Davos 2026: NTT Data CEO says "India is the innovation and delivery hub globally"

During the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, discussions on artificial intelligence have evolved from mere speculation to practical considerations of global infrastructure and economic delivery. NTT Data, a $100 billion conglomerate, is at the forefront of this shift, with CEO Abhijit Dubey emphasizing India's crucial position in the era of 'agentic transformation.' Dubey asserts that India has transcended its historical role as the 'back office' of the world, emerging as a vibrant innovation center. He remarked on the transformation within the IT sector, stating, "It’s been about cost arbitrage at the end of the day. And I think now we’re going to move into a world of skills arbitrage, where, as service providers, we have better skills on AI than, of course, our clients... and India has the opportunity to really be that hub." This evolution is supported by substantial investments. NTT Data, which employs a significant workforce in India, has already committed $3 billion to data centers, with an additional $1.5 billion planned. Dubey highlighted the ongoing demand for AI infrastructure as the Indian private sector rapidly professionalizes, noting, "We still see enormous growth in the digital infrastructure space in India." However, the path to AI leadership is not without challenges. Dubey acknowledged the potential for a short-term market correction in 2026, pointing out a mismatch between the rapid expansion of infrastructure and the slower growth of enterprise demand. He stated, "At some point, you see that the build-out is happening much faster than the diffusion of the enterprise in terms of demand," but expressed confidence that this would be a temporary phase as technology accelerates. In the ongoing conversation about tech sovereignty, Dubey argued that India’s true strength lies in practical applications rather than merely creating foundational models. "The real value of AI is the use cases that you unleash on top," he explained. "If we can unleash mass intelligence into India and drive a level of productivity that we’ve never seen before... to me, that is the most important thing."