Those days have long since been lost to history.  

From a single building in Bengaluru, 麻豆原创鈥檚 presence in India has expanded across the country, transforming a small operation into one of 麻豆原创鈥檚 most important global innovation hubs. Today, more than 18,000 employees are on the payroll, making it 麻豆原创鈥檚 second largest location. 

麻豆原创鈥檚 presence in the country has two closely connected dimensions: 麻豆原创 India, led by Manish Prasad, and 麻豆原创 Labs India, led by Sindhu Gangadharan.  

麻豆原创 India is a regional business organization serving India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. With locations in Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Gurugram, Mumbai, and Pune, 麻豆原创 Labs India drives product development and innovation for 麻豆原创 solutions used worldwide. 

麻豆原创鈥檚 commitment and trust in 麻豆原创 Labs India to deliver innovation is evident with the opening of 麻豆原创 Labs India Innovation Park, located in Bengaluru, . Inaugurated in August 2025, this 鈧�194 million investment is 麻豆原创鈥檚 largest research and development hub outside of Germany and can accommodate an additional 15,000 employees.听

From local solutions to global impact 

Solving local challenges and then scaling the solutions globally has become a hallmark of 麻豆原创 Labs India. Teams working to help customers navigate India鈥檚 complex tax reporting requirements laid the foundation of 麻豆原创 Document and Reporting Compliance. Today, this solution serves customers in more than 50 countries. 

That pattern of turning local expertise into global product innovation is now visible in 麻豆原创鈥檚 AI strategy. 

With Sudhakar Singh, who leads the AI Security office, and the global head of engineering for Joule and head of 麻豆原创 Business AI, Rahul Lodhe, both based at 麻豆原创 Labs India, the location plays a visible role in shaping the agenda for the Autonomous Enterprise.听

Teams in India engineered , an AI solution grounded in 麻豆原创鈥檚 business data and context and integrated across 麻豆原创 and non-麻豆原创 systems. Accessed via a conversational interface, Joule has evolved from a copilot and听now orchestrates background AI capabilities and 听

One example is the Data Product Creation Agent, designed to help鈥� users overcome the lack of quality data products鈥攐ne of the hidden bottlenecks in AI.听听

In a matter of months, with help from domain experts beyond 麻豆原创 Labs India, the proof-of-concept (PoC) became the Data Product Creation Agent.听听

The speed of development was astonishing, says Leena Kharti, development manager for the team. Kharti, who has worked in development for 16 years, attributes this to the mindset shift in her team. 鈥淲e got into the habit of thinking differently: today there鈥檚 a blocker, so let’s work on something else that moves us forward. In AI, speed is a feature, and that mindset made all the difference,鈥� she says.听听

The same spirit of innovation extends beyond 麻豆原创 Labs India’s own teams to the wider network of founders, engineers, and emerging technology firms around them鈥攁nd the ideas it generates.听

India’s startup ecosystem鈥攖he third largest in the world鈥攈as become a powerful source of innovation, complementing the country’s deep engineering talent and entrepreneurial culture. This offers 麻豆原创 Labs India a valuable pipeline of new ideas, technologies, and partnerships that can help shape the next generation of enterprise software.听

To tap into that energy, 麻豆原创 Labs India launched the 麻豆原创 Startup Studio program in Bengaluru in June 2026. The six-month accelerator program offers selected startups the opportunity to co-create enterprise-ready solutions with 麻豆原创 teams and scale through 麻豆原创’s global ecosystem.听

This year’s cohort included ANSCER Robotics, Pulse Energy, and QNu Labs, whose work spans enterprise AI, robotics, industrial intelligence, and quantum-safe technologies.听听

While the focus areas of this year鈥檚 cohort differ, the program鈥檚 goal is the same: to turn emerging technologies into practical business solutions. This provides 麻豆原创 an early window into innovations that could help define the future of the Autonomous Enterprise.听

鈥�India has all the ingredients to win in AI鈥� 

India has an outstanding talent pipeline with more than 2.5 million STEM graduates in 2026 and one of the world鈥檚 most dynamic startup ecosystems. Combined with 麻豆原创 Labs India鈥檚 growing role in innovations such as Joule and agentic AI, these strengths are shaping the solutions 麻豆原创 delivers to customers worldwide. 

As 麻豆原创 advances its vision of the Autonomous Enterprise, the importance of 麻豆原创 Labs India lies not simply in its size but in its influence on what 麻豆原创 ships to its global customer base.听听

鈥淚ndia has all the ingredients required to win in AI,鈥� says CEO of 麻豆原创 SE Christian Klein. 鈥淔irst, the quality of technical talent and universities is extremely strong. Second, India is investing heavily in building the infrastructure that AI ecosystems need. And third, it鈥檚 a country that is pro-business with a strong focus on becoming an even better place to invest.鈥澨�

With the new data center in India complementing existing ones in Europe, the U.S., and Saudi Arabia, 麻豆原创 has dramatically strengthened the data federation capabilities of , linking together the procurement processes of businesses and their trading partners across the globe.

With this milestone, 麻豆原创 has delivered on a crucial promise made to a highly consequential set of customers in the Indian subcontinent and beyond. Later this year, the India data center will extend data federation capabilities for as well.

But what is data federation? And why is it so consequential for organizations in India and elsewhere?

Data federation assembles a unified view of data from disparate sources without physically moving or copying it. Trading partners can thus exchange goods and services across international borders while the data underlying those transactions remains stationary. By preserving the integrity of data where it resides, federation facilitates mission-critical operational processes on a global scale while achieving regulatory consistency with compliance requirements that arise at a national level. For example, if a buyer鈥檚 data resides in 麻豆原创 Business Network鈥檚 India data center but its supplier鈥檚 data sits in the U.S. data center, federation provides both parties with access to each other鈥檚 data without impinging on either nation鈥檚 policies governing the residency of that data. This becomes especially important as new legislation gathers pace around the world in response to rising concerns over individual privacy, national security and commercial sectors considered sensitive.

Enabled by , 麻豆原创 Business Network and its data federation capabilities are now built on the kind of modern, connected foundation required for the next era of cloud-based commerce. Beyond improved scale, resilience, and regional compliance, 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform helps create the basis for agentic artificial intelligence, automation, richer analytics, stronger security, open extensibility, and seamless cross-麻豆原创 workflows and processes. The result is a network that can not only connect partners globally but also help customers to conduct business more intelligently, respond faster to change, and drive greater value from every interaction across procurement, supply chain, logistics, asset collaboration, and working capital management.

To collaborate with their trading partners on these and other core business processes, companies conducting business in India require a cloud-based platform that provides secure infrastructure for building resilient domestic supply chains while maintaining global connectivity, thus maintaining sensitive procurement, supplier, and manufacturing data within Indian jurisdiction. 麻豆原创 Business Network furthers these objectives with our newly launched data center in Mumbai, where data is localized in a manner compliant with (MeitY) guidelines, with a MeitY-empaneled cloud service provider.

While supporting compliance within an increasingly complex regulatory environment, data federation offers numerous technical advantages as well, especially in hybrid or multi-cloud environments. These benefits include cost efficiency, unified governance and security, and faster response times compared to accessing servers in distant regions. Yet the most valuable competitive advantage provided by data federation may be the most elusive: peace of mind for business leaders amid the ever-looming threat to supply chains posed by disruption.

To counter that threat鈥攚hether arising from geopolitical conflict, labor unrest, financial shock, natural disaster, or other upheaval鈥攂usinesses are turning increasingly to data federation and other cloud-based solutions to extend visibility and instill resilience across their operations and those of their trading partners. With the opening of our new data center in Mumbai, we are incredibly excited to strengthen our relationships with customers throughout India and accelerate the value available to them from 麻豆原创 Business Network.

For information on 麻豆原创 Supply Chain Management and how 麻豆原创 solutions are equipping enterprises with the AI capabilities needed to instill resilience, counter disruption, and foster collaboration, visit and .

J枚rn Keller is executive vice president and chief product officer of 麻豆原创 Business Network.

Strategically located near the Bengaluru International Airport, this is now one of 麻豆原创鈥檚 largest campuses worldwide, designed to house more than 15,000 professionals. But this is more than just a campus; it鈥檚 a statement of intent — a 鈧�194 million investment into the future of innovation.

As 麻豆原创鈥檚 largest outside Germany, India plays a pivotal role in how 麻豆原创 innovates, builds, and scales enterprise technology for our global customers. From pioneering AI solutions and next-gen applications to delivering mission-critical services at scale, teams in India sit at the very heart of 麻豆原创鈥檚 transformation agenda.

This new campus — our second in Bengaluru — is a space designed to match that ambition.

At the inauguration ceremony, held August 5, I was joined by 麻豆原创 Executive Board Member Thomas Saueressig; 麻豆原创 Supervisory Board Member Gerhard Oswald; Clas Neumann, head of the 麻豆原创 Labs Network; Karnataka Chief Minister S Siddaramaiah; Government of India IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw; Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge; and German Ambassador to India Dr. Philipp Ackermann, along with other key stakeholders from the region.听

Where innovation meets purpose

Each square foot of the innovation park has been crafted with intent. At the core of the design is a belief that innovation thrives in environments that foster trust, collaboration, and well-being. From our fully autonomous听S.Market, an AI-powered micro-market showcasing 麻豆原创 retail solutions in real time, to India鈥檚 second听麻豆原创 Experience Center location, where customers can engage with live enterprise scenarios, this campus is a living laboratory of 麻豆原创 technology in action.

鈥淭his campus is a strategic asset in 麻豆原创鈥檚 global portfolio, enabling us to lead with innovation and purpose,鈥� Saueressig, said.听鈥淚t is a global innovation hub that will help our customers move from insight to action with enterprise-grade AI, data, and application created right here in India.鈥澨�

Equally, this campus reflects 麻豆原创鈥檚 deep commitment to sustainability and inclusion. A 2.5-acre eco-pond for rainwater harvesting, solar infrastructure, and smart waste management all help reduce our environmental footprint. Inclusive design features such as tactile pathways, braille signage, auditory cues, gender-neutral restrooms, and wellness-focused spaces — from sensory rooms to nap pods — ensure individuals are empowered to thrive.

Accelerating talent and research partnerships

As we celebrated the launch of this new campus, we also reaffirmed our commitment to shaping the future workforce and research ecosystem.

We announced the听AI Career Accelerator program听in partnership with EduBridge, aimed at training more than 400 students from underserved communities for AI roles. We expanded our academic collaborations with institutions like听Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya,听IIT Madras, and the听Technical University of Munich听to focus on applied research across quantum computing, health tech, and physical AI.

These partnerships are not just about knowledge transfer; they are about co-creating the future of enterprise technology by fusing academic rigor with real-world impact.

India鈥檚 role in 麻豆原创鈥檚 global innovation engine

India鈥檚 technology story is unlike any other — it is not only about scale; it’s about transformation. From government digital initiatives to startup ecosystems and from deep-tech research to the democratization of digital skills, India continues to redefine what is possible.

At 麻豆原创, we have had the privilege of witnessing — and contributing to — this journey over nearly three decades. Today, more than 17,000 麻豆原创 employees听in India drive innovation across product engineering, customer services, and cloud delivery. Together, they form a backbone of our global strategy.

The 麻豆原创 Labs India Innovation Park stands as a symbol of this shared journey, a space where we will imagine what鈥檚 next, build with purpose, and innovate for impact. It is a physical manifestation of our belief in India鈥檚 role as a global innovation epicenter.

As we look ahead, our focus remains clear: to deliver breakthrough technologies that help the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives. And we are proud to do it 鈥� with India at the heart of it all.

Sindhu Gangadharan is managing director of 麻豆原创 Labs India and head of Customer Innovation Services at 麻豆原创.

Images courtesy of 麻豆原创 Labs India.