How IBM Consulting is reshaping enterprise transformation with Al, trust and hybrid delivery models

IBM Consulting is blending human expertise, AI and hybrid delivery to drive real transformation, build trust and deliver measurable impact for enterprises across India.

- By Shrikanth G

As AI matures from experimentation to enterprise-scale deployment, the fundamental question has shifted from investment to impact. Yet many organisations still struggle to translate bold intentions into measurable outcomes. In an exclusive conversation with Dataquest, Rishi Aurora, Managing Partner for IBM Consulting India and South Asia, offers a candid view of how IBM Consulting is helping enterprises bridge this gap by embedding AI, automation and trusted data across every layer of transformation. He reflects on the changing expectations of CEOs, the rise of hybrid consulting, and the new operating playbook taking shape across India's digital economy. Excerpts.

IBM has been part of India's technology story for decades. As AI reshapes enterprise priorities, how would you describe IBM Consulting's evolution and the value clients now expect from you?

Clients come to us for work that is truly transformational, innovative and value driven. Over the past few years, we have supported the creation of several digital banks, strengthened finance and accounting operations, and scaled our partnerships with Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, Adobe, Salesforce and Palo Alto. We also run multiple security operations centres in India.

What has changed most is how central AI has become. A few years ago, AI featured in occasional discussions. Today, it is part of every client engagement. We are in the era of agentic AI and the older delivery approaches no longer work.

Our playbook now focuses on moving clients from investment to impact. It is not only about deploying AI but ensuring measurable business outcomes. With AI, automation and hybrid cloud, we see a strong opportunity to help clients lead in innovation, security and trust.