SAP’s €194 million campus investment signals long-term bet on India
“This investment is an absolute testimony to our belief in what India represents, whether it’s talent, transformation, or the evolution we’ve seen over the last 27 years of our presence here,” said Sindhu Gangadharan, Managing Director of SAP Labs India, in an exclusive interaction with CNBC-TV18.
Gangadharan said that India is not just one of SAP’s fastest-growing markets, it is also the only location globally where the entire breadth of the company’s product portfolio is housed under one roof.
Strategically located near the Bengaluru International Airport, the SAP Labs India Innovation Park will play a key role in enabling SAP’s global customers to unlock business value through enterprise-grade AI, data and application development, all driven from India.
“This campus is a strategic asset in SAP’s global portfolio,” said Thomas Saueressig, Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE for Customer Services and Delivery. “It is a global innovation hub that will help our customers move from insight to action.”
‘Learnability a critical skill’
Sindhu said technology is evolving at such a rapid pace that learnability has become a critical skill. “We place a strong emphasis on qualities like problem-solving, design thinking, and the ability to approach challenges the right way. It’s not just about learning technology, it’s about applying it to solve real-life business problems.”
She added that this focus on application-oriented skills is central to SAP’s talent strategy and hiring approach. “Our continued growth in India is a clear testament to this mindset, and we will keep investing in the location and its talent.”
India’s AI talent advantage
With India housing 16% of the world’s AI talent, Gangadharan said the country holds a leadership position but warned against complacency.
“We must continue investing in deep, application-oriented AI skills among young talent to stay ahead. It’s not just about knowing the tech, but about solving real-world business problems with it.”
At the core of SAP’s talent strategy in India is a focus on learnability, design thinking, and problem-solving. Gangadharan said, “Technology is changing at an unprecedented pace. What matters is how you approach a problem, and how you apply what you learn, not just knowing the tech.”
She pointed out the importance of early intervention in building digital skills, especially in emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing.
Despite the global macroeconomic uncertainty, SAP sees tremendous opportunity to reimagine how core business processes, from financials and supply chain to procurement and manufacturing, are delivered. “These are challenging times, but also phenomenal times for SAP to reimagine how businesses run,” Gangadharan concluded.
Source: www.cnbctv18.com