KUALA LUMPUR: Digitisation will be the primary driver of economic recovery in Asean following the devastating pandemic, according to entrepreneur Datuk Seri Vijay Eswaran.
He said one of the silver linings of the Covid-19 pandemic had been digital transformation in the Asean region, which has one of the world's fastest evolving digital economies.
"It has increased internet users by more than 10 per cent in a year and will be a critical force reinvigorating growth and recovery across the region," he said in a statement.
Eswaran was one of the discussion leaders during the recent session at World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland titled "A Digital Asean for All."
Other discussion leaders at the session included Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Grab chief executive officer (CEO) Anthony Tan and ANT Group CEO Derrick Loi.
The session was moderated by John Riady, the CEO of the Lippo Group in Indonesia.
Eswaran, who is executive chairman of QI Group, said the number of internet users in Asean will increase by more than 10 per cent to 400 million by 2021.
According to him, nearly 70 per cent of Asean's population was now online, far exceeding the global rate of 60 per cent.
He said the region's digital economy is now worth more than US$100 billion.
"However, for many Asean people, expensive or poor internet quality or digital devices, lack of digital skills, and trust and security concerns stand in their way of fully reaping their fair share of benefits from an inclusive digital economy," he said.
Eswaran believes that Asean must urgently upskill its workforce to overcome barriers to digital adoption.
To drive digital transformation and accommodate the new normal, businesses must quickly collaborate with forward-thinking vendors or businesses that can successfully and securely facilitate digital transformation today while avoiding obstacles, he said.
"We must build harmony between people, process, and technologies to achieve better business outcomes in efforts to enable digital transformation," he said.
Eswaran said there was an urgent need for additional upskilling and reskilling initiatives to ensure that this digital generation was prepared for a post-pandemic world and beyond.