Tech Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra has dismissed concerns that artificial intelligence could weaken India’s IT services industry, saying AI will instead create one of the biggest growth opportunities for the sector.
Speaking at Tech Mahindra’s 39th annual general meeting, Mahindra said every major technological shift has triggered fears about job and industry disruption. However, he believes the role of IT services will not decline but evolve and become even more significant in the AI era.
According to Mahindra, AI has moved beyond being just a productivity-enhancing tool and is now becoming central to how companies design operations, serve customers, manage risks and make business decisions.
He highlighted that many enterprises continue to operate with legacy systems, fragmented data structures, complex regulatory requirements and accumulated technology challenges.
In such environments, AI cannot simply be added as an external layer but needs to be integrated, managed and customised according to each organisation’s specific requirements.
Mahindra said this creates an important role for IT service providers like Tech Mahindra, which can help businesses adopt AI in a secure, reliable and effective manner.
He described companies like Tech Mahindra as an enabling layer that can transform advanced technology into a practical business solution.
Despite challenging market conditions, Mahindra noted that Tech Mahindra has maintained its growth momentum.
The company has achieved margin expansion for ten consecutive quarters and secured new deals worth more than $1 billion in successive quarters.
Discussing the future of advanced artificial intelligence systems, Mahindra said frontier AI models represent another important phase in the technology transition.
He added that these models are increasingly becoming strategic assets influenced by factors such as trust, regulation, national interest and technological sovereignty.
Mahindra stressed that India should not remain only a consumer of AI technologies developed elsewhere. Instead, the country should focus on becoming a creator, developer and trusted user of artificial intelligence solutions.
He said the AI revolution will require companies that can bridge the gap between emerging technology and real-world business applications, creating opportunities for IT firms to play a larger role in shaping the future digital economy.
