Part 2/13:

Vinit traced the historical journey of data, illustrating how its role has expanded over the past 25 years. Initially, data was a niche, engineering-centric resource used mainly in media processing and communication sectors. In the era of mobile evolution, data was primarily voice-driven, with SMS serving as the main channel.

As technology advanced, organizations began embedding data collection mechanisms inside products to analyze logs, even without cloud infrastructure. The emergence of digital advertising giants like Google and Facebook introduced cookies, enabling targeted monetization based on user activity. These early steps laid the groundwork for viewing data as a valuable asset.