India key to Salesforce's AI and talent ambitions

—CE SEEN PRIMARILY as a support hub, India is now a global tech firms pilot innovation and build for scale. Salesforce, the country is a proving ground and a powerhouse, Arundhati Bhattacharya, President and Chief Executive, Salesforce — South Asia, tells Malvania. She points out that even enterprises, deterred by global uncertainties, are scaling down on digital transformation. Excerpts. Salesforce, India is not a growth market but a talent hub. How do you see this balance evolving, especially as global IT services market witnesses demand shifts?

- Arundhati Bhattacharya, President & Chief Executive, Salesforce (South Asia)

—CE SEEN PRIMARILY as a support hub, India is now a global tech firms pilot innovation and build for scale. Salesforce, the country is a proving ground and a powerhouse, Arundhati Bhattacharya, President and Chief Executive, Salesforce — South Asia, tells Malvania. She points out that even enterprises, deterred by global uncertainties, are scaling down on digital transformation. Excerpts. Salesforce, India is not a growth market but a talent hub. How do you see this balance evolving, especially as global IT services market witnesses demand shifts? I believe this balance will continue, though the nature of work is evolving. Most of our solutions—whether developed in India or elsewhere—now embed AI at their core. This shift may change the kind of work we do, but not the volume. India will remain a key talent hub. Growth may come from areas like AI, machine learning, and compliance. We're also building capabilities in ethical AI—some of our compliance hubs are based here—which is critical as AI adoption grows.