Wipro’s artificial intelligence initiatives have improved productivity to the extent of work performed by nearly 20,000 employees, with those employees being redeployed to other roles within the company,
its Chief Technology Officer Sandhya Arun said, as reported by Reuters.
The development comes as India’s $315 billion software services sector undergoes a major transformation due to the growing adoption of AI, which is changing workforce requirements, software development processes and client contracts.
Wipro moves towards human-AI operating model
Wipro, which had around 243,000 employees in June, is building a “human-AI operating model” under which more than 100,000 employees are being trained and certified in advanced AI capabilities.
"It could be the same engineer managing a bunch of agents, deployed on other projects or being trained for some other role. It doesn't necessarily mean person-to-person replacement by an agent," Arun said.
She said the focus should not only be on productivity improvements but on how AI can help companies achieve broader business outcomes.
"The shift has to be from productivity to outcomes," Arun said, adding that AI should be measured by its ability to improve customer experience, create new revenue opportunities and support business objectives.
AI adoption reshapes IT workforce strategy
Wipro’s approach reflects a broader shift across India’s technology industry. Tata Consultancy Services has indicated that IT companies could reduce hiring as AI agents become increasingly integrated into operations.
TCS plans to build a workforce of nearly 8,900 forward-deployed engineers, while Infosys is targeting around 6,000 such roles over the coming years. These professionals will work directly with clients to accelerate AI adoption.
Wipro is also expanding its pool of forward-deployed engineers, although Arun did not disclose a specific target.
Analysts said Wipro’s investments in AI training and partnerships are comparable with peers such as TCS, Infosys and HCLTech. However, the company remains behind competitors in converting AI investments into revenue growth and improved margins.
Wipro has not disclosed AI-related revenue figures, making commercialisation progress a key area of focus as the company moves deeper into AI-led transformation.
