Why data readiness defines GenAl success: Krish Vitaldevara, Informatica

Informatica's Krish Vitaldevara explains data readiness gaps, CLAIRE's evolution, multi-cloud neutrality, governance for GenAI, ROI metrics, and the impact of the Salesforce acquisition.

- By Punam Singh

The success of GenAI initiatives is increasingly tied to the strength of enterprise data foundations. In this exclusive conversation, Krish Vitaldevara, Chief product Officer, EVP at Informatica, discusses the realities of data readiness, the evolution of metadata-driven intelligence through CLAIRE, the value of multi-cloud neutrality, and the growing importance of integrated governance for scalable, trustworthy AI. He also outlines how enterprises can quantify ROI from Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC), what the Salesforce acquisition means for the product roadmap, and how Informatica is addressing the industry-wide talent gap through a deliberate, innovation-centric talent strategy anchored in India's iLabs.

How do you evaluate the current state of enterprise data readiness for scalable GenAl deployment? Are enterprises truly ready?

This is a critical question. A recent MIT study highlights that 95% of enterprises, despite investing nearly USD 40 billion, are failing to realise full return on investment from AI initiatives. Additionally, in our conversations with Chief Data Officers, about 70% cite lack of data readiness as the primary impediment to achieving success in their AI programmes.

Enterprises are at varying stages of maturity. Many do not yet have the strong data foundation required to support scaling AI, especially GenAI. Our Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) addresses this gap by enabling enterprises to prepare, activate, manage, and secure their data. It ensures that data is intelligent, contextual, trusted, compliant, and secure. Interestingly, organisations in regulated industries tend to be more prepared because they have historically invested heavily in data hygiene. But overall, readiness is a journey, and we support enterprises across all stages.