Prabhakar Appana said that the massive pool of trained professionals symbolises India's emerging expertise in cloud computing and AI. (Express Image/FreePik)
“In terms of skill, technological capability, and adoption of industry-specific use cases, India has got everything,” said Prabhakar Appana, SVP and Head of AWS Ecosystem at HCLTech. With the rapid adoption of cloud computing, AI, and digital transformation, India’s tech sector seems to be consolidating its position as a global leader. Companies like HCLTech are at the forefront, driving innovation and accelerating cloud adoption across diverse industries.
In a recent interview with indianexpress.com, Appana threw light on how India’s technology landscape is undergoing transformation, powered by innovation, government initiatives, and collaboration with hyperscalers like Amazon Web Services (AWS). “India is going to be the powerhouse of technology, considering data and generative AI,” said Appana, drawing from his extensive 25-year international experience in Europe and the US. “Many global clients, be it AWS, Microsoft, Google, NVIDIA, or AMD… are powered by Indian technology and people.”
You have exhausted your monthly limit of free stories.
Read more stories for free with an Express account.
Appana said that the Indian government’s proactive approach to technology advancement is offering the perfect ground for innovation. The HCLTech executive highlighted recent developments in the semiconductor industry. “The focus on semiconductor and chip manufacturing, and the investments that the government is making specifically on this and some collaborations, I think it’s a beautiful way forward,” he said.
HCLTech has been contributing to India’s tech ecosystem significantly, especially in enabling skilled professionals. Appana said that the company, in collaboration with AWS, has trained around 34,500 people and certified 22,000 people. According to him, this massive pool of trained professionals symbolises India’s emerging expertise in cloud computing and AI.
On partnership with AWS
One of the significant aspects of the ongoing transformation is enterprises leveraging partnerships with hyperscalers to harness the best of emerging technologies. HCLTech’s collaboration with AWS exemplifies this transformation, focusing on generative AI, industry-specific solutions, and sustainability. During the conversation, Appana shared insights about the nuances of the collaboration between AWS and HCLTech.
“We started our AWS relationship roughly around three years back. Today, we have grown from four to 36 competencies, placing us among the top four global system integrators,” he said.
According to the executive, HCLTech’s rapid growth is owing to its commitment to cloud transformation. With over 25 industry-oriented solutions, the company helps businesses accelerate cloud transformation, service delivery, and value realisation. “Our solutions are industry-focused and differentiate how we accelerate conversations for cloud transformation, data, and generative AI,” he added.
Story continues below this ad
Appana revealed that generative AI has emerged as one of the key focus areas of HCLTech. The company’s AI Force initiative, powered by AWS technologies like Amazon Bedrock and SageMaker, automates and enhances service delivery.
Generative AI use cases
“AI Force automates the software development life cycle, or SDLC model, underpinned by generative AI competencies,” Appana explained, adding that his company has integrated it with Anthropic Claude via AWS. He said that as a launch partner for AWS’ generative AI services, HCLTech has evolved from a proof-of-concept (POC) initiative to productionised use cases.
Even though cloud adoption is accelerating, it is not without challenges. Appana said that challenges in cloud adoption persist when it comes to engineering and product design. The executive said that HCLTech addresses these through its AI Function framework that prioritizes data quality and security. “We focus on aligning systems, reducing technical debt, and enabling newer technologies while maintaining regulatory compliance.”
Talking about the future roadmap with AWS, Appana said that HCLTech continues to strengthen its collaboration by integrating new services and expanding capabilities. “Many HCL Software products are on the AWS Marketplace. We’re leveraging services like Amazon RDS and EKS to improve operational efficiency and scalability.”
Bijin Jose, an Assistant Editor at Indian Express Online in New Delhi, is a technology journalist with a portfolio spanning various prestigious publications. Starting as a citizen journalist with The Times of India in 2013, he transitioned through roles at India Today Digital and The Economic Times, before finding his niche at The Indian Express. With a BA in English from Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara, and an MA in English Literature, Bijin's expertise extends from crime reporting to cultural features. With a keen interest in closely covering developments in artificial intelligence, Bijin provides nuanced perspectives on its implications for society and beyond. ... Read More
Technology on smartphone reviews, in-depth reports on privacy and security, AI, and more. We aim to simplify the most complex developments and make them succinct and accessible for tech enthusiasts and all readers. Stay updated with our daily news stories, monthly gadget roundups, and special reports and features that explore the vast possibilities of AI, consumer tech, quantum computing, etc.on smartphone reviews, in-depth reports on privacy and security, AI, and more. We aim to simplify the most complex developments and make them succinct and accessible for tech enthusiasts and all readers. Stay updated with our daily news stories, monthly gadget roundups, and special reports and features that explore the vast possibilities of AI, consumer tech, quantum computing, etc.
