Digital Transformation Strategies: Theory and Practice

Digital transformation, anchored in data and powered by frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Generative AI (GenAI), and emerging agentic systems, is arguably the most widely pursued initiative among companies of all sizes worldwide. Digital natives and traditional incumbents alike are struggling to cope with the relentless pace of technological change.

While successful incumbents may have mastered value creation and extraction within their established core businesses, they often continue to treat digital as peripheral to their core strategy. Yet recurring flashes of potential reveal digital as a credible source of sustainable advantage, creating ambiguity about its true scope and impact. Many organisations struggle to find a clear starting point or design a roadmap, and even when initiatives begin, return on investment (ROI) and change management remain major barriers.

The second edition of this book offers theories and frameworks to understand and develop these elements, while updating and refining practical models for technology taxonomy, digital literacy, digital transformation, and paths to value. Incorporating lessons on competing in the digital era, it features real-world cases in consulting and strategy, accessible to students, instructors, and professionals without prior expertise. Designed to support teaching and learning, it remains a valuable resource for students of Business, Management and Marketing; Organisational Change; Production, Operations and Information; Management e-Business; Information / Knowledge Management; Innovation Management; Organisational Studies; and Management of Technology and Innovation.

Srinivas Pingali is an adjunct professor at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. He specialises in digital strategies, digital marketing, and product management. Srinivas has published several books, case studies, and articles on these topics and is a frequent speaker at industry forums.

Prior to his academic career, Srinivas has over thirty years of varied experience in multinationals and entrepreneurial companies across the globe.

Shankar Prakash is an Adjunct Professor at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, specialising in AI, Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning Operations (ML-Ops), and digital technologies. An Executive Fellow in Management from the Indian School of Business (ISB), his research focuses on how digital and deep tech influence organisational capabilities and business models. With 20 years of industry experience in consulting and digital transformation across International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation, Ernst & Young (EY), Wipro, and TVS, he brings rich practical insights to academia. He holds engineering and management degrees from VIT and ISB.

Jyothi R. Korem is a Professor of Practice at Mahindra University in the area of strategy and general management. She has over 25 years of experience in leading technology-driven business transformation engagements across various industries in multiple regions worldwide. She brings a unique perspective to digital transformation, having worked across the entire value chain―product, consulting, and IT service organisations. Jyothi has a master’s in industrial engineering from the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE)―currently Indian Institute of Mumbai (IIM), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India―and is an Executive Fellow in Management (doctoral equivalent) from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.