How SAP is Localizing Innovation and Leading Intelligent Enterprise Shift

Ashwani Narang, Head of Finance & Spend Management—India Subcontinent, SAP discusses how SAP is localizing AI, cloud, and compliance to accelerate India's intelligent enterprise journey.

- By Jagrati Rakheja

Ashwani Narang Head of Finance & Spend ManageIndia Subcontinent ment SAP

AS INDIAN enterprises focus on AI, cloud-native models, and sustainable growth, SAP aligns its strategy with the nation's digital ambitions. In this exclusive interview, Ashwani Narang, Head of Finance & Spend Management— India Subcontinent at SAP, discusses how the company enables enterprises to innovate faster, operate more efficiently, and remain compliant with evolving regulations.

From embedding generative and agentic AI into core applications like finance, HR, and supply chain to building API-driven integrations with initiatives like ONDC and GST, SAP drives meaningful outcomes at scale. Narang also highlights the significance of SAP's ₹500 crore India Data Center investment and how nearly 25% of the company's new patents now originate from India. With a new R&D campus underway, SAP is strengthening its commitment to innovation, localization, and customer-centric transformation, empowering Indian enterprises to become truly intelligent and future-ready.

CIO&Leader: What role do you play in ensuring a strong AI-driven foundation, particularly in the context of SAP India's data center infrastructure?

ASHWANI NARANG: The roadmap for us is clear on AI. Now, if you look at it—if I draw a big sphere for you—you would see that AI is right at the top. You have ML, which is machine learning, as a subset; then you have deep learning, which is more focused on neural networks; and finally, we are getting down to generative AI. The roadmap is pretty straightforward for us.