IBM CEO Arvind Krishna reiterates intent to expand operations in India

Stressing that tech giant IBM has an incredible focus on India, its CEO Arvind Krishna on Tuesday reiterated that the company is on the path to expand its operations and services in the country.

IBM currently employs 380,000 people serving clients in 170 countries and India has the highest number of IBMers outside of the US -- a key research and innovation hub for the tech giant that set up its first office in the country almost 26 years back.

"We have a lot of collaborations in India and the regulatory framework promotes export of our services from the country," Krishna said during a virtual media interaction.

"We are really proud that we provide services to the country's private sector banks, public sector banks, telecom companies and organisations in various other sectors," he emphasised, adding that the company is set to expand its services in the country.


"The Indian market is very vibrant. To leverage this market further, organisations will have to have robust digital infrastructure which present an opportunity for us, as without digital infrastructure, organisations will find it hard to take their services to wider audience," he noted.

As IBM spins out a new company, Krishna recently said that it will have a separate leadership team in India.

However, people working for IBM India have nothing to worry as the IBM CEO said that he expects the employees to be accommodated in one company or the other.


"I do not expect the creation of the new company to have any material impact in India," Krishna had told reporters in a call, adding that there will be nothing "controversial".

"This is not a restructuring, this is a spin out," he said.

IBM will separate its Managed Infrastructure Services unit of its Global Technology Services division into a new public company.


The yet to be named new company is currently codenamed "NewCo".

Krishna, who guides IBM's overall strategy in core and emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum computing, Blockchain, Cloud platform services, data-driven solutions and nanotechnology, has the task at hand to tap the growing talent pool in new-age technologies and leverage the true potential.

Today, IBM powers two of the largest telcos in India, nine out of 10 top banks, 2/3rd of milk and dairy products industry, country's largest airport (traffic), etc are run and managed by IBM.


Krishna, an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K), knows the potential the country has and has gone bullish on India, especially on the R&D and innovation to create for the world.

IBM's businesses in India include Cloud and Cognitive Solutions (including RedHat and Watson), Services, Systems, Security, The Weather Company (an IBM business), R&D labs and client innovation centres.- IANS