Humanity has all the time stood at turning factors. The invention of fireplace was one such second—a drive that reworked how we lived, communicated, and related. However hearth was by no means simply heat and innovation; it additionally symbolised energy, hazard, and the necessity for duty.
In the present day, Synthetic Intelligence (AI) is our hearth. It’s not simply the long run—it’s already right here, quietly and radically reshaping the way in which we work, be taught, govern, and develop. And very like hearth, AI has the potential to unite or divide, to uplift or upend. The alternatives we make now will outline the following century.
India is on the cusp of this transformation. India may enhance its GDP by an extra$359 billion to $438 billion in FY 2029-30 by means of the adoption ofGenerative AI, surpassing baseline development projections. That is greater than an financial alternative—it’s a social inflection level. As digital applied sciences transfer from elite boardrooms to on a regular basis lives, the nation wants leaders who perceive each legacy programs and the calls for of a digital future.
One such chief isArundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson and CEO of Salesforce India and former Chairperson of the State Financial institution of India. A uncommon determine who has straddled the worlds of conventional finance and cutting-edge know-how, she represents the type of management this second requires: rooted in expertise, pushed by imaginative and prescient.
In a current episode of the bilingual podcastAll About AI, Arundhati supplied greater than insights—she delivered a blueprint for a extra inclusive, AI-augmented India. Talking simply weeks after receiving thePadma Shri, she mirrored on her journey with attribute humility. “I’m fairly comfortable,” she mentioned with a quiet smile. “Getting this sort of honour makes everybody comfortable.” “However greater than that,” she added, “it’s a recognition of the contribution to nationwide growth—and that makes it much more particular.”
You may watch the total episode under,
Her achievement marked a historic first. She is the one public sector banker in India’s 70-year historical past to obtain the civilian honour. However much more hanging is how she has used each chapter of her profession—as a banker, a change maker, and now a tech chief—to push boundaries and redefine what’s attainable.
From Banker to Tech Trailblazer: A Lesson in Reinvention
After over 4 a long time on the State Financial institution of India, Bhattacharya may have retired on the prime. As an alternative, she joined Salesforce in 2020, at a time when the pandemic was accelerating digital adoption like by no means earlier than.
In keeping with a report, India is thethird-largest digitalised nation on the earth by way of economy-wide digitalisation. It’s witnessing a leap in cloud computing, mobile-first engagement, and AI experimentation. Bhattacharya’s transition into tech management mirrored a broader development – the blurring strains between finance and know-how, particularly in an age the place buyer experiences are more and more digitized.
“The change doesn’t cease for anybody,” she mentioned. “You both trip the wave or get drowned by it.”
Her choice to “trip the wave” has helped Salesforce India turn into a strategic digital companion to private and non-private sector purchasers, enabling every part from digital citizen companies to AI-driven CRM options.
AI in India: A Defining Second of Augmentation
Mrs Bhattacharya believes that Synthetic Intelligence marks a transformative chapter for India, just like the arrival of the web. “Identical to the web modified the world, Synthetic Intelligence—or as some want, Augmented Intelligence—is poised to do the identical,” she mentioned. “It enhances and deepens the intelligence we already possess. It’ll essentially change how we work. Sure, there shall be downsides, but when we use this software properly, it will possibly significantly enhance our lives and existence.”
Earlier than shifting ahead, the elephant within the room must be addressed. Will AI Steal Your Job? The quick reply is possibly. However they’ll additionally create higher ones for those who’re prepared. Synthetic Intelligence is the largest enterprise alternative of the following decade. It’s already taking up handbook and repetitive duties, and shortly, it should begin enhancing human decision-making throughout industries.
In keeping with worldforecasts, AI is anticipated to contribute extra to the world financial system by 2030 than the present mixed GDP of China and India. That’s an enormous shift. With that type of development, there shall be a wave of recent jobs, lots of them higher, smarter, and extra fulfilling than those being phased out. The secret’s Studying to work with AI, not towards it.
Arundhati, too,acknowledged that disruption is a part of progress however emphasised that historical past gives perspective. “When motor automobiles got here in, horse carriages went out. However the reply is to not block change. The reply is to ability up.”
As NASSCOM initiatives, 50% of India’s workforce would require re-skilling over the following two years to fulfill the calls for of an AI-driven financial system. For Bhattacharya, the AI wave isn’t about human redundancy, it is about human evolution.
AI as a Social Equaliser
India’s digital public infrastructure has turn into a drive to reckon with. Over the previous decade, India’s JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Cellular) has pushed a digital revolution centered on monetary inclusion, transparency, and lowering corruption. With over54 crore Jan Dhan accounts, the inspiration for a financially related India is stable.
The expansion of UPI is equally transformative, crossing ₹200 lakh crore in FY 2023-24, up 138% since 2017-18. Now operational in 7 international locations, India accounts for over 40% of worldwide real-time fee transactions. (supply:PIB)
Arundhati sees AI as the following layer in that transformation. “With Jan Dhan Yojana, cell penetration, and Aadhaar, we have been in a position to deliver folks from the farthest corners of the nation into the formal banking system.”
She invoked the imaginative and prescient of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: a time when urban-quality companies attain rural India seamlessly. With AI-powered chatbots, healthcare diagnostics, and agri-advisory instruments now being piloted in native languages, this dream feels nearer than ever.
Agentic AI: The Subsequent Leap
Arundhati outlined three clear waves of AI:
- Predictive AI, like SBI’s Einstein engine, which personalised alerts and companies.
- Generative AI, which permits pure language understanding and creation.
- Agentic AI, the place digital brokers don’t simply suggest—they execute duties autonomously.
“We’re shifting from having a private secretary to inform you what to do, to somebody who really goes forward and does it for you.”
This subsequent leap may considerably enhanceproductiveness, decision-making, and entry, particularly for underserved segments.
The Street Forward: Abilities, trust, and Inclusion
Regardless of the optimism, Bhattacharya emphasised accountable deployment. “Expertise must be inclusive. It’s no good if it solely helps the highest 5%.” Her name to motion is -Private and non-private sectors should collaborate to construct belief, guarantee moral AI practices, and democratise entry.
With India’s Digital India mission, Talent India program, and world partnerships round AI governance, the items are falling into place, however execution stays key.
India on the Crossroads of AI and Equality
Arundhati Bhattacharya’s journey isn’t just one among private success. It mirrors India’s bigger ambition: to steer in tech, with out leaving anybody behind.
From a embellished profession in banking to shaping the AI narrative in India, she embodies a uncommon mix of imaginative and prescient and adaptableness. “It is a nation of large expertise,” she mentioned. “And if we guarantee the appropriate skilling and the appropriate alternatives, AI generally is a nice equaliser.”
As India stands on the sting of a trillion-dollar AI alternative, her voice gives the readability we want: the long run belongs to those that trip the wave, not resist it.
