Vijay Rajagopalan

India has built the most advanced Public digital infrastructure in the world. Aadhar: Universal digital identity UPI: real-time money movement ONDC: Open digital commerce Account Aggregators: Data Portability DigiLocker: Verified docs in your pocket In the west, this is still very fragmented. In India, it’s been live and at scale. The Indian digital stack is India’s secret weapon. It’s why so many Indian companies can grow super fast without burning a ton of cash. We’re just getting started. 🇮🇳🚀

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Entrepreneurship is about seeing possibilities where others see limits. Building InMobi and Glance was never about following a plan. It was about adapting, pushing boundaries, and staying the course through uncertainty. AI is at a similar inflection point. India may not lead in AI infrastructure, but we excel in applications - fine-tuning models, building real solutions, and scaling fast. The real impact lies in how we use AI, not just in how we build it. Thank you, Entrepreneur India and Ritu Marya, for capturing this journey of resilience and innovation. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gQEFgnK5 #india #entrepreneurship #startup #technology #future #growth

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AI is supposed to replace IT jobs, yet Indian IT services are still growing at 6-8%. The counter-intuitive truth most are missing. I'm interested to see if Indian IT's 6-8% projected growth for FY26 signals a strategic shift rather than just resilience. Here's what I'm noticing: The $283 billion sector is focusing less on headcount growth and more on AI integration and productivity. BFSI and retail segments show modest recovery, growing at 3-5%, while manufacturing and healthcare remain at low single digits. Companies are eyeing strategic acquisitions to enhance digital capabilities rather than organic expansion. IT spending patterns are shifting toward efficiency, consolidation, and cost optimization. According to Crisil Ratings: - Despite global headwinds, operating margins remain healthy at 22-23%. - Attrition is stabilizing around 13%, suggesting workforce normalization. - The integration of GenAI could boost productivity by 43-45% over five years. - Companies are maintaining cautious hiring strategies while optimizing the onshore/offshore mix. A big part of navigating the IT services landscape will come from: - Understanding that productivity, not headcount, is the new growth metric - Recognizing that AI integration is becoming a competitive necessity, not just a differentiator - Accepting that the days of double-digit growth may be over, but profitability can still increase - Preparing for more M&A activity as firms look to acquire specialized capabilities What's your take? Is the Indian IT sector transitioning to a new growth model, or is this just a temporary adjustment? I'm visiting Bangalore and Delhi this month, and I'm on a mission. I specialize in connecting ambitious and innovative individuals and groups from India's growing business ecosystem with global industry leaders: - Hollywood/entertainment - Silicon Valley/tech - Madison Ave/advertising - Wall Street/finance The business world has changed.  Geographic boundaries no longer limit collaboration.  What's needed are the right connections, people who understand both worlds and can facilitate meaningful relationships. As someone who has worked across these industries, I've seen firsthand how these connections can transform businesses and careers.  The perspective, resources, and opportunities that come from cross-industry collaboration are unmatched. During my visit, I'm looking specifically to meet with: - Programmers with innovative solutions - Consultants with unique methodologies - Outsourcing experts with scalable models - AI specialists pushing technological boundaries My goal isn't just networking; it's creating meaningful connections that result in concrete opportunities for growth and innovation. ♻️ please share to inspire + grow your network 💚 follow me if you like for more such posts 🙂

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Much of the constant complaining about fundamentally unfixable problems in midsized & large companies is not from a genuine drive to actually fix things — the leaders doing this complaining are smart-enough to logically conclude that some things are unfixable. This complaining is however a socially acceptable excuse for mediocre or worse outcomes. Truly high agency people don’t know how to complain as much as the norm is in such companies — they are in fact unaware of the degree to which their peers complain in their 1:1s with their SVP/CEO. This is all well and good for the company, but it results in suboptimal later-career outcomes for these high agency people in such companies because, without the constant complaining, no one realizes how remarkable their achievements & results are.

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✨ 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝟒 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐈 𝐊𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐧 — 𝐀 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐈 ✨ We're thrilled to unveil Cohort 4 of the AI Kiran initiative - bringing our verified community to over 3,200 women shaping the future of AI across India. This growing cohort spans across four powerful categories: ➡️ 𝐀𝐈 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬: Academics, researchers, and social innovators driving AI for impact ➡️ 𝐀𝐈 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐬: Industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and builders applying AI at scale ➡️ 𝐀𝐈 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬: Students, early-career learners, and self-taught technologists  ➡️ 𝐀𝐈 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: Behind-the-scenes talent working on data annotation, model training, testing, and enablement With each new phase, AI Kiran deepens its commitment to inclusive innovation - ensuring that the women building the AI ecosystem, at every level, are seen, supported, and celebrated. We’re especially grateful to Priyanka Kamath and 100 GIGA (Powered By Fem-Led Agentic), whose early partnership and belief in this mission helped shape and support this latest cohort. Their advocacy for women-led innovation and ground-up empowerment aligns deeply with AI Kiran’s goals. 🔗 Full list in comments 📝 Keep nominating amazing women in AI — link below AI Kiran — A national initiative by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Verix and INKWomen. We are so grateful to have a network of incredible knowledge partners who bring depth, data, and reach to AI Kiran’s mission: AnitaB.org India, Aspire For Her, Karya, nasscom, Neythri.org, SheTO, The Udaiti Foundation, Youth Ki Awaaz, 100 GIGA (Powered By Fem-Led Agentic), NextWealth, and more to come. #AIKiran #WomenInAI #womenleaders #IndiaAI #VerixVerified #DigitalTrust #LeadershipInTech #NextGenAI #InclusiveInnovation #FutureOfAI Saurabh Doshi, Cindy Prince Baum, Shagufta D., Tushar Tidke, Jawad Mohammed ↗️, Lisha Lamba, Pooja Ravi, Palkan Chavda

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The GCC-IT Services Paradox: Why Tomorrow's Winners Choose Collaboration Over Competition Are GCCs Killing IT Services—Or Creating the Most Powerful Partnership in Tech History? Here's what's keeping C-suites awake: India now hosts over 1,600 GCCs, employing 1.5 million professionals and contributing $40 billion to services exports. Traditional IT services face headwinds. So, is this a zero-sum game? The answer surprised even me after three decades in technology leadership. The myth: GCCs are replacing IT services. The reality: The best organisations are orchestrating both to unlock unprecedented innovation velocity. I've witnessed this transformation firsthand across my consulting assignments in BFSI, healthcare, automotive, and telecom. Here's what changed: The outsourcing playbook of the 2000s—cost arbitrage and labour arbitrage—is dead. Today's game is about generative AI integration, quantum-ready architectures, edge computing capabilities, and resilient ecosystems that navigate geopolitical fragmentation. GCCs bring strategic alignment and long-term ownership. IT services bring specialised expertise and rapid deployment. When you architect these as complementary forces rather than competitors, magic happens. Consider this: the half-life of technical skills has collapsed to under three years. Leaders who view this as an HR problem will lose. Leaders who treat talent transformation as a C-suite strategic imperative will win. From my decades leading digital transformation initiatives: Traditional roles are declining. AI engineering, cybersecurity architecture, and sustainable tech design are surging by double digits annually. The question isn't whether to adapt—it's whether you'll lead the adaptation or watch from the sidelines. Three Decisive Actions for Leaders: A.   Architect for collaboration, not competition. B.    Make talent transformation a board-level priority. Invest in continuous learning pathways focused on generative AI, advanced analytics, and zero-trust architectures. C.    Measure what matters. Move beyond activity metrics to innovation velocity, customer impact, and strategic differentiation. The convergence of GCCs and IT services will define the next decade of global competitiveness. The organisations that master collaborative innovation will lead. Those clinging to outdated models will follow. My question to you: Are you building ecosystems for collaboration or competition? What's the most significant barrier you face in creating these partnerships? Interested to know more? Read the full article in Business World:  https://lnkd.in/dtEhyHfB Nexora Tech Solutions BW Businessworld #DigitalTransformation #GCC #ITServices #FutureOfWork #AILeadership #TechInnovation #CXOInsights #StrategicLeadership #GlobalCapabilityCenters #EnterpriseArchitecture #GenerativeAI #TalentTransformation #TechTrends #InnovationEcosystems

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When leaders who built Silicon Valley and India’s digital backbone talk about AI’s future, it’s a masterclass for the builders of tomorrow. AI: Disrupt or Design? 🚀 Featuring insights from Vinod Khosla and Nandan Nilekani In an era where every engineer is being challenged to rethink the future, getting perspectives from the minds shaping technology itself is not just valuable — it’s essential. I’ve put together a crisp slide deck summarizing contrasting views from two legends: Vinod Khosla: Betting big on AI disruption, massive automation, and Universal Basic Income. Nandan Nilekani: Championing human+AI collaboration, scalable adoption through digital public goods, and responsible innovation. Engineers, technologists, creators — this is your cue. Whether you choose to disrupt or design, the future is yours to shape. #AI #Engineering #TechLeadership #Innovation #FutureOfWork

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If you're following the Account Aggregator framework in India, you'll know that it's already the world's largest open banking implementation. Just like that, quietly in the background, with not much fanfare or posturing. The flipside to building quietly in the background is some false narratives and convenient myths. This is our attempt to demystify. Myths: 1. The Account Aggregator framework is a commodity. 2. RBI has standardized all APIs, so there's no opportunity to differentiate. 3. It doesn't matter which AA or TSP you work with, you'll get the same results. Facts: 1. It takes world-class engineering talent to build digital public infrastructure at citizen scale. 2. It takes unparalleled commitment for a B2B SaaS platform player to understand and build B2C solutions at unprecedented scale. 3. It takes decades' worth of experience working with regulated entities to build these solutions with compliance embedded in code. 4. It takes vision and strategic backing to build patiently for the long term. Do read this excellent blog by our unheralded magicians working quietly in the engine room. Building and scaling an AA network is not for the faint-hearted. At Anumati, we are fortunate to have Perfios as a partner. Thanks to their engineering excellence, we're able to deliver great experiences to citizens and a trusted and scalable solution to financial institutions. If you're looking for excellence, talk to us Anumati by Perfios AA Perfios Sagar Bodapati Kunal Kishan Amandeep Singh Vinay Sathyanarayan Sumit Nigam Krishna Chaitanya B Kantharaju H Gouda #accountaggregation #opendata #openfinance #openbanking #citizenscale #digitalpublicinfrastructure #dpi #consentmanagement #engineeringexcellence #leadership #vision

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