
Senior Vice President & Head – India Region,
Tata Communications
In a recent conversation with CIO&Leader, Arijit Bonnerjee, Senior Vice President & Head – India Region at Tata Communications, shares his insights into today’s evolving tech landscape and how the fusion of AI, cloud, and high-performance computing is transforming how enterprises approach decision-making. With over 26 years of experience in technology and leading large enterprise teams, Bonnerjee now oversees Tata Communications’ operations in India.
Before Tata Comm, he spent two decades at IBM, leading banking and financial services across India and South Asia. Bonnerjee has seen a significant shift in how firms must adopt and use technology. His banking experience taught him that businesses must either transform or fade. He believes this lesson is more important than ever. As technology becomes increasingly complex, Bonnerjee argues that the winners will be those who not only understand each new tool but also how they work together. Edited excerpts are below:
CIO&Leader: What trends do you foresee shaping the IT landscape, particularly in areas like cloud infrastructure, AI/ML, and high-performance computing?
Arijit Bonnerjee: The IT landscape is entering an era defined by ‘intelligent convergence’ — where cloud, artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), and high-performance computing will intersect to fuel next-gen enterprise transformation.
With regard to cloud computing, we are witnessing a surge in hyper-scalable, decentralised cloud models that empower organisations to move workloads seamlessly across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, while addressing concerns around vendor lock-in and performance optimisation.
In parallel, AI/ML is no longer an emerging technology — it is becoming the core engine for enterprise growth. The integration of AI/ML into business processes, therefore, is no longer optional; it is a necessity for organisations aiming to remain competitive.
From predictive analytics to generative AI, enterprises are racing to harness AI for decision-making, automation, and innovation. Add to this, the advancements in high-performance computing, and you have a trifecta that is accelerating industries like manufacturing, logistics, finance, and healthcare.
Edge computing, in particular, is gaining traction, allowing data processing closer to the source. This is crucial for applications requiring real-time analytics and low latency, particularly in sectors like manufacturing and smart cities.
Beyond these, trends like secure, automated networks; prioritising cybersecurity and sustainability-driven IT are reshaping how businesses operate.
CIO&Leader: How will these trends impact enterprise decision-making and technology adoption?
Arijit Bonnerjee: The fusion of AI, cloud, and high-performance computing is transforming how enterprises approach decision-making. We are shifting from data-informed decisions to AI-driven intelligence. This means decisions that once took weeks can now be made in milliseconds with real-time AI insights.
Technology adoption is also becoming frictionless and dynamic. Enterprises will prioritise adaptive infrastructure, where workloads can be optimised across cloud, edge, and on-premise environments. Security, too, is no longer a static model — it is a living, AI-powered system that evolves with the threat landscape.
For enterprise leaders, the mandate is clear: embrace continuous transformation and prioritise investments that facilitate agility, scalability, and security. Tata Communications supports this journey with solutions that ensure businesses stay connected, secure, and intelligent at every step.
For example, the need for integrated solutions that can seamlessly connect on-premises systems with cloud environments will drive demand for platforms like our IZO Multi Cloud Connect, which simplifies multi-cloud management while reducing costs associated with data egress.
CIO&Leader: What do you think will be the key priorities for business heads/CIOs in India in 2025?
Arijit Bonnerjee: In 2025, business heads and CIOs in India will find themselves at the crossroads of innovation, resilience, and responsibility. The rapid pace of digital transformation demands strategic foresight and adaptability, and the priorities shaping their success are clear:
- AI-Driven Agility and Digital Transformation: Indian enterprises are moving beyond AI experimentation to full-scale integration. From automated decision-making to hyper-personalised customer experiences, leveraging AI and machine learning will unlock new growth opportunities, optimise operations, and drive data-driven decisions. AI-powered analytics tools offering real-time insights into consumer behaviour and performance will be indispensable.
- Edge Computing for Real-Time Intelligence: In India’s diverse and dynamic markets, latency is the enemy of progress. To stay competitive, businesses must push for edge-enabled infrastructure that brings compute power closer to data sources. This will empower industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics with real-time decision-making capabilities and enhanced responsiveness.
- Cloud Optimisation: As multi-cloud adoption grows, optimising cloud strategies for cost efficiency and performance will be paramount. Seamless integration across cloud platforms will enable businesses to harness the best of each service while maintaining data governance and control.
- Cyber Resilience in a Hyperconnected World: As India’s digital economy expands, the attack surface widens. Business leaders must prioritise adaptive, AI-powered cybersecurity frameworks that can identify threats pre-emptively and ensure compliance with evolving regulations. Cyber resilience will be a strategic imperative, blending real-time threat detection with robust security frameworks to protect critical data and systems.
- Talent Acquisition and Upskilling: The demand for skills in AI, edge computing, and emerging technologies will continue to rise. Business leaders must prioritise upskilling initiatives and talent acquisition strategies to foster a culture of continuous learning, ensuring their teams are equipped to navigate technological advancements.
For India’s business leaders and CIOs, 2025 is not just a year; it is the launchpad for a smarter, safer, and more sustainable future.
CIO&Leader: How are your offerings aligned with current technology priorities—like GPUs, and AI acceleration—and what upcoming initiatives or product innovations do you have planned to address these anticipated trends?
Arijit Bonnerjee: We’re not just meeting today’s demands; we’re shaping tomorrow’s. Our digital fabric ensures enterprises stay future-ready, resilient, and agile by uniting global infrastructure, cloud services, and IT expertise.
Facing the complexity of hybrid environments, we stand apart with a global network, deep cloud partnerships, and integrated IT services—boosting agility and lowering costs. Our solution-focused approach spans networking, cloud hosting, cybersecurity, IoT, and customer interactions.
Looking ahead to 2025, our AI Cloud infrastructure supports compute-intensive workloads, accelerating AI adoption and innovation. Our new AI Studio—complete with AI Workbench and Model Garden—streamlines application development. Collaborations with NVIDIA reinforce our commitment to cutting-edge technology and sustainable digital growth.
Meanwhile, the Kaleyra AI portfolio (in beta soon) will deliver intelligent, immersive customer engagement, including a no-code platform for building interactive assistants. Our CloudLyte Edge Computing platform enables low-latency inferencing at the edge, powering real-time decision-making.
Finally, our AI-aware, self-healing, secure networks guarantee performance at scale. We believe these solutions—along with others launching in early 2025—set the stage for enterprises to flourish in an adaptive, intelligent, and sustainable future.
CIO&Leader: How are you contributing to industry needs in areas like AI-driven workloads, data centre modernisation, or sustainability?
Arijit Bonnerjee: At Tata Communications, we’ve built solutions that meet today’s demands for advanced technology and sustainability. The Tata Communications AI Cloud exemplifies this vision—a complete platform for training, deploying, and inferencing AI models.
With the rising need for GPU power in India, our partnership with NVIDIA has been a cornerstone, allowing enterprises to unlock the full potential of generative AI. Unlike others focused only on training, our end-to-end stack supports the full AI lifecycle, including real-time inferencing at the edge for low-latency performance.
Solutions like Kaleyra AI showcase our commitment to innovation. Early trials have shown dramatic improvements in response times and actionable insights, giving enterprises a real edge through intuitive, generative AI-driven reporting.
Sustainability is woven into our DNA. Through products like MOVE and IoT, we’ve helped customers avoid nearly 10 million tonnes of CO2e emissions since FY20—equal to taking millions of cars off the road. Internally, our goal is Net Zero by 2035, with emissions reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. For us, it’s about reimagining technology and sustainability together to shape a better future.