At the Databricks Data + AI Summit 2025 in San Francisco on June 12, CEO Ali Ghodsi praised India’s rapid digital transformation, calling it a “game-changer” that has put the country ahead of most others globally. Over the past decade, India has developed a robust digital backbone—spanning cloud services, broadband connectivity, AI-ready data centers, and digital public infrastructure—which, Ghodsi emphasized, many other nations still lack .
According to him, this extensive infrastructure “makes it much easier to innovate in data and AI,” creating fertile ground for both global startups and established players, including Indian conglomerates like the Tatas. This digital readiness has captivated Databricks, which plans to “double down” on its India presence—hiring extensively from IITs and investing significantly in its Bangalore engineering hub.
Ghodsi also highlighted India as part of a broader Asia-focused strategy, which encompasses South Korea and Japan—regions perceived as more nimble in regulation and implementation compared to Europe and North America. The company is reinforcing this commitment with global investments, including a US$100 million fund aimed at building data and AI talent worldwide.
In Ghodsi’s view, India’s digital infrastructure isn’t just support systems—it is a launchpad enabling the next wave of AI innovation and positioning the country as a critical hub for global data-driven growth.
