Digital transformation is the need of the hour. One who doesn’t embrace it, will get lost in the crowd. The same applies to businesses which have been hampered badly by COVID-induced lockdowns that have brought to fore the flimsiness of various processes of organizations that weren’t considered weaknesses until then. However, organizations have rapidly realized the needs and benefits of going fully digital because of the pandemic, which has caused an acceleration (and in some cases creation) of digital roadmaps. Quixy is one such cloud-based no-code application development platform that allows business users with no coding skills to automate workflows and processes, and build enterprise-grade applications, using simple drag and drop design, 10 times faster compared to the traditional approach. Quixy provides dozens of pre-built solutions for various sectors from education to finance and FMGC to tech. Gautam Nimmagadda, Founder and CEO, Quixy, shares with Ramesh Kumar Raja the nitty-gritty of the emerging trend, the way forward and the future of no code/low code platform in India and abroad. Excerpts:

What’s so unique about Quixy at a time when there are a number of companies/ platforms offering services of app development?

Our competitors fall under two categories. The first category is no-code platforms that can be used to build basic applications without writing any code. The flip side here is that these platforms cannot be used to develop complex enterprise-grade applications. The second category is low-code platforms that can be used to develop enterprise-grade applications. However, low-code platforms require some degree of coding and can only be used by professional developers.

This is where Quixy has an edge, as it falls in the sweet spot between the two categories with its “Advanced No-Code” capabilities. Business users themselves can use Quixy to build powerful enterprise-grade applications at a rate that is 10 times faster and with 60% fewer resources without writing any code.

Can you please tell us about the technicalities involved in no-code application development and how it is different from the conventional method?

When any business requires digitization of their processes, the available options are procurement of a COTS product or bespoke development done by an external IT vendor or an internal IT team. COTS products, by default, have limited customization options. Any additional customization is either not possible or attracts hefty customization cost and time. Bespoke development, on the other hand, costs businesses time and money. It is also often unsuccessful since business requirements are lost in translation as the business users are not involved throughout the development life cycle. Effectively, both of these alternatives cost business time and money without ensuring success hindering business growth and competitive edge in the market.

No-code application development stands out as the perfect option in this regard. Platforms like Quixy help business users to develop enterprise-grade applications with absolutely no coding skills. Quixy platform features a powerful UI builder, workflow builder, database management, reporting, dashboarding, integrations, ready-to-use templates, effortless deployment, and a ton of offerings that make building high-functioning apps in no time.

What makes no-code tools so appealing to people?

Currently, only 0.03% of the world population can write code and develop applications. Quixy platform empowers any citizen with basic computer knowledge to build applications without writing any code. The platform can be compared to Lego blocks, as business users can use Quixy’s building blocks to create any application according to their needs.

The platform also helps businesses cut downtime and costs typically involved with application development. Organizations across various industries have used the Quixy platform to digitally transform their business at least 10 times faster with 75% fewer resources. The saved time and money can instead be spent on processes that are more strategic and crucial for business success.

What kinds of solutions are most sought after in Indian market and how Quixy is leveraging the trends?

Gartner predicts that by 2023, 65% of all software development will be done through low-code/no-code platforms.

Quixy is leveraging these trends by establishing a strong presence as a leading no-code platform. It serves customers in 15+ industry verticals across 6 continents spanned across various sizes and industries. The solutions they built on the platform are also quite diverse. Some of the enterprise-grade solutions that were built on the platform include Procurement & Inventory, Project Management, Budget & Expenditure, Container-Freight-Station (CFS) management system, an Insurance Claim processing process, and an end-to-end HRMS system. Therefore, Quixy is a pioneer in realizing the true potential of the no-code transformation and is empowering organizations to create solutions across various processes.

The COVID-19 lockdowns are a blessing in disguise for companies like Quixy as people now realize the importance of digital transformation of their businesses. How has been the experience so far for you?

COVID-19 has spotlighted the fragility of various processes (internal and external) of organizations that weren’t considered weaknesses until then. Organizations have quickly realized the needs and benefits of going fully digital because of the pandemic, which has caused an acceleration (and in some cases creation) of digital roadmaps.

Quixy’s advanced no-code platform has enabled organizations to:

• Quickly build solutions for their specific needs
• Iterate fast and improve using the feedback received from their stakeholders
• High business user participation leads to higher quality solutions, as the business users generally know the business’s needs better than IT teams.

This has helped organizations embrace the pandemic-led digital transformation successfully and have been able to effectively leverage the no-code disruptor.

What are your pain points in dealing with the people/clients to make them understand the whole concept of app building, as many of the old-fashioned businessmen still hesitate in giving a digital makeover to their businesses?

Prior to the pandemic, while businesses talked about digital transformation, they were still taking their own sweet time to get started. But the pandemic broke the manual processes for businesses, leaving them no choice but to switch to digital solutions.

However, no-code platforms are still relatively new for businesses. Therefore, we need to educate them about the benefits of no-code over custom app development using professional developers or using one-size-fits-all solutions. Businesses also need help with adoption and governance strategies to embrace and succeed with no-code platforms like ours successfully.

Please share your recent traction details with us. What is your monetization model and what are the segments you offer to attract users?

Quixy is an industry agnostic solution, and we currently have customers of all sizes from various industry segments such as Ports, Construction, Manufacturing, Banking, Hospitality, FinTech, Education, Energy, Consulting, etc. We are currently offering the platform on a monthly and annual subscription basis where our customers can pay for the solutions they build on our platform or for the number of their users who use the platform. We also offer custom price plans for large enterprises.

What is the size of app market in India and where does Quixy fit in driving businesses?

The global low-code no-code development platform market is predicted to generate a revenue of $187.0 billion by 2030, rising from $10.3 billion in 2019. This market is expected to advance at a fast pace of 31.1% CAGR during the forecast period (2020-2030). We plan to grow at a rate that is double the industry standard, considering the uniqueness of our pioneering platform. The market size is still very big and our differentiator is advanced no-code, for which we are gaining impressive traction that is bound to increase with time.

Do you wish to make Quixy global? What are your plans to extend its reach?

Quixy has already made its presence globally. It was founded in 2019 and was mainly focused on catering to Indian clients who we reached out through platforms like LinkedIn. We were eager to expand our client base and encourage digital transformation across the globe.

After 18 months of hard work, Quixy is now serving customers in over 15 industry verticals, including Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Construction, BFSI, Pharmaceutical, Energy, and Education. We have customers worldwide, including North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

What according to you is going to be the future market trends in terms of app development?

No-code will be the future of app development and overtake the traditional approach. We believe that 70-80% of enterprises will start using no-code for app development in the next 3-4 years. This is in line with Gartner’s prediction that by 2024, 75% of large enterprises will be using at least four low-code no-code development tools for IT application development and citizen development initiatives. This shift to no-code will further spur innovation in this space, which will further improve no-code platforms’ capabilities with time, creating a snowball effect.

We will also see no-code spread extensively beyond app development to a much broader digital landscape due to the unique advantages of democratization, speed, and agility. The future is bright for no-code, and I am incredibly excited for Quixy to reach new heights as we progress ahead.