As global macroeconomic conditions deteriorate and the funding winter tightens its grip, Indian startups are aggressively slashing costs in a critical area of their tech stack: cloud infrastructure. According to multiple founders speaking to ET, the days of unchecked cloud spending are over.
Facing immense pressure to control cash burn, startups are engaging in fierce renegotiations with tech giants like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. The results are significant: many companies have successfully reduced their cloud bills by 20% to 30%. Growth-stage heavyweights, including ecommerce platforms Meesho and Dealshare, have reported cutting their cloud expenses by as much as 50%.
This shift toward austerity has ignited a pricing war among the “Big Three” cloud providers. In a bid to capture or retain high-growth clients during the downturn, AWS, Google, and Azure are increasingly willing to undercut one another. Founders are capitalizing on this desperation, using lower pricing quotes from rivals (often Google Cloud or Azure) as leverage to force deep discounts from their primary providers (typically AWS).
The 5G Talent Crunch
The race to 5G has hit a roadblock—not technology, but talent. India faces a shortage of nearly one million cybersecurity experts just as network vulnerabilities are set to rise. With the demand for cloud security skills skyrocketing, experts warn that hiring alone won’t suffice; the future of telecom security depends on transforming the current workforce through rapid upskilling.
This shift is driven by the very nature of 5G architecture. Unlike previous generations, 5G relies heavily on virtualization and software-defined networking (SDN), which dissolves traditional physical perimeters and moves core network functions to the cloud. Furthermore, the explosion of IoT devices connected to these networks creates millions of new potential entry points for cyberattacks. Without a workforce fluent in next-generation protocols—such as container security, API protection, and automated threat response—telecom operators risk leaving critical national infrastructure exposed to sophisticated, state-sponsored attacks and ransomware campaigns.
"Even if we remove 5G from the equation, our security defense is undermanned. The priority must be aggressive recruitment and training to correct this severe systemic deficit."
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