N I DRIVE: Revamping the Japanese AI Industry Through Value-Centered Solutions

N I DRIVE (Nippon India DRIVE) is a TOKYO based Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) consultancy and Engineering solutions provider helping Japanese businesses achieve their objectives through AI. This company is a Brainchild of Ram Kumar and Masao Kasuya (Former Hitachi Group -Top Management Executive), who envisioned making viable Digital transformation in the Japan Market. From the inception, N I DRIVE has specialized in skills related to leading–edge technologies and methodologies. 

N I DRIVE offers Digital technology consulting and services focused on IoT, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Cognitive Automation, Hybrid Cloud Enablement, Mobility, and other Emerging Technologies. As its team works across different industry segments, it builds solutions that help customers start the digitalization journey by transforming businesses by adopting new technologies and processes. 

Reinventing Digital Powered World 

Since its establishment, N I DRIVE is dedicated & curious to help its clientele unlock the immense digital transformation potential. Industries across all verticals are currently transforming to cater to expectations of true digital end customers who need a whole new approach of services, delivery, and value. 

N I DRIVE believes in harnessing the power of existing talents for future market growth by designing, developing, and delivering new digital business models, products, and services. Its mission is to help the customers expand their boundaries, seize new opportunities, add value to business propositions, and pave the way for a better future. 

Icon behind the Entrepreneurial Journey 

RamKumar Sivan Arumugam, the Founder & CEO of N I DRIVE, had started his career in the corporate space in 2001. He has worked for  Indian software consulting and product companies for more than six years in India. Later, around 13 Years, he helmed the position of country manager and CEO at a Japanese Holdings company subsidiary in Tokyo. He handled sales and head of engineering operational functions in Japan for most of his career, which gave him valuable insight into the country's future innovation. 

Ram is committed to bringing rapid, exponential, and perpetual innovative changes in digital technology. He is aware that businesses today are facing a key turning point in AI adoption. Hence he makes sure that N I DRIVE focuses on developing unique and practical AI use cases that could deliver simple solutions to complex unresolved challenges.  

As N I DRIVE serves businesses across continents to embrace AI, it also offers passion-driven AI solutions to add tremendous value with its human inclusive approach. Besides, having a team of research–oriented and talented technical engineers with a fresh perspective facilitates its customers' businesses, products, and services adaptable to the next generation. 

N I DRIVE also expertise and service offerings on platforms like AWS, SAP, Salesforce, Open Source software (OSS), and Azure to drive digital transformations. 

Adopting Technology to Sustain Business 

N I DRIVE applies AI/IOT based solutions in various real-time industrial problems like Autonomous Driving, ROBOTICS, Industry 4.0 using a variety of sensors and Blockchain with cloud infrastructure.  

It contributes to all the three stages of autonomous driving, which is sense, plan and act with the help of the data from sensors like camera, lidar, radar, ultrasonic, and analyze those big data and streamline them to the algorithm pipeline. The team works on the end-to-end pipeline in the autonomous driving area.  It also models the algorithms using computer vision, machine learning, Deep learning, and fusion technologies. 

The company strives to drive digitization in the manufacturing sector through Industry 4.0, which enables factory automation, increases safety and security standards, and predicts machine failure in advance using predictive analytics algorithms. 

In Blockchain, N I DRIVE majorly focuses on Automotive & health care domain, wherein it develops a global platform for storing the health reports digitally. 

Speaking about making an impact, Ram says, the major part goes to improving the hardware. In the recent past, the major innovation or breakthrough is in the hardware area, making the AI technology a real–time or a usable one. Otherwise, it would have been in the prototype stage itself.  

Building Brand Image Through Partnerships 

N I DRIVE drives innovation through continuous and collaborative learning. The company has MOU signed with some of the top institutions in Japan and India through which it frames effective solutions for the complex real–world problem statements. 

It also acquired a partnership with a European company that provides a new approach to BPM by harnessing the power of Low-Code, RPA & AI to automate end-to-end business processes. 

Another Japanese company has teamed up with N I DRIVE to help organizations of all sizes communicate and collaborate better so one can spend more innovative and productive time working rather than trying to make things work. 

The company has collaborated with several global companies on projects like serving Edge to Core AI data pipelines management or creating impactful 3D engineering & construction solutions in AEC and Manufacturing industry, and even with companies that aim to efficiently implement AI/ML for ecommerce and Educational software platforms.  

Owing to the tireless efforts put by N I DRIVE to offer outstanding solutions, the company has significantly strengthened its service value proposition skills for its Japanese customers. Further, it has built a strong interest & demand in the marketplace. Its unique approach for digital era services is underlined by 100% of the customers. This helped N I DRIVE earn the tag of Top 20 Inspiring Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2020 from APAC Entrepreneur.  

Customers to Drive Future Success 

To drive growth, Ram feels that organizational strategy must be embedded in the actual expectations of the clients who strive for new digital infrastructure and digital ecosystem to build. N I DRIVE is serving a Niche digital market and driven by its loyal patrons' changing needs. 

He shares that the idea is to utilize available talents for future market growth, empowering customers to expand boundaries, design, develop and deliver new digital business models, products, and services, add value to business propositions and pave the way for a better future.