Blab AI
Databricks Boosts India Presence Amid Growing Enterprise AI Demand
Databricks is pumping $250 million into India as the country emerges as a launchpad for enterprise AI.
In a recent interview with the Economic Times, co‑founder and senior vice president of field engineering Arsalan Tavakoli said India’s digital ecosystem, rising enterprise AI adoption, and the shift of multinational corporations to India‑based development centres are driving the expansion.
India is described by Databricks as one of its most important markets by both growth and revenue. The company has announced a $250 million investment over the next three years to support training, research and development, and workforce expansion in the country. The investment will fund a new Data + AI Academy that aims to train 500,000 partners and customers, and it will expand the Bengaluru research and development office, with plans to hire more than 100 additional engineers.
Databricks’ Indian customers include major enterprises such as Reliance, Zepto, Freshworks and InMobi. While the company has not disclosed regional financials, Tavakoli said India now rivals some of its largest global markets in terms of scale and revenue. The platform’s annualised revenue run rate is $6.9 billion, with AI revenue accounting for about $1.7 billion.
Tavakoli noted that the shift of large organisations to India has moved from a perception of India as a “large TCS and Wipro of the world doing development” to a focus on talent and technical resources that support global customers. He added that the company’s technical team in India supports the India‑based resources of global organisations.
When asked about the current excitement around AI in the United States, Tavakoli said companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic are reportedly preparing to go public this year, but Databricks is not in a rush. He said the company will go public when the timing is right.
Regarding concerns about an AI bubble, Tavakoli acknowledged that capital has chased AI companies and that people are now looking at the cost involved. He said that the transformation driven by AI is “absolutely here to stay” and that focusing on grounded use cases and driving outputs will keep the company on track.
On the impact of AI on employment, Tavakoli rejected the view that AI‑driven automation will inevitably reduce jobs. He explained that AI expands the scope of what organisations can achieve, allowing tasks that once took weeks or months to be completed within hours. The appetite for experimentation and prototyping has increased as a result.
Tavakoli also addressed the concern that foundation model providers might move up the stack. He said that this has not happened and that enterprises will increasingly choose between models such as Claude, OpenAI offerings and open‑source alternatives rather than being locked into a single ecosystem.
The company’s investment in India aligns with broader trends in the country’s AI ecosystem. India has become a hub for AI talent and development, with a growing number of startups and a supportive digital infrastructure. The government’s AI initiatives and the expansion of data centres across the country have further reinforced this position.
In summary, Databricks is deepening its presence in India through a significant investment, a new academy, and expanded R&D capabilities. The company’s focus on AI revenue, grounded use cases, and workforce expansion reflects a broader strategy to capture the growing enterprise AI market while supporting the development of local talent.
In a recent interview with the Economic Times, co‑founder and senior vice president of field engineering Arsalan Tavakoli said India’s digital ecosystem, rising enterprise AI adoption, and the shift of multinational corporations to India‑based development centres are driving the expansion.
India is described by Databricks as one of its most important markets by both growth and revenue. The company has announced a $250 million investment over the next three years to support training, research and development, and workforce expansion in the country. The investment will fund a new Data + AI Academy that aims to train 500,000 partners and customers, and it will expand the Bengaluru research and development office, with plans to hire more than 100 additional engineers.
Databricks’ Indian customers include major enterprises such as Reliance, Zepto, Freshworks and InMobi. While the company has not disclosed regional financials, Tavakoli said India now rivals some of its largest global markets in terms of scale and revenue. The platform’s annualised revenue run rate is $6.9 billion, with AI revenue accounting for about $1.7 billion.
Tavakoli noted that the shift of large organisations to India has moved from a perception of India as a “large TCS and Wipro of the world doing development” to a focus on talent and technical resources that support global customers. He added that the company’s technical team in India supports the India‑based resources of global organisations.
When asked about the current excitement around AI in the United States, Tavakoli said companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic are reportedly preparing to go public this year, but Databricks is not in a rush. He said the company will go public when the timing is right.
Regarding concerns about an AI bubble, Tavakoli acknowledged that capital has chased AI companies and that people are now looking at the cost involved. He said that the transformation driven by AI is “absolutely here to stay” and that focusing on grounded use cases and driving outputs will keep the company on track.
On the impact of AI on employment, Tavakoli rejected the view that AI‑driven automation will inevitably reduce jobs. He explained that AI expands the scope of what organisations can achieve, allowing tasks that once took weeks or months to be completed within hours. The appetite for experimentation and prototyping has increased as a result.
Tavakoli also addressed the concern that foundation model providers might move up the stack. He said that this has not happened and that enterprises will increasingly choose between models such as Claude, OpenAI offerings and open‑source alternatives rather than being locked into a single ecosystem.
The company’s investment in India aligns with broader trends in the country’s AI ecosystem. India has become a hub for AI talent and development, with a growing number of startups and a supportive digital infrastructure. The government’s AI initiatives and the expansion of data centres across the country have further reinforced this position.
In summary, Databricks is deepening its presence in India through a significant investment, a new academy, and expanded R&D capabilities. The company’s focus on AI revenue, grounded use cases, and workforce expansion reflects a broader strategy to capture the growing enterprise AI market while supporting the development of local talent.
