India is one of the centers of gravity for us”- Nextiva’s CPTO Senthil Velayutham perfectly captures why global unicorns are building their AI innovation powerhouses in India.
What is the news?
- Arizona-based CX management unicorn Nextiva (valued at $2.7B) has launched its innovation center in Bengaluru, its second-largest facility outside the US.
- Nextiva has doubled its Indian workforce to 300 employees in just one year and plans to hire 150 more this year.
- The company’s core AI platform and customer experience technology development is centered in India, with the integration of Simplify360, an AI-powered CX platform they acquired in 2023.
- Major Indian companies like ITC, Cred, Upgrad, PhonePe, and Meesho are among Nextiva’s clients.
Why is it interesting?
- CEO Tomas Gorny’s observation captures the transformative shift perfectly: “India went from being looked at as just an augmentation center to a very progressive talent pool. Many AI companies from India are way more progressive than those in the US.”
- This is part of a larger trend, with multiple AI-focused unicorns establishing R&D hubs in India, including Reltio, Motive, and Abbyy Software, all attracted by the quality of engineering talent, not just cost arbitrage.
- Nextiva isn’t just outsourcing routine tasks but entrusting its core platform development and AI capabilities to its Indian team, a testament to the strategic importance of Indian tech talent in global innovation.
Read more: CX management startup Nextiva launches hub in Bengaluru; plans to hire 150 in India