Hyderabad: In a step towards its expansion in India, AHEAD, a leading provider of cloud, data, and engineering solutions, opened its office in Hyderabad. The strategic move reflects the company’s vision to fortify the brand in Southern India.
The organization intends to add at least 500 jobs in the city by the end of 2025. Hyderabad has the reputation of being India’s premiere IT hub, thus it’s only logical that AHEAD is looking at leveraging the city’s rich pool of skilled professionals. It is worth mentioning here that the company already has a dedicated delivery office in Gurugram, which opened last year. The Hyderabad establishment only reaffirms the company’s commitment to growth and considerable contribution to the local employment market.
Praveen Grover, Vice President and Managing Director, AHEAD India, said, “We are excited to establish our presence in Hyderabad. Our goal is to hire over 500 employees in Hyderabad by the end of 2025, focusing on skilled professionals in areas like ServiceNow, storage, and data protection.”
Why Hyderabad? “The talent pool located in Hyderabad complements our existing talent base in North India,” says Praveen Grover.
Looking to add 750 employees in India by the end of 2024, the company is set for significant expansion. AHEAD’s annual revenue has crossed $4 billion, and the company has set a goal of reaching $6 billion by 2027.
The expansion into Hyderabad is driven by the growing demand for professionals in the IT services in India and the challenges of finding skilled professionals in the US.
Keith Odom, Senior Vice President of Infrastructure and Operations, AHEAD, stated, “Our Hyderabad office will play a crucial role in delivering high-quality services to our clients. We are committed to growth and significant contributions to local employment markets.”
The company’s growth strategy focuses on both financials and headcount, with a target of 30% growth in both areas. The company is open to exploring tier 2 centers in India, but currently prioritizes established locations like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Pune for their niche, senior-level talent needs.
The US market is facing a talent shortage, making it difficult to find skilled professionals. Keith Odom says, “The market for certain talent in the US, there’s just no resources available. Trying to find a ServiceNow developer or architect in the US, takes a long time and you are going to pay a lot because there’s only one available.”
AHEAD is thrilled to contribute to be a part of the IT industry growth story in the city by creating new job opportunities for skilled professionals in the city. The company’s long-term strategy is to establish itself as a leading IT services provider in India.
When asked about the addressable market, Praveen Grover shared, “The IT spend in the US is our primary market. While recessionary situations may impact growth, our experience suggests a strong demand for our services.”
Adding further on the challenges of finding skilled professionals in the US, Keith Odom said, “The US market is facing a talent shortage, making it difficult to find skilled professionals. India offers a vast pool of talented individuals, making it an attractive location for our expansion.”
When asked about the plan for the Hyderabad center, Praveen Grover said, "We are starting with a plan for about 500 people. We're looking at pretty much everything that you would find in a data center or software development firms.”
As AHEAD continues to grow and expand, its commitment to India remains strong, driven by the country’s abundant talent pool and growing reputation as the most sought after country for IT professionals.
