MUMBAI, INDIA – SoftBank is aiming to speed up the efficiency and revenue growth of Indian IT and BPO companies by making them AI-powered. The company said, “Being a technology investor, they feel they can bring in the resources needed to deploy AI.”
SoftBank Is in Talks With Indian Firms
Softbank considers India a key market. That’s why it’s currently in discussions with outsourcing firms like WNS Global to explore potential acquisitions or strategic partnerships. A $1 billion acquisition deal was also made with AGS Health, but it fell through.
The company is also looking at small-to-mid-sized IT services firms, as well as those in the financial services, healthcare, or legal sectors, that are “ripe for disruption due to AI.” It’s willing to invest between $30 million and $40 million in these companies. The allotted funds are also flexible, according to the company’s managing partner for India and EMEA, Sumer Juneja.
Transforming Into a Tech-Enhanced Service Provider
SoftBank’s interest in these Indian companies supports their vision of investing in global AI infrastructure. And with its partnership with OpenAI, it can provide IT-enabled services firms the AI tech to make their operations more efficient, both in terms of business functions and of client services.
In a press statement, SoftBank said, “The move is aimed at transforming traditional BPOs and KPOs into tech-enhanced service providers by introducing AI that can deliver cost efficiencies while also driving revenue growth for their clients, thereby creating meaningful value arbitrage.”
Moreover, the company also sees the potential of “backing AI infrastructure and data centers” in the country.
