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Ram Ramachandran, the Senior Vice President for India, Middle East & Africa at Tech Mahindra, says 2024 was marked by growth, innovation, and a relentless focus on digital transformation across the entire Middle East
How did the industry and your company fare in 2024, and what were the key highlights?
In 2024, the Middle East’s tech industry flourished, driven by transformative national strategies such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the UAE’s Digital Economy Strategy, Qatar’s National Vision 2030, and Oman’s Vision 2040. These strategic frameworks emphasised digital transformation, fostering innovation in sectors like fintech, healthcare technology, smart cities, and renewable energy, attracting substantial investments from both local and global tech firms.
Tech Mahindra capitalised on these regional advancements, making steady investments in intelligent operations across applications and infrastructure, helping organisations realise substantial productivity benefits and cost savings. Our focus on cloud adoption empowered organisations to enhance agility, scalability, and operational efficiency through cloud-based solutions. At the same time, ERP modernisation helped enterprises streamline their processes, integrate systems, and improve decision-making. We enabled organisations to realise tremendous cost savings and productivity improvements.
In addition to this, we continued our focus on key industries such as banking and insurance, public sector, telecom, energy and utilities, smart cities, travel and logistics, and healthcare, delivering AI-driven solutions that transformed customer experiences. Our work in customer experience and channel transformation leveraged technologies like AI (we launched our frameworks for TechM VerifAI, TechM agentX, etc., in the local markets), omnichannel platforms, and automation to create seamless, personalised interactions, driving loyalty and satisfaction. Overall, 2024 was marked by growth, innovation, and a relentless focus on digital transformation across the entire Middle East.
What opportunities do you foresee for 2025, and how do you plan to leverage them? Which sectors are predicted to experience the most disruption by 2025?
The Middle East is at the forefront of global innovation in digital transformation, driven by ambitious initiatives across various sectors, including BFSI, energy and utilities, travel and logistics, smart cities, and Telecom. In 2025, the region’s commitment to sustainability, technological adoption, and customer-centric innovation presents vast opportunities for growth and value creation. Key technologies such as Generative AI (GenAI), Cloud, IoT, Security, and Intelligent Managed Services will play a pivotal role in transforming industries.
In BFSI, financial institutions are accelerating modernisation to meet evolving customer expectations. GenAI will revolutionise customer interactions with conversational AI and hyper-personalised solutions, while cloud technologies offer scalability and resilience. Cybersecurity remains crucial in safeguarding sensitive data, and intelligent managed services will optimise operational efficiency and compliance.
In Energy and Utilities, the transition to renewable energy and the implementation of smart grids provides ample opportunities for IoT and AI-driven real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and enhanced operational efficiency. Cloud platforms will enable seamless integration of renewable energy sources while robust security frameworks protect critical infrastructure.
For Travel and Logistics, the Middle East’s strategic position as a global logistics hub offers significant potential. IoT-enabled supply chain visibility and GenAI-powered customer engagement, such as virtual assistants and personalised itineraries, will redefine operations. Cloud-based platforms ensure flexibility, while intelligent services enhance predictive logistics and agility.
In Smart Cities, the region is investing in sustainable, technology-driven urban environments. IoT, cloud, and AI will power smart infrastructure across utilities, traffic, and citizen services. GenAI will drive personalised citizen engagement while intelligent managed services ensure seamless operation and proactive maintenance.
Finally, Telecom will play a critical role in supporting digital transformation across all sectors. With the rise of 5G and beyond, telecom providers will enable ultra-fast connectivity and data-sharing capabilities, driving innovation in smart cities, IoT applications, and cloud services. Enhanced telecom infrastructure will be key in unlocking the potential of other technologies, such as AI and IoT, creating more connected, efficient, and resilient systems.
Many Telecom providers are also moving towards being Techo’s and lifestyle operators. Our approach focuses on innovation, sustainability, and security. We work alongside enterprises and governments to help Middle Eastern organisations achieve their ambitious, transformative goals.
What major challenges did you encounter in 2024, and how did you address them?
In 2024, the pace of technology transformation presented a significant challenge as businesses sought to rapidly adopt innovations like AI and cloud while managing organisational readiness. Many enterprises aimed to embrace cutting-edge technologies but were still on the journey to becoming fully digitally native, requiring a delicate balance between technological ambition and operational feasibility.
The rapid rise of business-led use cases for AI created another challenge. Organisations demanded immediate, scalable AI solutions to drive tangible outcomes while ensuring ethical governance and risk management. Similarly, cloud adoption surged, but regulatory restrictions on in-country data sovereignty posed hurdles for deploying cloud-native architectures.
Addressing these challenges, we adopted a proactive and localised approach. By collaborating closely with businesses, we designed tailored, phased technology roadmaps, ensuring their transformation aligned with operational maturity. To address in-country data sovereignty concerns, we leveraged partnerships with regional cloud providers and deployed hybrid cloud solutions that were compliant with local regulations.
Recognising the importance of talent, we invested in building local capabilities through training programs, partnerships with academic institutions, and knowledge-sharing initiatives. This approach empowered regional talent to embrace emerging technologies, creating a sustainable innovation ecosystem. By fostering collaboration and prioritising localisation, we enabled businesses to accelerate their digital transformation journeys responsibly and effectively.
Which emerging technologies do you believe will be in high demand in 2025, and why? How will the global technology landscape differ in 2025 compared to today?
In 2025, Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), 5G, Cloud-native technologies, and Quantum Computing will be in high demand. LLMs will revolutionise industries by enhancing automation, improving natural language processing, and enabling hyper-personalised customer interactions. GenAI will continue to drive innovation in content creation and decision-making. 5G will accelerate connectivity, empowering IoT, new enterprise and real-time applications.
Cloud-native technologies will offer unmatched scalability and flexibility, while quantum computing will begin addressing complex problems. The global technology landscape will be more interconnected, with AI, LLMs, and cloud solutions reshaping industries and emphasising cybersecurity and data privacy. By 2025, the convergence of these technologies is expected to create a more interconnected, efficient, and intelligent global ecosystem. Industries will experience enhanced automation, improved decision-making capabilities, and the creation of new business models.
What will be your primary focus areas and strategic priorities for 2025? Are there plans to explore new markets or introduce new products/applications to your portfolio in 2025?
As we approach 2025, we will continue to embrace our ‘Scale at Speed’ initiative, designed to help enterprises transform rapidly, bringing agility, resilience, and efficiency to their operations. This approach addresses the dual imperatives of scale and speed, enabling us to meet the evolving demands of our clients across various industries. We will strategically focus on key markets, including the Middle East (Saudi, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Egpyt), the Americas, and Europe, and prioritise countries in the rest of the World, such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Our expansion plans involve strategic partnerships to enhance our service portfolio and deliver innovative solutions to our clients. While maintaining our presence in the telecom sector, we will also broaden our focus to include BFSI, manufacturing, healthcare, and life sciences to reduce concentration risk and tap into new growth opportunities.
Further, recognising AI’s transformative potential, we are integrating AI and automation across our service offerings. Our commitment to operational excellence is evident through initiatives like Project Fortius, which aims to optimise costs and enhance productivity. We also invest in talent management by increasing fresher hiring, reducing subcontracting costs, and improving our offshore mix to drive greater utilisation and efficiency.
In summary, our strategic priorities for 2025 are centred around achieving accelerated growth, embracing technological advancements, expanding our market presence, and optimising operations. Through these initiatives, we aim to deliver enhanced value to our clients and stakeholders, positioning ourselves as a leader in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
What skills will be critical for enterprise IT professionals?
In 2025, enterprise IT professionals will need a blend of technical, business, and soft skills. Key technical skills include expertise in AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data analytics, alongside knowledge of Generative AI and Large Language Models. Business skills like understanding digital transformation, ERP systems, and aligning technology with business strategy will be crucial. Soft skills such as collaboration, adaptability, and effective communication will help IT professionals work seamlessly with cross-functional teams. A commitment to constant learning and openness to adapt will be essential for future-skilling, ensuring success in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
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