Hexaware Technologies and upGrad Enterprise have announced an expanded collaboration to deliver AI skilling and enterprise transformation programs for Hexaware clients worldwide. According to reports from Business Standard, this initiative was announced on August 13, 2026, marking a shift from a previous vendor-buyer arrangement focused on internal workforce upskilling to a broader global go-to-market alliance. The partnership builds directly on their previous collaboration, which focused on strengthening AI capabilities across Hexaware's workforce, including enterprise-wide GenAI upskilling and the launch of the Agentic AI Academy. This initiative is designed to lay the foundation for long-term advancements in AI expertise and workforce transformation across multiple international markets and client segments.
Under the new arrangement, upGrad will become Hexaware's preferred partner for enterprise AI capability development. As reported by Business Standard, both companies will work together on go-to-market initiatives, with client engagement transitioning the relationship from a vendor-buyer arrangement focused on internal skilling toward a broader global go-to-market alliance. This evolution represents a significant shift in how the companies approach AI capability development and client engagement, positioning both organizations to address the growing demand for AI workforce transformation across multiple international markets and client segments.
The expanded partnership will deliver a comprehensive portfolio of AI programs designed to support enterprises in scaling their AI business and service lines. According to the latest announcement, the portfolio includes verticalized AI learning tracks tied to industry use cases in Hexaware sectors, role-based Agentic AI programs for technical, business, and corporate functions, Executive AI Innovation Labs and co-design workshops for C-suite leaders, and an AI-enabled Coding Center of Excellence. The programs are specifically designed to upskill Cloud Architects toward GenAI Architects roles and developers toward AI engineering capabilities, while technical leaders will learn to design data- and AI-first solutions. Beyond engineering outcomes, which aim to deliver approximately 30–40% faster releases, better code quality, and fewer bugs, the collaboration supports enterprises in scaling GenAI responsibly with stronger governance. This development aligns with the broader trend of AI-native engineering becoming increasingly embedded directly into development workflows, including code generation, code review, testing, refactoring, documentation, debugging, and architecture assistance.
R. Srikrishna, CEO & Executive Director, Hexaware, emphasized the strategic importance of the collaboration, stating that "Enterprise AI programs are increasingly constrained by execution capacity. Clients need architecture, engineering, and business teams aligned to a common delivery agenda—a synergy that embeds workforce readiness directly into that strategy." The partnership positions both companies to address the growing demand for AI workforce transformation across multiple international markets and client segments. Arushee Aggarwal, CEO of upGrad Enterprise, highlighted that "enterprise skilling must influence how people make decisions, design solutions, and deliver work," noting that the partnership allows both companies to build rigor into programs spanning executive priorities, engineering practice, and functional adoption. This collaboration comes at a time when AI is becoming the most important source of mix change during the forecast period, with enterprises increasingly seeking outsourcing partners that can own business outcomes, modernize technology estates, and support long-term innovation beyond traditional cost reduction.
