We are investing big in emerging tech to boost enterprise efficiency: Jihad Dannawi, DataStax

The Generative artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is here, sparking excitement across enterprises and driving soaring investments. As businesses gear up to scale their adoption of generative AI, the role of databases is becoming increasingly crucial.  In an interview with TechCircle, Jihad Dannawi, Regional VP of APAC at DataStax, a real-time vector database company, highlighted the pivotal role of the Indian market in DataStax’s global strategy. He also explored how Generative AI is transforming industries, the challenges it addresses, and how DataStax ensures responsible innovation, offering valuable insights into the evolving tech landscape. Edited Excerpts:  

Can you elaborate on DataStax's strategic vision for expanding its footprint in India? How does this align with the company's global strategy?

India's C-suite executives aim to accelerate innovation, showcasing the country's potential in driving global digital transformation. DataStax is dedicated to expanding its presence in India, aligning with its broader Asia Pacific strategy, and leveraging this growth to support its global goal of integrating Generative AI into various business applications. For example, our recent partnership with the CIO Association introduces the latest open-source data technologies to Indian businesses, offering their members new opportunities and trends to spur growth and encourage more organisations to embrace digital transformation.    

What specific initiatives are DataStax undertaking to localise its offerings and cater to the unique demands of the Indian market?

DataStax's partnership with the CIO Association is pivotal to its strategy for the Indian market. This collaboration aims to expand access to solutions like AstraDB, enabling Indian organisations to utilise Apache Cassandra, an open-source distributed database that delivers high availability with performance, & scales to meet the demands of modern applications. As a result, Indian enterprises and public sector agencies can simplify cloud-native app development, reduce installation time, and deploy their offerings in minutes instead of weeks.  DataStax is dedicated to accelerating India's digital transformation through the power of data. This commitment was reaffirmed at the recent Cassandra Day in India, which provided local organisations with the opportunity to unlock their potential. 

Could you explain how Gen AI, particularly through RAGStack and Vector search, is transforming industries?

DataStax utilises the concept of approximate nearest neighbour (ANN) in its Vector search to offer a highly scalable and performant approach to unstructured data storage and retrieval through NoSQL functionality.  Unlike many market solutions, DataStax does not offer single-solution approaches. Instead, it delivers a proven solution capable of meeting the scalable performance demands of Generative AI applications. DataStax Astra DB stands out with its fully integrated platform for building Generative AI apps, offering more than just a vector database or vector search. It supports orchestration frameworks like LlamaIndex and LangChain, simplifying generative AI app development and enabling comprehensive vector lifecycle management.  RAGStack is DataStax's integrated, out-of-the-box RAG development solution that includes top open-source tools for implementing RAG. It provides developers with a complete GenAI Stack featuring Langflow, LangChain, LlamaIndex, and more, reducing the need to maintain customised open-source software and helping enterprises deliver simpler, streamlined AI solutions to customers. 

What key industry challenges does Generative AI address, and how does DataStax ensure responsible innovation while using AI for business growth?

Gen AI offers a wide range of use cases, helping organisations tackle key challenges like managing data overload, creating personalised customer experiences, and integrating AI into existing operations.  By enhancing data processing capabilities, Gen AI improves decision-making and delivers customised user experiences. It enables organisations to efficiently sift through vast amounts of data, extracting valuable insights for informed decisions and stronger customer connections. 

As AI becomes more widespread, what ethical considerations does DataStax prioritise in its AI solutions?

Data privacy, security, and transparency are central to DataStax's AI solutions. The company ensures robust security and ethical AI use through features like IAM permissions, data residency, and customer-managed encryption keys. These measures emphasise responsible AI deployment, respecting user privacy and data integrity. Ultimately, governing AI responsibly requires evolving frameworks that address new capabilities and risks, which is the foundation of DataStax's solutions, helping organisations realise AI's benefits.  DataStax integrates ethical guidelines and security protocols into its development processes while empowering developers to fully utilise their expertise. DataStax believes that AI can enhance development and create innovative customer experiences. 

What are DataStax's growth plans for the APAC region under your leadership? Are there specific markets or sectors you're prioritising?

DataStax partners with a wide range of industries, including major players like Netflix and Spotify, as well as local businesses like Physics Wallah. Our growth strategy focuses on driving the adoption of generative AI technologies across various sectors. We aim to help organisations enhance their products to meet regional needs and strengthen local partnerships.  DataStax has a strong presence in the Asia Pacific region, including Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, and Australia. Our next phase is to expand further in India and Indonesia, which show significant growth potential. 

How does DataStax approach investment in emerging technologies and infrastructure to support its growth objectives in APAC?

DataStax is investing heavily in emerging infrastructure and technologies. A recent partnership with Google Cloud, for example, aims to enhance generative AI capabilities and develop new AI tools.  These investments reflect DataStax's commitment to understanding, connecting with, and serving developers and enterprises. This approach helps create experiences that developers love and positively impacts the people and companies they work for. 

Can you discuss any recent partnerships or expansions in India that demonstrate DataStax's commitment to the region's tech ecosystem?

Investing in emerging technologies and infrastructure without a clear understanding of the outcomes puts all the risk on the business. Therefore, DataStax is dedicated to providing organisations with tailored solutions as a core part of its strategy. This commitment is achieved by focusing on helping developers deliver powerful, accurate Gen AI applications to production much faster and at a lower cost, while ensuring the necessary scale and performance.  The recent partnership with Google Cloud is a perfect example of this approach, as it aims to advance generative AI capabilities and drive innovation. By leveraging such collaborations and investments, DataStax intends to not only expand its footprint but also pioneer new frontiers in AI-driven solutions across the Asia Pacific market.