Wipro's AI push frees capacity equivalent to 20,000 workers, CTO says

Wipro's chief technology officer, Sandhya Arun, revealed that the company's AI initiatives have boosted productivity to the level of 20,000 employees, who have since been reassigned within the Indian IT firm. This is part of Wipro's transition to a human-AI operating model, as the company seeks to harness the power of artificial intelligence to enhance various aspects of its operations.

India's software services industry, which generated $315 billion in revenue last year, is undergoing significant changes as it integrates AI into its processes. These changes are affecting hiring practices, software development, and contract management. Wipro, with a workforce of around 243,000 employees as of June, is leading the way in this transition by investing heavily in AI-related training and certifications for its workforce.

More than 100,000 Wipro employees have received advanced AI training, and the company aims to further expand its pool of forward-deployed engineers, which could reach up to 100,000 in the coming years. These engineers will work alongside clients to accelerate AI adoption, replacing traditional roles that may no longer be necessary in an AI-driven environment.

Wipro's chairman, Rishad Premji, has emphasized the importance of this shift, noting that India's largest software services exporter expects the number of employees and AI agents in its workforce to become equal in the near future. This trend is also being followed by other major players in the industry, such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys, which plan to deploy up to 8,900 and 6,000 forward-deployed engineers, respectively, over the next few years.

While Arun declined to provide a specific target for Wipro's forward-deployed workforce, she stressed that the company's efforts align with its peers in this regard. However, Arun cautioned against focusing too much on the number of AI agents, arguing that the real challenge lies in ensuring that all engineers develop the skills needed to work effectively with AI systems.

Arun emphasized that the shift from productivity to outcomes is crucial, as AI should be evaluated based on its impact on customer experience, revenue generation, and overall business goals. Wipro, being the only one among India's top four IT companies that does not disclose its AI revenue, is still in the early stages of monetizing AI.

The company's investment in AI-related training and ecosystem partnerships is comparable to its competitors, but it lags behind in commercialization maturity, according to Manoj Chandra Jha, a principal analyst at Nord-IQ Research.