Jaspreet Bindra, Founder, Ai&Beyond, India and Tech Whisperer, UK
India’s IT sector stands at a critical inflection point. The transition from a services-oriented model to a product and intellectual property (IP)-centric ecosystem requires fundamental shifts across multiple dimensions. First, Indian IT firms must substantially increase R&D investments, particularly in emerging fields like AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity. \
This means allocating a higher percentage of revenue to fundamental research rather than focusing primarily on implementation services. Companies like TCS, Infosys, and Wipro have begun this journey, but the investment intensity needs to match global technology leaders who typically dedicate 15-20% of revenue to R&D. Encouraging collaboration between academia, industry, and government institutions will also be critical, enabling India to develop homegrown technological solutions tailored to both domestic needs and global markets.
India must streamline IP processes to ensure quick, efficient, and cost-effective protection of innovations, thereby boosting investor confidence and incentivising companies and entrepreneurs to focus on product development rather than merely services. Talent transformation is another essential pillar. To build cutting-edge products, India needs a workforce skilled in emerging technologies. This demands a comprehensive overhaul of educational curricula as well as internal company training and massive reskilling and upskilling programs.
Established IT firms can drive transformation by creating innovation hubs that operate with startup-like agility while leveraging enterprise resources. These entities should function as independent subsidiaries with specialised compensation structures that attract top-tier research talent globally.
By far the most important part is that the industry requires cultural transformation, embracing calculated risk-taking and tolerating the inevitable failures that accompany breakthrough innovation. The path from services excellence to technology leadership won’t be linear, but by orchestrating these changes, India’s IT sector can emerge as a formidable creator of IP and technological advancement on the global stage.
