TCS, Kingfisher Plc deepen partnership to boost AI automation

IT services major Tata Consultancy Services on Wednesday, October 15, announced that it has extended its 15-year partnership with Kingfisher Plc to enhance the home improvement retailer's operational efficiency

using artificial intelligence (AI).

TCS aims to accelerate the use of automation and AI in IT operations and introduce a domain-focused application support structure aligned with Kingfisher’s product and platform approach, the company said.

Both the companies will also jointly establish ‘Innovation and Automation Office’ to seamlessly integrate emerging technologies and practices and reduce operating costs.

Shekar Krishnan, Business Unit Head, Retail UK and Europe, TCS, said, “With the combinational power of AI, automation and our deep contextual knowledge, we will help Kingfisher innovate faster, deliver superior customer experience, and drive strategic growth.”

This will help UK-headquartered Kingfisher which operates across seven countries under various banners including B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôt, Screwfix, and TradePoint.

TCS said it has been Kingfisher’s largest technology partner for the last 15 years working across areas such as digital engineering, SAP-integration, content management and business process services.

AI adoption has become a core priority for TCS which has been tweaking its internal investments and workforce expansion to become the world’s largest AI-led tech services company.

TCS CEO K Krithivasan recently said it has been shifting focus on AI for almost a year now. "We have been working on this for almost four quarters since we started talking about it. We have been making a lot of internal investments. We have been announcing platforms, talking to clients and partners, and seeing why clients are struggling to accelerate. This understanding gives us the kind of grounded contextual knowledge and technical capability we have. It has made us very confident that we have to take this ambitious journey and be the largest AI-led services company," he told CNBC-TV18.

Shares of TCS closed at ₹2060.80 which is 0.32% higher than its opening price on Wednesday, October 15. The stock has slid 4.56% in the last one month.

Also Read: TCS targets leadership in AI-led tech services, expands capabilities through Salesforce acquisition