Technology

India’s opportunity for globally experienced talent extends far beyond GCCs, spanning SaaS, semiconductors, fintech, logistics tech, auto tech, manufacturing and new energy. Demand is strong at the top and entry levels, with tighter mid tier depth. Compensation gaps with the US are narrowing, but ownership, innovation and India first global impact are the real draws.

Returnee talent is accelerating product thinking, global go-to-market and frontier AI. GCCs can anchor high skill roles when mandates include true product ownership. To scale this momentum, India will benefit from ESOP clarity, founder fast tracks, relocation support and sustained R&D funding.

India's data centre industry is moving into a new phase of accerlerated growth driven by AI-led workloads, cloud adoption, and evolving data localisation requirements. As infrastructure demand increases, the market will require integrated execution models that can combine engineering capabilities, AI readiness, regulatory understanding, and operational accountability to support large-scale and future-ready digital infrastructure development.

India currently has over 150 data centres with about 1.5 GW operational capacity as of early 2026, including emerging AI-focussed facilities driven by GPU deployments. The capacity to surpass 1.8 GW by the end of 2026 and reach over 8 GW by 2030 is fuelled by a shift toward AI-ready infrastructure encompassing hyperscale, specialised hardware like GPUs, software platforms, and edge computing.

Standard data centres currently yield Ebitda margins of 20-30%, while AI-optimised centres, with premium pricing for high-performance compute, are expected to achieve margins in excess of 50% due to elevated demand and utilisation.

The India data centre story is, at its core, a story of the country's pivot towards a digital economy. This shift is being driven not only by India’s role as a global exporter of technology services, but also by the rapid expansion of a domestic consumer base that is increasingly consuming digital and technology-led services.

The India Union Budget 2026’s tax holiday for foreign cloud providers using domestic data centres, extended till 2047, strengthens investor confidence by highlighting India’s cost and efficiency edge in data centre operations. It is expected to encourage existing facilities to scale international services, while prompting new and marginal players to adopt hybrid operating models that balance offshore capacity with increased deployment within India to optimise returns.

Both technology and AI play a substantive, credibility-enhancing role in expert evidence -  not by replacing experts, but by improving the quality, reliability, transparency, and persuasiveness of expert opinions in disputes. It allows experts to work with large and complex datasets, apply consistent methodologies, reduce manual error and analyse faster with sharpness and accuracy.

However, the expert needs to assume full accountability and responsibility for the outcome of these AI-enabled tools. AI can neither emerge as the expert nor replace human judgement and professional opinion of the expert.

Human intelligence has driven modern economies; the next phase of growth will depend on how well we harness intelligent data. As this report suggests, data risk is market risk. Treating data as core market infrastructure is critical for India to sustain market leadership and investor confidence.

The India data centre story is, at its core, a story of the country's pivot towards a digital economy, This shift is being driven not only by India’s role as a global exporter of technology services, but also by the rapid expansion of a domestic consumer base that is increasingly consuming digital and technology-led services.

The India Union Budget 2026’s tax holiday for foreign cloud providers using domestic data centres, extended till 2047, strengthens investor confidence by highlighting India’s cost and efficiency edge in data centre operations. It is expected to encourage existing facilities to scale international services, while prompting new and marginal players to adopt hybrid operating models that balance offshore capacity with increased deployment within India to optimise returns.

As India’s digital economy accelerates, tax and regulatory shifts are reshaping the way technology‑driven businesses think about strategy, governance and growth. The evolving business landscape - from data protection, to labour reforms, and cross‑border taxation - is increasingly influencing strategic decisions across the TMT sector. It is critical for businesses to stay ahead of these shifts rather than simply respond to them.

With policy, tax and regulation evolving alongside technological innovation, conversations like these play an important role in helping businesses understand change, respond with agility and make informed long‑term decisions.

In today’s environment where innovation cycles compress faster than ever and market dynamics shift in real time, a few insights stood out unmistakably:

• Data is no longer a support function - it is the operating system of modern securities markets
• Velocity, reliability, and machine-scale decisioning now define competitive advantage
• Organisations that can break silos, reduce human latency, embed data into their cultural fabric are the ones that will lead the next decade and capture the market’s confidence with valuation premiums.

India’s AI trajectory was at risk of being shaped by external gatekeepers rather than domestic ambition. The 2025 rule placed India in the second tier for US chip exports, which meant Indian companies could access advanced AI chips only through export licenses and in restricted volumes. In practical terms, this would have limited India’s AI compute capacity to roughly fifty thousand GPUs nationwide.

High‑end chips for Indian AI initiatives would have required case‑by‑case US approval, slowing essential upgrades and increasing reliance on US policy decisions. The outcome would have been fewer GPUs, slower deployment cycles, and a significant constraint on the pace of India’s AI growth.

We are operating in a global landscape defined by persistent uncertainty - geopolitical realignments, climate pressures, technological disruption and shifting capital flows. Within this environment, nations that can adapt, execute, and inspire confidence will shape the future. India is actively re-shaping its opportunities within this uncertainty - not reacting to it but leveraging it. By expanding market access, deepening regional and minilateral partnerships, and building agile trade frameworks, India is scaling manufacturing, accelerating frontier technologies and strengthening global supply-chain integration.

The Indian fintech sector has been a defining force in reshaping how financial services are accessed and consumed. Over the last decade, companies in fintech have solved critical issues in payments and lending, and financial inclusion.

However, the journey ahead demands a shift from addressing isolated challenges; it calls for building integrated value propositions that transcend silos. Embedded finance offers precisely this opportunity, enabling fintechs to weave financial services seamlessly into everyday user experiences, creating an enduring impact for the broader ecosystem. AI is increasingly becoming core to this movement, unlocking unprecedented potential to scale intelligence across operations.

Data, tech & the future of sports management:

Technology is the fastest growing sub-sectors in India in sports with adoption of wearable technology, fan engagement software and decision support system through AI. It is shaping how athletes prepare and perform, how coaches make informed decisions, and how sporting organisations build long-term, sustainable success. The real value lies in applying it with clarity, responsibility, and a clear focus on performance outcomes.

Training millions in AI and creating equitable access will be key to ensuring India remains competitive in the global digital economy. Even as India becomes one of the most consequential battlegrounds for AI investments globally, the success of billion-dollar commitments will hinge on the country’s ability to scale talent, build capabilities across sectors and ensure that the benefits of AI are broadly distributed.

Procurement and finance are converging into powerful drivers of business transformation. By combining data intelligence, automation, and sustainability goals, organisations can build ecosystems that deliver measurable impact. The next chapter is about making these functions future-ready, adaptive, analytical, and aligned to enterprise strategy.

Accessibility, being more than just a social imperative, is a growth engine for India’s future. When we invest in inclusive infrastructure across transport, tourism, sports, and technology, we unlock new markets, drive innovation, and add directly to our nation’s growth trajectory. True progress is measured not by how far we go alone, but by the bridges we build so everyone can cross. Let’s make accessibility the foundation of Viksit Bharat.

Over the past few decades, the finance function has undergone a profound transformation, evolving from a custodian of numbers to a strategic partner that drives growth, insight, and innovation. Gone are the days when finance merely reported the past; today, it is shaping the future.

AI is no longer just a tool for efficiency. It has become the engine powering this transformation. Indian enterprises are embedding AI into their core financial strategies by unifying data across ERP and CRM systems, applying advanced analytics, and fostering a culture of digital fluency. CFOs are using AI and machine learning to move from reactive reporting to predictive and prescriptive insights, from manual processes to intelligent automation, and from a focus on cost control to one on value creation.

As adoption scales responsibly, finance leaders are unlocking new sources of enterprise value while redefining the role of finance as a driver of business resilience and inclusive growth. This transformation is helping position India as a trusted global hub for AI-led financial innovation and progress.

Building a future-ready finance function is about creating value with purpose. It is not just digital adoption or analytics, it is about building trust through sharper insights and smarter decisions. Finance, at its best, becomes the compass that helps businesses stay resilient and forward-looking

Successful HR Transformation required more than technology, it demands alignment of people, culture and vision. Avoiding common pitfalls like weak planning and overlooked change management is critical. The organisations that succeed are those that approach transformation as a continuous journey, not a one-time project.

TMT industry is at forefront of digital innovation and rapidly adopting technologies to derive business value. The dynamism demands CISO to address the evolving cyber threats landscape and have a proactive and strategic approach. Cyber leaders are pivoting to establish Trust and thereby enhance the competitive positioning of organisations.

India’s tech ecosystem is uniquely positioned to leapfrog into the intelligent enterprise era, with 81% of technology firms planning to systematically integrate AI into their products and services within the next 12 months. The strategic integration of AI can redefine our global competitiveness, as 63% of enterprises are set to increase AI spending by more than 10% in the coming year.

However, realising AI’s full value requires a concerted effort - underscoring the importance of robust governance frameworks, talent development, and embedding AI into core business operations. Organisations that proactively embrace these imperatives will not only drive innovation but also set new benchmarks in delivering value and efficiency..

UPSI has become increasingly critical in today’s corporate and regulatory environment. In an era of heightened scrutiny and fast-paced market movements, the way organisations identify, manage, and safeguard sensitive information can significantly impact their reputation, stakeholder trust, and legal standing. Organisations need to strengthen the key pillars of people, process and technology, and implement systems and controls to effectively safeguard themselves.