Hyderabad: India needs 10 lakh people trained in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2026 and the technology industry is making significant investments in this, said V. Rajanna, president, of technology, services, and software, TCS. The global AI market, he said, was projected to grow at 40 per cent to reach $42 billion by 2028. India's Niti Aayog also rolled out a national strategy for Artificial Intelligence.
Delivering the keynote address at the annual event of Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (Hysea) here on Wednesday, he said Hyderabad was a pioneer in launching digital citizen services in the country. The city scores over other cities in having a mature ecosystem covering technology, life sciences, academia, industry, and other stakeholders.
AI will have a role in solving broader issues in healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance and extending various citizen services. AI can reduce the average handling time by 40 per cent across segments. The use cases are endless, he said.
In the societal context, the Telangana government has successfully leveraged AI to bring efficiency in agriculture, Rajanna said.
TCS was committed to Telangana state as Hyderabad has been an integral part of TCS’ growth plans. Hyderabad is the second largest centre for TCS globally and will look to maintain the pace of growth, he said.
C.P. Gurnani, TechM former chief executive officer and managing director, who was bestowed with the Lifetime Achievement Award, said India's journey to a $5 trillion economy will be influenced by AI, a thought echoed by Microsoft chief Satya Nadella. "AI should reach a stage of being an operating system (OS) to impact society in multiple ways," he said.
Gurnani has been a key official in ensuring continuity after Satyam Computers was acquired by Tech Mahindra. A majority of the revenue for TechM comes from the acquisition. Hyderabad will continue to be an important part of Tech Mahindra, he said.
