OSLO: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, announced a partnership with Norwegian research and development company SINTEF—one of Europe’s largest, independent research foundations. Drawing on TCS’s extensive experience in deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital solutions for clients in industries such as healthcare, energy, and smart cities, and SINTEF’s strong research capabilities, the partnership aims to create scalable, real-world innovations.

Together, they will focus on using Social AI to improve elderly care, building on SINTEF’s successful eHealth initiative, SMILE (Smart Inclusive Living Environments). SMILE is a platform designed to help senior citizens live independently and safely in their own homes. It acts as both a communication tool and a support system, connecting seniors with family members, caregivers, and even peers in their community. By enabling easy communication, reminders, and access to health services, SMILE fosters active living and social engagement.

With multidisciplinary expertise within technology, natural sciences, and social sciences, SINTEF works to create innovation through development and research assignments for business and the public sector in Norway and abroad.

Alexandra Bech Gjørv, President and CEO of SINTEF, said, “Rooted in the heritage of the world-renowned Tata Group, we recognize TCS’s ambition in creating long-term value for its clients, employees, and the community at large. SINTEF shares similar values, and I believe that together, we can improve the quality of life and help the elderly in Norway to be able to stay healthy, in the comfort of their home,s much longer. We are looking forward to collaborating with TCS.”

What makes this initiative innovative is the use of Social AI to understand the unique needs of each individual and personalize their care. By combining advanced research and digital technology, the platform not only improves elderly care but also sets the stage for smarter, more inclusive healthcare solutions in the future.

Sapthagiri Chapalapalli, Head of Europe at Tata Consultancy Services, said, “The most impactful ideas are often generated in collaboration with external partners, startups, and academia. We are excited to begin our collaboration with SINTEF. Combining the academic research, TCS’s deep domain expertise, and experience of implementing AI strategies will turn ideas into action. Together with SINTEF, the identification of specific, practical AI use cases that address real business challenges, focusing on usability and a human-centric approach, will become to full circle. Our digital technologies will add scale and speed to SINTEF’s research and innovation activities, enabling these projects to have an even greater reach and impact for society.”.

TCS has been operating in the Nordic region since 1991. A total of around 20,000 experts serve the company’s Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, and Danish customers. For the past 15 years, TCS has been consistently ranked as one of the best IT consulting service providers in the Nordic region by its customers. TCS has also received the Top Employer recognition in Norway for eleven consecutive years.

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Nazia Pillay, Interim Managing Director for South Africa at SAP, says: “The data is clear: African companies expect the demand for AI skills to increase this year, with six in ten saying AI skills are ‘extremely important’ to their success. The business impact of a lack of AI skills availability is already evident, with 90% of companies in our research citing negative impacts that include project delays, failed innovation initiatives, and an inability to take on new work.”

SAP’s latest report follows an earlier tech skills report released in 2023, which unveiled specific challenges and opportunities for African organisations seeking greater tech skills availability.

“Our first report was conducted just as we exited the worst of the pandemic impact. At the time, companies were facing several challenges with attracting, retaining, and upskilling suitable, qualified tech workers, especially in the wake of the rise of remote and hybrid work environments. This year, the business landscape has been transformed by the impact of AI technologies and the search for relevant skills.”

The research was conducted at the end of 2024 among both mid-size and enterprise-level companies in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Universal need for AI skills

Every organisation that was surveyed as part of the research said they expect the demand for AI skills to increase in 2025. All companies are also expected to experience some AI-related skills gap this year. “Skills related to AI are hugely in-demand among African organisations, with 85% saying AI development skills are a priority, and 83% prioritising Generative AI skills. To help close the AI skills gap, two-thirds of organisations are introducing career development initiatives with AI specialisation to upskill or reskill employees.”

Overall, the most in-demand tech skill among African organisations is cybersecurity. “Eighty-six percent of companies said cybersecurity skills were important to them, a significant increase over the 63% that said the same in our previous research. The growing importance of cybersecurity may be partly explained by the rapid growth of Africa’s digital economy and the millions of citizens that are being brought into the digital fold through public and private sector initiatives.”

Changing workplace expectations

There are far-reaching changes in the expectations of both employers and employees regarding skills and the workplace compared to a few years ago. “Eight in ten African organisations said supporting skilled employees’ requests for hybrid or remote work is their top skills-related challenge this year, a significant increase from only 32% who said the same in our previous survey.“

The non-technical attributes that African organisations look for in potential hires have also evolved. “In 2023, technical skills and industry-specific skills were the top attributes. Affordability was somewhere near the bottom, with less than a third of organisations saying they consider it during the hiring process. This year, affordability is the number one candidate attribute for African organisations, with adaptability a close second.”

Adaptability is essential in light of the need for employees to be upskilled or reskilled with AI skills. “Reskilling is a top skills-related priority for 38% of companies this year, with 48% saying the same of upskilling employees. Unsurprisingly, two-thirds of companies said helping employees understand why reskilling is necessary is one of the top challenges this year.”

Training, skills development in the spotlight

Pillay says companies are stepping up their IT training and skills development efforts to help meet the demand for skills. “Ninety-four percent of African organisations offer training and skills development to employees at least monthly, an increase from 74% in our last survey. The number of companies offering training opportunities to employees at any time also increased from 28% in our last survey to 37% this year.”

Surprisingly, the portion of companies’ IT or HR budgets allocated to skills-related initiatives has declined since 2023. “The drop in budget allocation for skills development requires an urgent rethink. Organisations that don’t invest in appropriate skills now may find they are unable to leverage innovations and emerging technologies, leaving them trailing their more skills-enabled competitors.”

SAP’s ‘Africa’s AI Skills Readiness Revealed’ report is now available and can be downloaded here

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of SAP Africa.

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MUMBAI: Qlik^®, a global leader in data integration, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI), announced its new cloud region in India today. Located in Mumbai, this strategic investment enhances Qlik’s global cloud infrastructure. It deepens its long-term commitment to the Indian market, meeting the growing demand for local data storage, regulatory compliance, and advanced AI capabilities.

The new cloud region empowers Indian customers to utilize Qlik’s AI-powered, enterprise data and analytics solutions while ensuring compliance with local data sovereignty requirements. By storing and working with data within India, Qlik’s customers can deliver better business outcomes while adhering to stringent data residency requirements. This expansion will enable businesses across various sectors, including finance, banking, automotive, public sector, and healthcare, to leverage advanced analytics and AI capabilities for improved decision-making.

“As one of India’s largest public sector enterprises, IndianOil is committed to utilizing data intelligence for operational efficiency and sustainability across our energy grid. Qlik’s first cloud region in India will surely empower businesses to access data faster. Such cloud offerings will provide the scalability and security needed to manage extensive datasets, supporting large organizations to make informed, data-driven decisions,” said Suresh Nambiar, Executive Director of Information Systems), Indian Oil Corporation Limited.

“The launch of our cloud region in India is a strategic move that directly addresses the unique needs of our customers in this vital market. As businesses in India navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape, our new cloud capabilities ensure they can harness the full potential of AI with confidence in their data sovereignty and compliance. This investment underscores Qlik’s commitment to delivering tangible AI outcomes globally, enabling Indian enterprises to transform their data into a competitive edge responsibly and effectively,” said Mike Capone, CEO of Qlik.

“This marks a pivotal moment for Qlik and our customers in India,” said Varun Babbar, Managing Director – India & SAARC, Qlik. “As the regulatory landscape evolves, businesses increasingly demand advanced, AI-driven cloud solutions that ensure compliance with local data localization requirements. By establishing our cloud infrastructure, we are committed to helping organizations optimize data management, enhance data security, and reduce the complexities and costs associated with cross-border data transfers. Our local cloud services empower businesses to propel innovation, improve operational efficiency, and contribute to India’s digital economy.”

The cloud region will deliver:

• Data residency compliance: Customer data will be stored and processed within India, aligning with local privacy laws. This approach will not only mitigate geopolitical risks but also cater to India’s unique regulatory landscape.
• Low latency and enhanced performance: By keeping data closer to end-users, Qlik reduces latency, enabling faster access to services and more stable operations, resulting in improved user experience.
• AI-powered cloud capabilities: Customers can benefit from Qlik’s advanced AI features, like Qlik AutoML and Qlik Answers, for rapid data analysis and automated workflows. These tools help organizations extract actionable insights from unstructured data, fostering innovation and informed decision-making.
• Local support and services: Access to responsive, localized customer support, ensuring tailored solutions that meet specific business needs.
• Scalability and innovation: Support Qlik’s growing customer base to double our market share in India by 2026, fostering both scalability and innovation within the local business ecosystem.

In addition to enhancing customer experiences, the new cloud region will create new job opportunities in India, which is currently Qlik’s second-largest employee base in the Asia Pacific region. This expansion will involve hiring across sales, presales, consulting, and professional services, with a strong emphasis on AI and data governance expertise. Qlik is dedicated to investing in local talent and resources, positioning India as a key hub for research and development (R&D), customer support, and marketing initiatives.

For more information about Qlik’s India cloud region launch and other updates, please visit Qlik’s website.

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INDIA: Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) today announced that it is working to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled Multi-Modal Intelligent Agent for Honeywell mobile devices powered by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. The agent will allow workers and customers in the distribution center and retail industries to interact naturally with their handheld devices through voice, pictures, and barcodes.

This AI-powered solution is built to function as a digital resource for the modern labor force and is designed to enable today’s stretched workforce to quickly tap into answers and outcomes, helping result in time savings, greater accuracy, and interactive results. The design and development of the Multi-Modal Intelligent Agent also supports Honeywell’s alignment of its portfolio to three compelling megatrends, including automation.

Workers will be able to enter data into the technology and then receive practical answers to queries like, “Do we have the gluten-free variant of this product in stock?” or “Where can I find this particular item in the store?” Depending on the question, users will receive responses in the form of an image, video, spoken response, text answer, or a combination of several modalities. This functionality is designed to enable workers to more efficiently complete their work while simultaneously navigating other ongoing tasks, such as assisting customers in a retail setting or performing multi-step workflows in a distribution center. The solution will be available to users through a software development kit that can integrate with an organization’s existing applications and systems.

“Utilizing our strengths in on-device generative AI, high-performance and low power computing, this collaboration with Honeywell underscores our commitment to pioneering innovative solutions that will propel the expansion of the connected intelligent edge,” said Nakul Duggal, group general manager, of automotive, industrial and embedded IoT, and cloud computing, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Honeywell’s new Multi-Modal Intelligent Agent represents a significant step forward in utilizing advanced edge AI to streamline operations and elevate customer interactions across industries. This initiative enables us to drive digital transformation, enhancing how businesses interact with their environments through intelligent and responsive technology.”

“By pairing Honeywell’s easy-to-use mobile devices and intelligent software with Qualcomm Technologies’ industry-leading edge AI processors, Honeywell is creating solutions to make workers’ jobs easier while also helping businesses produce the stellar experience they want for their customers,” said Jason Urso, Honeywell Industrial Automation chief technology officer. “With AI, Honeywell is amplifying what’s possible for businesses with mobile workers today.”

The Multi-Modal Intelligent Agent is expected to be available in early 2025. To learn more about how Honeywell is leveraging AI across key industries, visit: https://automation.honeywell.com/us/en/solutions/productivity.

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BENGALURU: Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) today released the findings of its Industrial AI Insights global research study, which captures the state of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the sector. While only 17% of AI decision-makers around the world have fully implemented their initial AI plans, more than 9 in 10 say they are uncovering unexpected new use cases whether they are in the prototyping, launch, or scaling stages of AI implementation.

The research also finds they’re “sold” on AI for industrial applications. The enthusiasm for a deeper commitment to AI investment is nearly universal, with 94% of those surveyed saying they have plans to expand their utilization of AI.

“There is no question that AI is currently at a pivotal moment,” said Kevin Dehoff, Honeywell’s Chief Strategy Officer. “With the advent of Gen AI and more sources of data from advanced analytics, Industrial AI is poised to grow exponentially, and the possibilities are endless for revenue growth and employee satisfaction.”

AI adoption in India

As per the research findings, 29%of the Indian companies have already fully launched their AI strategy, and 27%see data as their most important asset. In terms of the use cases offered by the advanced technologies, 79%see improved efficiency/productivity and data availability—to help decision-making—as the most promising use cases for AI. The report further highlights that almost 9 out of 10 (88%) Indian enterprises expect to pay more to attract the right talent pool of AI engineers.

AI Unlocks Workplace Benefits

When asked for their thoughts on the impact of AI on industries, nearly two-thirds (64%) of AI leaders cited efficiency and productivity gains as the most promising benefits. Sixty percent say improved cybersecurity and threat detection result from AI and 59% report better decision-making due to real-time data generation.

Several other benefits of AI for workers were also cited by respondents, including:

• Increased work flexibility (49%)
• Greater job satisfaction (45%)
• More time for skills development and creative thinking (44%)
• Increased workplace safety (39%)

Skills development is crucial in today’s economy with baby boomers retiring and fewer replacements entering the workforce. Through AI, employers can more quickly upskill and reskill workers. AI will transform industries as it enables workers to perform jobs at higher levels, providing greater job satisfaction while increasing productivity and addressing the skills shortage.

Lucian Boldea, President and CEO of Honeywell Industrial Automation, offered one direct example: “There can be tens of thousands of instruments, equipment, and valves needed to process and manufacture a product and many of the parts we supply manufacturers require highly experienced technicians for operation and maintenance — and there are fewer and fewer of those experienced technicians available. With AI training and AI as a “co-pilot” the skills of less experienced technicians can more quickly be upgraded, turning them into more elite experts that perform tasks based on enterprise knowledge and best practices. In turn, plant operations can run more safely and reliably by dramatically reducing human error.”

What’s Next for AI

While the enthusiasm for AI to expand is palpable, there are still some challenges in the way of full adoption. More than a third of survey respondents (37%) feel that their C-Suite fully doesn’t understand how AI works and almost half (48%) say they have to continually justify, or request resources needed to implement AI plans.

“Businesses of all types recognize that AI is transforming our world and creating new possibilities. For building operations – such as hospitals, campuses, and offices – it is the future. As AI orchestrates controls that regulate HVAC, lighting, and electricity usage, it helps to improve safety, operational, and sustainability outcomes,” said Billal Hammoud, President and CEO of Honeywell Building Automation.

All of this suggests the pace of change will be driven by compelling use cases that can be measured in terms of improved business performance. As new solutions demonstrate clear benefits to workforce productivity, safety, and reliability, AI adoption will dramatically increase with the potential to transform industrial operations.

To learn more about the survey results and Honeywell’s work in AI and automation, please visit www.honeywell.com/us/en/ai/research.

Methodology

Honeywell commissioned Wakefield Research to survey AI leaders around the world. The online survey, which was conducted from April 22 through May 2, 2024, involved 1,600 executives in 12 global markets (US, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan Mexico, United Kingdom, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.) Each respondent works at a company with at least 1,000 employees that is currently using AI to automate processes and tasks. All respondents are influencers or decision-makers related to the use of AI within their departments or across their organizations.

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KANPUR: The world of science and technology is undergoing tremendous change. The surge in demand for skills in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science is opening up thrilling career opportunities and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) is at the forefront of cultivating these future leaders in AI and emerging technologies.

The 2024 QS World University Rankings by subjects had seen IIT Kanpur ranking 2nd in India and an impressive 36th position globally in the Data Science & Artificial Intelligence category, affirming its leadership in these rapidly growing fields. The coveted Computer Science Department, ranked 3rd in the country, boasts of cutting-edge research and quality products in the digital security domain, and has many of the nation’s leading experts, educationists, and consultants in computer science.

The innovation and startup ecosystem of IIT Kanpur recognized as No.1 in the country by NIRF 2024, ensures ample opportunities for students to explore and obtain real-world experience through internships and entrepreneurship through their education.

Following the announcement of the results of the JEE Advanced 2024, IIT Kanpur takes another step in supporting talented students with the continuation of the “Bright Minds Scholarships” for the fourth consecutive year. TEN prestigious scholarships are generously funded by IITK alumnus Mr. Lokvir Kapoor and All-India Top 100 rank holders of JEE Advanced 2024 and admitted to BTech/BS Programs at IIT Kanpur are eligible for the same. Each scholarship is worth Rs. 3 lakhs annually, covering tuition and living expenses for each of the four years.

Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “As I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the toppers and successful candidates of the JEE Advanced, I am happy to announce the continuation of IIT Kanpur’s ‘Bright Minds Scholarships’ as part of our commitment to support and nurture the brightest minds in the country. The scholarships will ensure that the student’s academic journey into the world of science, engineering, and technology is not hindered by financial constraints. At IIT Kanpur, we have a keen eye on technology that is reshaping the world, which is reflected in our debut in the QS World University Rankings at the 2nd rank in India in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence. IITK remains the first choice for students who want to make their mark in the field of science and technology.”

IIT Kanpur is staying ahead of the curve in a world that is being reshaped by digital transformation through strategic partnerships and innovative initiatives. The collaboration with Samsung R&D Institute, Noida, focuses on joint research projects in AI, directly involving students, faculty, and industry experts, while the upcoming Medical School will leverage AI to revolutionize healthcare delivery through telemedicine.

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Organized by the Youth Empowerment and Research Association (YERA) (Regd.) in association with the Commerce and Management Association of India (CMAI) & Norbuling Rigter College (NRC), Bhutan, the conference is aimed at providing a meeting ground for the Intellectual and Professional experts and will be held at the Sherubtse College Auditorium at Kanglung in Bhutan. Delegates from countries like the USA, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan are participating in this conference.

The conference will touch upon subjects like economic sustainability, cultural heritage, sustainable social development, business start-ups, emergency management, digital economy, gender equality, artificial intelligence, sustainable energy, environment, trade, investment, and facilitating tourism in Asia. Experts are going to present research papers on these subjects.

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