India To Lead in the Era Of Intelligent Automation: Arundhati Bhattacharya Tracing the evolution of AI over the years, Arundhati Bhattacharya, chairperson, Salesforce India & South Asia, further emphasized the rise of agentic AI, which is redefining the way businesses operate
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"With access to some of the richest datasets for AI, India is poised to lead in this era of intelligent automation. In a country as vast and diverse as India, Agentforce can accelerate our transition into a digitally empowered economy—unlocking new opportunities, bridging digital divides, and driving inclusive growth. At Salesforce, we are committed to making AI a force for good—fueling innovation, driving business success, and empowering communities. Together, we can shape a future where AI drives meaningful impact—not just for businesses, but for India as a whole," said Arundhati Bhattacharya, President & Chairperson, Salesforce - India & South Asia.
In today's constantly evolving AI landscape, innovations like autonomous agents are emerging so quickly that businesses struggle to keep pace. Partnerships are required to provide crucial flexibility, empowering customers to develop tailored AI solutions that meet their specific needs, rather than being locked into a single model provider. Recently, Salesforce and Google announced a major expansion of their strategic partnership, delivering choice in the models and capabilities businesses use to build and deploy AI-powered agents.
Agentic AI isn't just emerging, it's already here and represents a $2 trillion market opportunity, according to a study from Salesforce. In fact, 84 per cent of CIOs believe AI will be as significant to businesses as the Internet. To fully realize this potential, businesses need an agentic strategy with openness, trust, and choice at the center. Agentic AI is the technology that powers AI agents so they can act autonomously without human oversight.
In the five years since she joined, the global company has invested in the Indian market. "In order to support hiring and expansion plans, there will be some investment in commercial real estate. We have intermediate plans to expand our offices, not immediately but in the near future." The global tech giant clocked a revenue of $34.9 billion in 2024. The India business has grown six times from INR 1,505 crore in FY20 to INR 9,117 crore in FY24, a compounded annual growth rate(CAGR) of over 43 per cent, under Bhattacharya's leadership. Bhattacharya is responsible for an amazing team that has grown from strength-to-strength. She is driving innovation from India at a time when every firm is a technology company.
She was speaking at the first edition of The Great India AI Summit, bringing together India's top business leaders, AI pioneers, and industry experts to discuss the future of AI-driven transformation.
