According to Dattatri Salagame, CEO of Bosch Global Software Technologies, AI is expanding the scope of engineering work by creating new consumer demands and business opportunities. As reported by ETEnterprise, Salagame emphasized that AI must become a value creation tool, enabling newer forms of value creation and unboxing latent value that nobody had visualised. This transformation represents a fundamental shift from traditional volume engineering to value engineering, helping technology firms deliver higher-impact, globally-benchmarked outcomes. The CEO warned that companies that view AI only through the lens of efficiency and productivity gains risk missing its larger potential for creating entirely new products, services and consumer experiences.
Bosch Global Software Technologies (BGSW) represents the largest technology centre for Bosch outside Germany, contributing to software development and engineering across nearly all of the German conglomerate's businesses. As reported by ETEnterprise, the India operations account for about 24,151 employees out of BGSW's global workforce of 28,907 spread across multiple delivery centres. The company traces its roots in India to the early 1990s, when Bosch set up one of its first global technology centres in the country. Apart from a significant footprint in Bengaluru (13,000-14,000 engineers), the other centres in India are in Hyderabad, Pune, and Coimbatore. Salagame noted that India remains the oldest and largest technology hub in Bosch's global software engineering network.
India is well positioned to become a global hub for AI applications and enterprise AI services, according to Gopal Jain, MD & CEO of Gaja Alternative Asset Management. As reported by CNBC TV18, Jain emphasized that the country has strong AI talent and can play a larger role across the AI value chain over time. This assessment comes as India seeks to establish itself as a major player in the artificial intelligence sector, with Salagame's experience at Bosch providing concrete examples of how AI offers India an opportunity to move from low-cost, volume engineering to high-value innovation. The transformation involves breaking stereotypes of India being low-cost, being the best place to do repeat work, extended workbench, etc...and to move up the value chain and deliver high-impact outcomes which are benchmarked to the global standards.
According to Jain's analysis reported by CNBC TV18, the primary opportunity lies in enterprise applications rather than consumer-facing AI solutions. This strategic focus on enterprise AI services represents a targeted approach to leveraging India's technical capabilities in the business-to-business sector. As demonstrated by Bosch's operations, Indian centres are deeply integrated into global delivery networks and work on cutting-edge technologies such as autonomous driving and connected vehicles. Engineers in India develop software and systems for vehicle computers that power driver-assistance, safety and manoeuvring functions, with solutions deployed across markets including India, Europe, Japan or the United States. Beyond automotive technologies, Bosch's India teams also work on smart home appliances, including connected refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers, focusing on enhancing consumer experiences through voice-enabled interfaces and connected functionality.
As reported by CNBC TV18, patient domestic private equity capital will be essential to build foundational AI technologies in India. This capital requirement reflects the long-term nature of AI infrastructure development and the need for sustained investment in research and development. The focus on domestic private equity indicates a preference for locally-sourced capital to support India's AI ambitions. Salagame's experience at Bosch demonstrates the practical application of this capital strategy, with the company's 30-year presence in India showing the sustained commitment required for AI development success.
According to Jain's assessment reported by CNBC TV18, greater awareness and access are needed to expand India's alternative investment industry. This statement suggests that while India has the technical capabilities for AI development, there are gaps in the investment ecosystem that need addressing. The emphasis on alternative investment industry expansion indicates a broader vision for India's role in the global AI landscape beyond just technical capabilities. Salagame's perspective at Bosch reinforces this need, highlighting how AI presents India with an opportunity to move from 'volume engineering' to 'value engineering', helping technology firms deliver higher-impact outcomes that are benchmarked to global standards.
