The real CX begins before the first contact

Sanjay Gupta, VP & MD at NICE, on how early understanding of customer intent is redefining CX—shifting it from reaction to intelligent anticipation.

- Mushrrat Shahin and Jatinder Singh

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE (CX) is fast becoming the primary yardstick by which organisations are measured. In industries such as banking, telecom, e-commerce, and digital services, customers increasingly judge businesses not just by what they offer, but by how quickly, intelligently, and seamlessly they respond to their needs.

This shift has placed pressure on organisations to engage in real time, across multiple channels, and with a level of personalisation and empathy that feels natural to the customer. AI and automation, once seen as efficiency tools, are now central to enabling this shift—from reactive service to proactive, predictive engagement.

NICE, a long-time player in the enterprise technology space, has focused its efforts on this evolving front. Known for its work in customer analytics, contact centre operations, and automation, the company has increasingly built its capabilities around cloud-based, AI-driven platforms aimed at helping organisations make their customer interactions more contextual and anticipatory.

In this interview, Sanjay Gupta, who oversees NICE’s business across South Asia and the Middle East, discusses what it means to rethink CX in an AI-first environment—and how enterprises can design systems that understand customer intent from the outset.

CIO&Leader: How do you see customer experience transforming over the next 3–5 years with AI and automation gaining momentum?

SANJAY GUPTA: We're witnessing a fundamental shift in how organisations view and deliver CX. AI is moving from the periphery to the centre. Over the next three to five years, I expect this transformation to accelerate—with AI driving changes across self-service, agent-assisted support, and fully automated interactions.