Products and Platforms
We are entering a phase where connectivity is no longer a feature; it is the core of how products and platforms work. It’s about building intelligent, autonomous, and self-monitoring systems that don’t just operate but learn, adapt, and interact seamlessly within broader ecosystems. What started as a growing trend in recent years is now evolving into its next, more sophisticated phase.
In my experience, smaller companies have been leading the charge in this space—wearable device manufacturers, for instance, have already embraced connected ecosystems. But now, larger players in consumer goods and industrial equipment are catching up. These companies are embedding advanced AI into their products, using cloud platforms to deliver real-time insights through mobile and Web applications. The result? Smarter products that not only provide instant feedback but also self-diagnose issues and predict failures before they happen, driving greater efficiency and minimizing downtime.
Take Ingersoll Rand, for example—they’ve transformed industrial compressed air systems with their Helix Connected Platform, a cloud-based solution that integrates advanced analytics, real-time monitoring, and predictive maintenance. This platform goes beyond basic connectivity by enabling self-monitoring and learning systems that ensure reliability, prevent downtime, and extend equipment life. By providing actionable insights through mobile and Web applications, Helix self-diagnoses issues and predicts failures before they occur. Much like Tesla in the automotive space, Ingersoll Rand combines intelligent design with cloud-based solutions to enhance efficiency, extend equipment life, and deliver a seamless user experience—setting a new standard for intelligent, connected industrial systems.
As we head further into 2025, it’s clear that more companies are working toward a common goal and actively shaping the future of their industries
- Energy Transition and Sustainability
Sustainability is no longer just a choice—it’s a necessity and a core driver of innovation and long-term success. Over the past year, there’s been a clear shift in how businesses approach energy and resources. They’re no longer just focused on meeting environmental benchmarks—they’re rethinking the way energy is sourced, stored, and consumed. Technologies like hydrogen fuel cells, biofuels, and advanced energy storage are emerging as practical, game-changing alternatives to traditional energy sources.
This change isn’t happening in isolation. Governments are playing a pivotal role in pushing the transition forward. Take India, for example—the country’s upcoming policy will require automakers to use at least 10% recycled steel from older vehicles starting in 2025-26, with targets gradually increasing to 20% and 30%. This policy, part of a more significant push toward a circular economy, is driving automakers to set-up or partner with Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs) to streamline recycling processes, reduce emissions, and promote sustainable manufacturing.
At the same time, businesses are taking the initiative to tackle these challenges head-on by adopting smarter, more sustainable practices. They’re reusing materials, refurbishing components, and leveraging AI to cut down on energy use and waste. General Motors, for example, is pioneering hydrogen fuel cells for long-haul trucks, partnering with Komatsu to develop hydrogen-powered mining trucks, and collaborating with Autocar Industries to create zero-emission vehicles like cement mixers and dump trucks powered by their HYDROTEC fuel cells.
Similarly, at Cyient, we developed a Plant Advisor solution to provide real-time insights, helping industries continuously improve sustainability parameters in complex plant environments. Scaling these solutions will be key to building a future that not only supports industries but also protects the planet.
Cyient's Plant Advisor Solution for live recommendations and improvements - Agentic AI: The Next Level of Automation
In just a few years, AI has gone from an exciting innovation to becoming central to businesses operations. Looking ahead to 2025, what excites me most is the rise of agentic AI—a significant shift where AI doesn’t just complete tasks but works alongside us, learning and improving as it goes.
This shift is changing the game. Early tools like GitHub Copilot reimagined coding by automating much of the development process, achieving 65-70% accuracy but still needing human refinement. Now, agentic AI is taking things further. It’s not just about writing code—it’s about creating a continuous improvement cycle. AI generates the code, automated tools review and refine it, and testing ensures it keeps getting better, reaching over 99% accuracy with minimal human input.
By handling repetitive tasks and enabling smarter, self-improving systems, agentic AI allows teams to focus on what truly matters: creativity, strategy, and solving complex problems. It’s a step toward a future where technology doesn’t just support us—it actively works with us.
Key Drivers include:
- Small Language Models (SLMs): Over the past decade, SLMs have become more popular than Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT in many real-world applications. They are designed for specific tasks, making them faster, more affordable, and easier to deploy, making them perfect for focused applications. This efficiency leads to lower costs and better results.
- RPA 2.0: RPA has evolved from simply automating workflows to becoming more dynamic and intelligent. RPA 2.0 allows systems to adapt, make decisions, and improve processes in real-time, fundamentally redefining how organizations streamline their operations.
How Cyient Implemented Agentic AI
At Cyient, we’re bringing agentic AI into the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and Product Development Life Cycle (PDLC). From automating design and analysis to streamlining manufacturing and quality control, agentic AI enables real-time feedback and dynamic traceability across workflows. Software vendors like Altair and Siemens are already updating their products to keep pace with modern workflows. By integrating digital thread concepts with AI, we’ve created systems where corrections and updates occur dynamically, reducing human involvement to a minimum—often just the final 0.1% of the process.
Cyient’s AI-driven SDLC automation: real-time feedback and updates to code development, testing, code review, improved efficiency
For me, agentic AI represents a future where technology does not just work for us but works with us, taking on complex challenges and driving outcomes that were previously out of reach. The potential here is not just about improving efficiency—it's about enabling entirely new possibilities.
- Evolution of Quantum Technology
The conversation around quantum computing has shifted—it’s no longer a distant dream, but a tangible force beginning to reshape industries. While 2025 may not yet showcase its full power, the groundwork being laid today is critical. In the next two to three years, quantum computing will transition from experimentation to strategic implementation, driving solutions to challenges that classical computing can’t tackle.
What makes quantum so compelling isn’t just its speed and ability to process immense complexity with precision. From breakthroughs in optimizing secure communications to advancing AI applications, quantum computing can redefine entire industries. It’s not merely solving today’s problems but uncovering opportunities we’ve yet to imagine.
The real challenge for businesses is staying ahead of this curve. Organizations that embrace hyper-connectedness, AI, and prioritize energy transition and sustainability will be prepared to scale their infrastructure and integrate quantum capabilities as they mature. When quantum computing is combined with these foundational elements, it amplifies their potential, driving breakthroughs in efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. This proactive approach ensures competitiveness and leadership in a future where quantum technology becomes a critical differentiator. The time to build this foundation is now.
As we step into 2025, it’s not just about the technology we create—it’s about the vision and intent that drive it. Technology without purpose falls short. This moment calls for more than just embracing innovation; it demands responsibility and collaboration. The choices we make today—how we innovate, collaborate, and adapt—will determine whether we solve problems or create new ones.
By aligning our actions with bold vision and shared accountability, we can define the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow in a way that ensures progress for everyone.
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