At a time when regulatory requirements and compliance frameworks have become mission-critical, Sajiv Nair emphasizes the importance of localizing encryption processes, aligning with Indian directives, and maintaining agile, secure cloud infrastructures. In this exclusive interview with CIO&Leader, Sajiv Nair, CIO and CISO at ESDS Software Solution Ltd, discusses how AI-driven strategies are reshaping next-generation data center management—from predictive maintenance and real-time threat detection to more flexible approaches that help enterprises avoid vendor lock-in.
Nair’s perspective offers senior IT leaders a roadmap for navigating escalating cyber threats and evolving regulatory mandates. He shares insights into harnessing AI to optimize resources, scale cloud operations, and deliver intelligence-driven security measures—all while ensuring that mission-critical data and processes remain within Indian borders. Below are edited excerpts:
CIO and CISO,
ESDS Software Solution Ltd
CIO&Leader: What role do you envision AI playing in next-gen data center management, and how does ESDS plan to integrate AI-driven solutions to optimize performance, reduce costs, and enhance security?
Sajiv Nair: AI has an impact on the management of next-generation data centers. It automates complex tasks, boosts productivity, and strengthens cybersecurity. We apply AI-based tools to improve predictive analytics. This allows them to maintain infrastructure before issues arise cutting downtime and making the most of their resources.
AI-based automation helps balance workloads, conserve energy, and cut down on operating expenses which are on the rise. By using AI to spot unusual activity, we can identify and handle potential security risks in real-time. What’s more, their AI-driven cloud infrastructure management ensures smooth scaling, cost reductions, and compliance with tough regulatory standards.
With an AI-powered security operations centre, we provide organisation with threat intelligence but also actionable intelligence to remediate alert and incidence while also providing incidence response services that covers the complete gamut, this creates a safe and stable cloud environment.
CIO&Leader: With most encryption keys and certificates for foreign CSPs generated offshore, how does ESDS ensure sovereignty over encryption processes and maintain robust security standards entirely within Indian borders?
Sajiv Nair: We prioritise data sovereignty by ensuring that encryption keys and certificates remain exclusively within India.
Our Government Community Cloud (GCC) adheres to MeitY’s data localization guidelines, ensuring end-to-end encryption processes that remain within Indian data centers. Leveraging on our expertise in managing company security and IT operations of various organisations we are able to architect customised solutions that can be integrated with our end-to-end offerings
Through integration with SOC monitoring and machine-learning-based threat detection, we maintain compliance with India’s strict cybersecurity regulations while offering customers complete control over their encryption keys. This clubbed with our ability to provide managed cloud from India through Indian Internet Protocol ensuring not only compliance but also addressing security concern.
CIO&Leader: What are the biggest challenges—technical, regulatory, or market-related—in developing a fully indigenous cloud infrastructure, and how is ESDS collaborating with government bodies or other stakeholders to overcome them?
Sajiv Nair: Building a cloud setup is not an easy task. Companies face tough rules, need top-notch online safety, and have to compete with big global names in the field. On the tech side cloud providers must use AI-powered safety tools to fight off threats like AI-driven DDoS attacks, shape-shifting viruses, and data-napping software. To tackle this, we have gone back to basics. We offer complete online defense plans covering everything from watching over security operations to gathering intel.
On the regulatory front, India’s data sovereignty laws necessitate robust compliance frameworks. We collaborate with MeitY and government bodies to align its cloud offerings with Make in India initiatives. Our Government Community Cloud ensures localized data hosting, encryption, and regulatory adherence.
Market-wise, we differentiate ourselves by offering cost-effective, security outsourcing with intelligence, and managed services tailored to different industry verticals. Our adaptability to evolving threats and compliance standards keeps us at the forefront of India’s indigenous cloud ecosystem.
CIO&Leader: ESDS recently announced plans to onboard 300 AI engineers and significantly expand its data center footprint. How do you see these moves shaping the company’s product roadmap and future services?
Sajiv Nair: With an increase in AI-based cyberattacks, our direction is to create next-generation cloud security products that can pre-emptively defend against increasingly sophisticated attack avenues, including AI-based phishing, deepfake scams, and autonomous DDoS attacks.
Our larger team will spearhead innovations in AI-enabled SOCs, smart workload optimization, and data center predictive maintenance. As the focus on automation grows, we envision improving cloud scalability at lower operational costs for businesses.
In addition, our expanding data center presence bolsters our position in India’s cloud infrastructure, enabling mission-critical workloads and meeting rigorous data localization requirements.
With AI-driven innovations, we are creating a future where cloud security, efficiency, and regulatory compliance blend together seamlessly—providing CIOs with a highly secure, scalable, and sovereign cloud environment.
CIO&Leader: In the face of potential geopolitical tensions or conflicts, what contingency plans or fail-safes has ESDS put in place to ensure uninterrupted services for businesses that rely heavily on cloud-based operations?
Sajiv Nair: In an increasingly dynamic geopolitical environment, we have evolved a multi-pronged contingency plan to ensure business continuity for organizations that depend on our cloud-based solutions.
We employ data centers across India, ensuring failover capabilities in case of regional disruptions. Our AI-driven security framework continuously monitors and mitigates cyber threats, and AI-generated malware.
With AI-driven orchestration and risk assessments made possible, we actively defend cloud ecosystems against growing threats. Further, our managed cloud offerings adheres to all the regulations laid down by the governance of India to mitigate reliance upon overseas cloud infrastructure exposed to geo-political sensitivities.
We also work with national cybersecurity organizations, bolstering our active defence measures. Our multi-cloud hybrid strategy enables businesses to stay resilient by spreading workloads across secure, sovereign cloud platforms—guaranteeing seamless business continuity.
CIO&Leader: What would be your advice to CIOs who are looking to avoid vendor lock-in and keep their cloud architecture open and flexible, especially when facing strong pressures from these established global players?
Sajiv Nair: CIOs need a cloud sovereignty, flexibility, and security priority while choosing cloud service providers. Vendor lock-in avoidance needs to be strategically planned, which involves embracing open standards, utilizing hybrid and multi-cloud architectures, and having full control over encryption processes.
With cyber threats escalating by the minute—AI-driven, ransomware becoming more complex—CIOs need to select cloud partners that have strong, AI-based security infrastructures. Our AI-driven SOC and zero-trust architecture deliver enterprises with superior threat detection, shielding their cloud workloads while ensuring agility.
Besides, partnering with Make in India cloud providers helps with compliance to data localization regulations as well as preventing risks from foreign CSP dependencies. CIOs need to find partners who can provide flexibility, compliance, and security so they can undergo seamless digital transformation and have full control over their cloud ecosystem.