source:Devoteam
Strategic Investment to Drive Growth
Data and AI technologies provider Databricks, based in San Francisco, plans to invest over $250 million in India during the next three years. This decision is part of the company’s long-term strategy of making India a pivotal destination for AI-led solutions. The investment is in line with the increasing prominence of India as an international digital power and intended to help power demand for AI and analytics among industries such as financial services, e-commerce, manufacturing and healthcare.
Focus Areas for Expansion
The investment will fuel:
- Training and enablement programs
- Enhanced research and development (R&D)
- Strengthening go-to-market operations
As part of its expansion strategy, Databricks hopes to add more than half its headcount in India, growing to over 750 employees by the end of the present financial year. The burgeoning team of the company will help drive the innovation around the AI solutions for the global and Indian markets.
Centre of Excellence in R&D in Bengaluru
Databricks had recently announced the opening of its new R&D office in Bengaluru, a 105,000-square-feet modern workspace at Bagmane Capital Park. This center will be an epicentre for the company’s innovation and engineering in India, and will be a place where our developers, engineers and data scientists can work on even more ambitious AI initiatives in the future. Databricks supports over 10,000 organizations worldwide, “India is one of the key growth markets for Databricks, and we are pleased that many leading organisations, including CommerceIQ, Freshworks, HDFC Bank, Swiggy, TVS Motors, and Zepto, are leveraging the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to drive innovation and transformation for their businesses,” said Ed Lenta, senior vice-president and general manager for Asia Pacific and Japan at Databricks.
India Data + AI Academy Launched
“We continue to expand our presence into premier technical hubs across the globe. Our investment in R&D in India, and particularly in Bengaluru, reflects our belief in the extraordinary technical talent found here,” said Vinod Marur, senior vice-president of engineering at Databricks.
He added, “In less than two years, our Bengaluru R&D centre has grown into a dynamic team of over 100 engineers, building innovative products and infrastructure central to our global mission. This year, we plan to hire more than 100 R&D engineers to strengthen our capabilities and deepen our roots in this vibrant technology community.”
To accelerate skill development, Databricks has launched the India Data + AI Academy. The goal of this program is to educate 500,000 partners and customers in the next three years on important topics such as data science, analytics, and artificial intelligence. The academy will offer themed learning paths, specially designed courses, and hands-on labs, allowing people to expand their AI knowledge in a way which fits their learning style, all while earning a certification to demonstrate their accomplishment.
Reinforcing Commitment to India’s Tech Ecosystem
‘’India is emerging as a global AI talent hub, and Databricks is proud to invest in its growing ecosystem. The India Data + AI Academy will equip professionals with critical skills in data and AI, ensuring they stay ahead in the AI-driven economy. Through personalised learning paths and AI-powered skilling initiatives, we aim to shape the workforce of tomorrow and strengthen India’s leadership in data and AI expertise,” said Rochana Golani, vice-president of learning and enablement at Databricks. “Our partners are very important in our learning ecosystem. As one of several strategic initiatives, Accenture is featuring Databricks in its Bengaluru Connected Innovation Centre, which serves as a hub for helping clients innovate, prototype, and scale digital technologies, including emerging data and AI solutions,” she added.
