Big data is large amounts of unstructured data that require new techniques and tools to analyze. Key drivers of big data growth are increased storage capacity, processing power, and data availability. Big data analytics can uncover hidden patterns to provide competitive advantages and better business decisions. Applications include healthcare, homeland security, finance, manufacturing, and retail. The global big data market is expected to grow significantly, with India's market projected to reach $1 billion by 2015. This growth will increase demand for data scientists and analysts to support big data solutions and technologies like Hadoop and NoSQL databases.