Latest news with #AbhikSengupta
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
What Companies Should Know About Implementing A Data Lakehouse
Abhik Sengupta, Principal Solution Architect, Hakkoda. Traditional data warehouses—once the backbone of business intelligence and reporting—are increasingly misaligned with today's data demands. The surge in data volume, velocity and variety has exposed their architectural constraints: rigid schemas, high storage costs, poor handling of semi-structured data, and reliance on batch-oriented extract, transform and load (ETL) processes. In a Teradata/Vanson Bourne survey from 2018, 74% of decision-makers were already citing analytics complexity as a challenge with data warehouses, and 79% said users lacked access to all the data they needed. By 2021, DBTA reported that 88% of organizations struggled with data loading in these environments, and 42% still relied on manual cleanup and transformation. These limitations are particularly problematic in cloud-native environments where real-time analytics, AI workloads and globally distributed teams demand flexibility and speed. To overcome these challenges, many enterprises are adopting lakehouse architectures, which are intended to unify the governance and performance of data warehouses with the scalability and openness of data lakes. As a principal solution architect, I've led several large-scale lakehouse implementations across platforms like Snowflake, Coalesce and Sigma. In this article, I'll explain how lakehouses can address legacy bottlenecks and what organizations should consider when modernizing their data platforms with this approach. Why Companies Are Shifting To Lakehouse Architectures At its core, a lakehouse stores structured, semi-structured and unstructured data in low-cost object storage while layering on transactional features, schema enforcement and version control through a metadata management layer. This enables organizations to build both batch and streaming data pipelines, maintain high data quality and support time travel and auditability within the same platform. A major advantage of lakehouses is their interoperability. Multiple analytics and machine learning engines can access the same datasets simultaneously, eliminating the need for redundant copies or specialized infrastructure. This can improve collaboration across teams, speed up experimentation and simplify data governance. By unifying ingestion, processing, analytics and AI workloads, lakehouses can reduce operational complexity while increasing agility. They can also provide a composable foundation for building domain-driven data products, enabling real-time personalization. In fact, a study published earlier this year in Information Systems found that the lakehouse is "inexpensive, quick and adaptable" like a data lake, while combining the "structure and simplicity of a [data warehouse] with the broader use cases of a [data lake]." From personal experience, in one project I worked on, onboarding time dropped by 40% due to reusable pipeline templates and declarative schema handling. Importantly, built-in features like versioning and time travel enable data auditability, governance and lineage tracking using tools such as Great Expectations and CloudWatch. That said, it's important to consider which engines—such as Spark, Snowflake and Athena—are supported to enable flexible, future-ready analytics environments. This will be particularly important as companies work to adopt AI. Unlike traditional data warehouses, lakehouses support diverse, large-scale datasets—including unstructured formats—within one repository. Versioning and snapshotting enable repeatable, auditable ML workflows. Support for Spark and Flink can allow scalable model training directly on fresh data, essential for real-time personalization and AI governance. Technical Architecture: Building A Real-World Lakehouse Stack Implementing a lakehouse architecture is a multiphase transformation that spans the full data life cycle, from ingestion to governance. It's not a one-size-fits-all deployment, but a set of strategic choices that must align with organizational priorities, technical maturity and interoperability needs: 1. Ingestion: This is the foundation, where teams must assess the nature of their data sources, expected latency and format diversity. Successful implementations typically use schema-aware tools that preserve metadata and support both batch and streaming pipelines to ensure consistency downstream. 2. Processing And Transformation: In this stage, raw data is converted into analytics- and ML-ready formats. Most lakehouse platforms support schema evolution, versioning and time-travel-like capabilities, allowing teams to build reproducible pipelines and accommodate changing data structures without data loss. 3. Implementing The Storage Layer: This typically uses cloud-native object stores (like S3, ADLS or GCS), with an open format and a metadata layer to manage immutability, partitioning and optimization. The goal is scalable, low-cost storage that enables fast access and governance at scale. 4. Query And Analytics: Lakehouses often support multi-engine interoperability, allowing business intelligence tools, SQL engines and ML frameworks to access the same governed datasets. Companies must catalog integration data and metadata consistently to ensure reliable performance and trusted insights. 5. Orchestration: Layers must accommodate schema evolution, rollback and modular pipelines. Most teams implement CI/CD for data workflows, using orchestration tools like Airflow, Dbt or Step Functions to ensure reproducibility and resilience. 6. Governance And Observability: Both of these functions should span the entire stack. Versioned metadata, data contracts, lineage tracking and quality testing tools (e.g., Great Expectations, Soda or Monte Carlo) play a central role in building trust and compliance across domains. What It Takes To Prepare For The Lakehouse Success with a lakehouse depends on more than just tooling—it requires team readiness, clear processes and thoughtful design. Organizations must build capabilities in schema evolution, cross-engine interoperability and performance tuning to meet latency and cost goals. For compliance (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, SOX), the architecture must support data lineage, time-based audits and immutability. This includes implementing version-controlled metadata, retention policies, role- and policy-based access controls, encryption (at rest and in transit) and detailed logging. Observability and data contracts are essential to detect quality issues before they become compliance risks. Operationally, automation is key. Tasks like compaction, metadata cleanup and performance optimization must be built into workflows. While platform integration is improving, gaps remain in business intelligence and orchestration tools, making testing and validation critical. Finally, readiness also depends on people. Invest in upskilling through structured training, reusable frameworks and real-world pilots. These accelerate adoption and reduce errors. By addressing these concerns, companies can build a scalable lakehouse foundation—ready to support governed, high-performing data products and AI at enterprise scale. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
In the ‘America First' era, a new economic security strategy for India
Written by Abhik Sengupta As the US recalibrates its global engagement under President Trump's renewed leadership, India must strategically position itself to protect its economic interests while navigating an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. The return of 'America First' policies signals a fundamental shift in international relations that demands a careful reassessment of India's economic security strategy. The current shift in American foreign policy reveals a fundamental change in how the US approaches international relationships. The distinction between formal allies with defense treaties and strategic partners becomes increasingly relevant for India. Unlike countries with formal alliance structures, India operates within a partnership framework with the United States, making its economic relationships more vulnerable to policy shifts. This transformation means that trade relationships, technology partnerships, and investment flows cannot be taken for granted. The 'America First' doctrine prioritises immediate American economic gains over long-term strategic partnerships, requiring India to continuously demonstrate its value proposition to maintain favourable economic ties. Countries that demonstrate credible capabilities, strategic value, and institutional resilience tend to maintain advantageous positions even when major powers shift their global priorities. This principle applies directly to India's relationship with the United States and other key economic partners. India's economic security is intrinsically linked to its ability to project stability and strength across multiple domains. In an era of evolving regional security dynamics, India's defensive capabilities and strategic partnerships become valuable economic assets. A strong security posture enhances India's attractiveness as a reliable partner for investment, technology transfer, and supply chain integration. The approach taken by Gulf states offers valuable lessons for India. These countries maintain deep security partnerships with the United States while asserting independence in their economic relationships with other major powers, including China. This model demonstrates that strategic partnerships need not preclude economic diversity. India must balance its growing strategic partnership with America against its need to maintain beneficial economic relationships with all major powers. This approach prevents India's economic security from becoming hostage to US-China competition while maximising opportunities from multiple partnerships. The increasing importance of economic intelligence in global competition cannot be overstated. As economic warfare becomes more sophisticated, with propaganda and disinformation shaping policy narratives, India must strengthen its capacity to gather, analyse, and act upon economic intelligence independently. Developing robust analytical capabilities free from external influence becomes crucial for making sound economic policy decisions. India's economic strategy must be grounded in rigorous, fact-based assessments rather than narratives designed to serve other powers' interests. The global focus on critical technologies underscores the vital importance of technological sovereignty for economic security. Countries that control key technologies maintain significant advantages in global competition, while those dependent on others face vulnerabilities. For India, this translates into urgent priorities around semiconductors, artificial intelligence, clean energy, and telecommunications infrastructure. The current administration's approach to technology partnerships suggests that India must accelerate domestic technology development while selectively engaging in international collaborations that enhance rather than compromise technological sovereignty. India should adopt a portfolio approach to economic relationships, avoiding over-dependence on any single partner while maximising benefits from each. This includes deepening ties with Europe, Japan, Australia, and Southeast Asian nations alongside the US-India partnership. India must position itself as a viable alternative to China in global supply chains. Expanding and refining Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes to attract high-value manufacturing that enhances both economic growth and strategic autonomy becomes essential. As bilateral relationships become more transactional, multilateral institutions offer alternative avenues for protecting economic interests. India should enhance its position in international economic forums to ensure its voice carries weight in global economic governance. Building capabilities to understand global economic trends, supply chain vulnerabilities, and emerging technologies before they become mainstream provides crucial competitive advantages. Economic intelligence and strategic foresight should be national priorities. The current global transition requires India to build economic resilience through multiple channels. This means developing domestic capabilities while maintaining strategic flexibility in international partnerships. The goal is not isolation but rather the creation of economic strength that provides options and leverage in an increasingly competitive world. India's approach should emphasise building from positions of strength rather than dependence. This includes developing indigenous industrial capabilities, fostering innovation ecosystems, and creating economic relationships that are mutually beneficial rather than one-sided dependencies. The 'America First' era presents both opportunities and challenges for India's economic security. While the transactional nature of current international relations may reduce predictability, it also creates space for countries that can demonstrate clear value propositions and strategic importance. India's economic security strategy must evolve to match this new reality — building strength through self-reliance while engaging selectively and strategically with global partners. Success will depend not on the favour of great powers but on India's own capabilities, strategic choices, and ability to navigate an increasingly complex global economic landscape. The path forward requires careful balancing: Maintaining valuable partnerships while preserving strategic autonomy, embracing global integration while building domestic strength, and competing effectively while avoiding unnecessary confrontations. In this new era, India's economic security lies in its ability to chart an independent course that serves its national interests while contributing to global prosperity and stability. The writer works as a Program Associate for North America at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), based in Washington, DC
Indian Express
03-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Free trade agreement with the US? What India needs to do to secure a deal
Written by Abhik Sengupta India finds itself at a pivotal moment in its trade relationship with the United States. With negotiating teams shuttling between New Delhi and Washington, and trade minister Piyush Goyal making frequent trips to meet his American counterparts, there's unprecedented momentum in bilateral trade talks. As negotiations intensify, India must balance ambition with pragmatism to secure a deal that truly serves its interests. Industry sources and trade experts suggest both promise and perils ahead for India. Reports indicate that India has made substantial tariff offers and is negotiating what essentially amounts to a comprehensive free trade agreement with the US. The question now is whether India can secure enough in return to make this ambitious gamble worthwhile. The current negotiations cover an extraordinary 19 chapters — from goods and services to intellectual property and environmental standards. This isn't the limited 'mini-deal' that fell through during Donald Trump's first presidency. India is going all-in, offering substantial market access concessions to avoid punitive tariffs that could devastate its export competitiveness. The arithmetic is stark: The US is India's largest export market, and Indian exporters have thrived under relatively low American tariffs. Now they face the prospect of a 10 per cent universal tariff plus additional sector-specific duties unless India can negotiate exemptions. For a country that exports roughly $8 billion in pharmaceuticals alone to America — medicines that benefit American consumers — the stakes couldn't be higher. India's negotiating strategy should focus on three non-negotiables. First, genuine tariff relief. If the US expects India to make unprecedented concessions, it must offer more than just reducing tariffs from 25 per cent to 10 per cent. India needs clear exemptions from the universal tariff and meaningful access improvements, particularly in pharmaceuticals where Indian generics serve American consumers without threatening US pharmaceutical leadership. Second, protection from future tariff escalation. Available information suggests that the US is conducting multiple investigations under Section 232 that could lead to new tariffs on various sectors. India must secure guarantees that any deal includes protection from such future measures — not just current ones. Third, services sector gains. India's competitive advantage in IT services, business process outsourcing, and professional services must be recognised and expanded. Any comprehensive agreement that doesn't significantly enhance India's services exports would be incomplete. India's negotiators must also grapple with the China question. Trade analysts note that American trade officials are increasingly asking Asian partners to reduce Chinese products (and equipment) in their supply chains and accept anti-circumvention provisions. For India, this presents both opportunity and risk. While India can position itself as an alternative to China in global supply chains, it must be careful not to accept overly restrictive rules that could limit its own trade relationships. Unlike Southeast Asian countries that are heavily dependent on Chinese trade and investment, India has more room to maneuver — but it shouldn't overplay this hand. The recent UK-US deal offers important lessons. While announced with fanfare, it's essentially a framework agreement that postpones detailed negotiations. The UK secured some specific wins — automotive tariff quotas and pharmaceutical provisions — but much remains to be negotiated. India should resist pressure for a similar framework-heavy announcement without substance. Trade experts have noted concerns that such deals can represent a waste of negotiating leverage when countries have put substantial offers on the table. India has put substantial offers on the table and should extract maximum value in return. India must also be realistic about American capacity. Observers note that US trade officials are simultaneously negotiating with dozens of countries under compressed timelines. This creates both opportunity — America needs quick wins — and risk (that deals will lack substance). The complexity of non-tariff barriers, from technical standards to regulatory alignment, cannot be rushed. India should prioritise the most fixable issues in the short term while establishing frameworks for longer-term resolution of complex regulatory matters. India's strategy should be calibrated pragmatism. In the immediate term, it has to secure concrete wins on tariff exemptions and market access while establishing robust frameworks for comprehensive negotiations. Don't settle for vague commitments. In the medium term, India should use the negotiations to address longstanding trade irritants and create new opportunities in emerging sectors like digital services and green technology. Finally, in the long term, India should position itself as America's preferred partner in reshaping global supply chains, but on terms that preserve the former's strategic autonomy. India has positioned itself well in these negotiations through early engagement and substantial offers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's February visit to Washington and the sustained diplomatic push have created genuine momentum. But momentum must translate into concrete gains. India cannot afford to accept a deal that merely avoids the worst-case scenario of high tariffs without securing meaningful benefits. The coming weeks will determine whether India emerges from these talks as a strategic winner in the new global trade architecture or merely as another country that avoided punishment. The difference will define India's economic trajectory for years to come. The stakes demand nothing less than India's best negotiating performance. The country that has transformed itself into a global economic power must now prove it can secure deals worthy of that status. The writer works as a Program Associate for North America at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), based in Washington, DC
