Wipro expects the next phase of enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) adoption to deepen the role of IT services companies as enterprises move beyond pilot projects to large-scale business transformation, chairman Rishad Premji said on Wednesday. He said organisations would increasingly require partners to redesign workflows, modernise data architecture, build new operating models and deploy AI responsibly, creating long-term opportunities for technology services firms.
Speaking at the company’s 80th annual general meeting (AGM), Premji said AI adoption was no longer about implementing a single technology solution but about managing a multi-year transformation journey. “For most organisations, this will not be a single project or system deployment. It will be a journey of transformation over time,” he said, adding that enterprises would need new capabilities and new ways for people and AI to work together under a framework of responsible AI and governance. Wipro’s long-standing relationships and understanding of clients’ businesses, operating environments and processes would provide it with a competitive advantage as companies scale AI adoption, he added.
Navigating Conservative Enterprise
The comments come at a time when enterprise spending remains cautious despite growing interest in AI-led transformation. For FY26, Wipro’s IT services business reported revenue of $10.5 billion, down 1.6% in constant currency, reflecting a subdued demand environment. However, bookings rose 14% to $16.4 billion, while large deal bookings increased to $7.8 billion as the company signed 50 large deals during the year.
Premji said clients continued to prioritise cost optimisation, operational efficiency and vendor consolidation even as discussions increasingly centred around AI and modernisation. To capture emerging opportunities, Wipro is investing across AI platforms, partnerships and talent. The company has expanded its flagship AI engineering platform WEGA and deployed AI internally to improve productivity, reducing monthly financial closing cycles from 24 hours to eight hours while cutting planning timelines from one month to five days.
Going Beyond Models
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Srini Pallia said successful AI adoption required much more than deploying large language models. “Success in AI is not driven solely by models; it requires integrating domain, process, data, cloud, security and organisational change management,” he said.
Pallia said Wipro’s recently launched AI-Native Business & Platforms Unit will focus on building enterprise-grade small language models tailored for specific industries and sovereign AI requirements. These models will support specialised AI agents and help enterprises deploy AI at lower cost while delivering targeted business outcomes. Alongside product investments, the company is continuing to upskill employees, with a majority of its workforce having completed advanced AI learning programmes and new roles such as AI architects and forward-deployed engineers being scaled across the organisation.