Roshni Nadar Malhotra: AI is a "Structural Shift", Calls for IP-Led Growth

Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Malhotra said AI represents a defining moment in technological history, comparable to the advent of the printing press and the Internet.

"Artificial intelligence is no longer something we switch on and switch off. It is with us at all times. AI is becoming an assistant, a guide, a teacher, sometimes even a companion," she said.

Highlighting the speed and scale of AI adoption, Malhotra emphasised that "when knowledge becomes programmable, industries are redefined rather than merely evolving."

"While previous decades were defined by the dial-up modem, mobile ringtones, and smartphone screens, the present era is shaped by the invisible hum of neural networks," she said.

"The competitive edge in the AI era is not computing power. It is clarity of thinking," Malhotra said, describing AI as "a mirror" that reflects how responsibly societies deploy and govern the technology.

"The real question is not what AI can do, but how responsibly we will deploy it, how inclusively we will scale it, and how wisely we will govern it," she said.

Calling for a strategic pivot, the HCL Technologies Chairperson outlined three priorities for India: moving from scale-led growth to IP-led value creation, shifting from adopting technologies to building them, and treating compute as digital public infrastructure. "Services scale with effort. IP scales infinitely," she said.

Malhotra linked this vision to HCL's origins, recalling that Shiv Nadar founded the company in 1976 with a belief in indigenous innovation. "HCL was driven by a belief in building, not adopting. That DNA continues to guide HCL Tech even today," she said.

Malhotra said HCL Technologies is evolving from a people-centric delivery model to an integrated system combining software products, intelligent agents, and human expertise. "The company is also developing new AI-led service lines, including AI Factory and Physical AI, aimed at managing next-generation AI infrastructure and embedding intelligence into real-world systems," she said.

Explaining AI's dual economic impact, Malhotra said it can reduce operational costs while unlocking new markets and industries

"The real question is not whether disruption will come, but whether we will lead it," she added.

Drawing an analogy from cricket, Malhotra compared AI to a power hitter in T20 matches. "AI is clearing boundaries that used to require entire teams. But the game is not batsmen versus nobody. AI is a team sport," she remarked, stressing the need for smarter positioning, sharper reflexes, and better anticipation.

Malhotra underscored the importance of responsible AI. "Speed is meaningless without control. Scale is unsustainable without trust," she said, calling for AI systems that "serve people, protect the planet, and accelerate progress."

- ANI