US-based IT services provider Kyndryl views India as a key market and a growth engine for its business, particularly in the development and implementation of AI solutions. It feels that Indian businesses are navigating a complex scenario shaped by AI adoption, cybersecurity concerns, and evolving workforce readiness. And that there is a striking gap between AI investments and workforce preparedness. In this interview, Una Pulizzi, Global Head, Corporate Affairs, Kyndryl, and Lingraju Sawkar, president, Kyndryl India, speak to Sudhir Chowdhary on how their solutions help businesses modernise digital infrastructure and build scale. Excerpts:
Why do you consider India a key business opportunity?
Sawkar: India is not just a business opportunity but a source of innovation for us, given its role as one of our largest talent bases and a critical domestic market. Kyndryl operates in 60 countries, managing mission-critical systems in banking, manufacturing, airports etc ensuring daily life continues seamlessly. One among our top 10 countries, many of the platforms and technologies that we are developing for the future are being built in India. The country offers scale, complexity, and frugal engineering, making it a source of innovation.
India has leapfrogged in technology transitions with minimal technical debt, allowing us to accelerate innovation and take unique learning experiences that we can apply globally. When we build for India, we build for the world.
How does Kyndryl’s social impact contribute to India’s growth?
Pulizzi: India, being the first country our Board of Directors visited, has significantly influenced our social impact strategy. During their visit, the Board engaged with various community stakeholders, leading to the creation of Cyber Rakshak, a programme that trains one lakh rural women in cybersecurity and enables them to train others. Additionally, Cyber Sainik, a programme for 25,000 school students, was developed based on feedback from Cyber Rakshak beneficiaries about extending the training to their families. These initiatives inspired us to make cybersecurity skills a key pillar of the Kyndryl Foundation. In its first year, the Kyndryl Foundation worked with 11 nonprofits in seven countries and logged over 500,000 hours of cyber learning.
Can we say that ESG is a key lever for your business goals?
Pulizzi: We are committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and sourcing 100% of electricity from renewables by 2030. To achieve these commitments, we invest in building trust with our people and customers. We have policies that support women talent who are on a break, offering a 6-month learning and adaptation period for them to rejoin. Our recruitment programmes have been adjusted accordingly, bringing in significant talent. We encourage our teams to “walk the floor” of the customer to understand and solve their pain points. This listen-and-learn approach connects technology with human impact and has proven effective for customers like Dr Lal PathLabs.
Are you satisfied with IT adoption among enterprises?
Sawkar: Enterprise IT strategies focus on enhancing customer, employee, and partner experiences by transforming legacy systems into environments that generate business insights. Kyndryl Bridge, an open-integration AI platform, listens to the IT environment, analyses data, prevents issues, and helps teams modernise, plan workloads, and scale. Delivering over 12 million actionable insights monthly, Kyndryl Bridge has helped customers avoid nearly $3 billion in annual downtime costs. It has enabled us to become a fast and agile technology services company focused on customers and employees.
What key trends will shape Kyndryl’s strategy over the next few years?
Sawkar: India’s government is digitally progressive, fostering a vibrant startup ecosystem and enterprises capitalising on GDP growth. Our People Readiness Report shows 95% of companies globally are experimenting with AI, but 71% say their workforce is not fully ready. In India, optimism is higher —8 points above the global average. We are focusing on preparing our workforce and customers for the AI era, ensuring responsible use by developing policies on sharing, applying AI, and managing risks like hallucinations.
