India's digital infrastructure development 'game-changer': Databricks CEO Ghodsi
Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi lauds India's advanced digital infrastructure, surpassing many nations and fostering innovation in data and AI. Databricks is increasing investments in India, recognizing its significant market potential and strategic importance. The company is also investing heavily in Asian markets like South Korea and Japan, citing fewer regulations and a faster pace of development in data and AI.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
India's digital infrastructure development has been a "game-changer", putting the country ahead of most other nations, Databricks CEO and Co-founder Ali Ghodsi has said.At a press conference here on Wednesday at the Databricks Data + AI Summit 2025, Ghodsi said that India is "on the upswing" at a time when recession is a concern in several other regions and nations."What has happened in the last decade, where they've built a lot of digital infrastructure in India, is a game-changer. We don't have that even here, in other countries. India is now ahead on digital infrastructure compared to most other countries in the world," Ghodsi said in response to a question by PTI on India.This "of course, makes it much easier to innovate" in data and AI, he said.Ghodsi added that Databricks is very excited to partner with new companies in the field of AI as well as with "companies that have been around a long time" such as "the Tatas of the world that we're partnering with as well.""It's a gigantic market and with the pivots that are happening in strategy around the world, India is becoming more important. So very excited... it's like (there are) just opportunities in India, and it seems there are no troubles on the horizon. Fingers crossed," he said.Responding to a question on the situation with immigrants in the US and its impact on the company's hiring initiative, Ghodsi said he has lived in nine countries and "I think this (US) still is one of the best countries for immigrants to come here even today."He pointed out that 20-30 years ago, it was more common for an IIT topper in India to want to come to the US in search for career opportunities.He, however, noted that this has changed in the last 5-10 years."You stay in India, stay in Bangalore, get a really high-paying job there. You have your family there, you have the culture there. Why move to the United States? That's already been happening for many, many, many years. So (the) trend is already kind of happening."Noting that this is now the reality, Ghodsi said the company now hires talent in India."We're doubling down on Bangalore. We hired a huge engineering team. We target the IITs," he said, mentioning an instance where the company was hiring four people and had 700 people from the IITs apply in Bangalore. "That's a great market for us."In response to another question, he said that the company is heavily investing in India and other Asian markets like South Korea and Japan."We're also investing a lot in India, which is also doing really, really great. So like Asia in general is a big market opportunity. We're investing ahead of the game there," he said.Adding that the company is "so bullish" on what's happening in Asia, he said that the region can move faster on data and AI.Asserting that Asia does not have the same restrictions, and data and AI are not as tightly regulated as in Europe and America, he said, "So that just makes it amazing for us data and AI geeks, so we're very excited."He further underlined that Asia is high on his mind when undertaking financial planning for Databricks.Ghodsi said he tells his team to "go even more aggressive. More in India, More in Korea, more in Japan every year."So that is our strategy, and we're going to continue doing that. It's growing very fast. It's a much more diverse and bigger continent and more people, unlike Europe which is a little bit more homogeneous. Asia is really very different," he said.Databricks, a Data and AI company, is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices around the globe. The company announced a USD 100 million investment in global data and AI education , aimed at closing the industry-wide talent gap and preparing the next generation of data and AI engineers, data analysts and data scientists.The Databricks Data + AI Summit 2025 is a global event bringing together thousands of data practitioners, leaders and visionaries from more than 160 countries to explore the convergence of data and AI.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
37 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Oil soars more than 9% after Israel strikes Iran, rattling investors
Oil prices surged more than 9% on Friday (June 13, 2025), hitting their highest in almost five months after Israel struck Iran, dramatically escalating tensions in the Middle East and raising worries about disrupted oil supplies. Brent crude futures jumped $6.29, or 9.07%, to $75.65 a barrel by 0315 GMT after hitting an intraday high of $78.50, the highest since January 27. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up $6.43, or 9.45%, at $74.47 a barrel after hitting a high of $77.62, the loftiest since January 21. Israel strikes Iran LIVE: Military official says nuclear targets hit; explosions heard across Tehran Friday's gains were the largest intraday moves for both contracts since 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, causing energy prices to spike. Israel said it targeted Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders on Friday at the start of what it warned would be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. "This has elevated geopolitical uncertainty significantly and requires the oil market to price in a larger risk premium for any potential supply disruptions," ING analysts led by Warren Patterson said in a note. Several oil traders in Singapore said it was still too early to say if the strike will affect Middle East oil shipments as it will depend on how Iran retaliates and if the U.S. will intervene. "It's too early to tell but I think the market is worried about shutting off of the Strait of Hormuz," one of the traders said. MST Marquee senior energy analyst Saul Kavonic said the conflict would need to escalate to the point of Iranian retaliation on oil infrastructure in the region before oil supply is materially impacted. He added that Iran could hinder up to 20 million barrels per day of oil supply via attacks on infrastructure or limiting passage through the Strait of Hormuz, in an extreme scenario. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel will receive "harsh punishment" following Friday's attack that he said killed several military commanders. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday called Israel's strikes against Iran a "unilateral action" and said Washington was not involved while also urging Tehran not to target U.S. interests or personnel in the region. "Iran has announced an emergency and is preparing to retaliate, which raises the risk of not just disruptions but of contagion in other neighbouring oil producing nations too," said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova. "Although Trump has shown reluctance to participate, U.S. involvement could further raise concerns." In other markets, stocks dived in early Asian trade, led by a selloff in U.S. futures, while investors scurried to safe havens such as gold and the Swiss franc.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Chinese exports flood Southeast Asia on US tariffs, Citi says
Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia are among Asian countries seeing the sharpest surge in Chinese imports as higher US tariffs upend regional trade, according to Citigroup Inc. China's export push in Southeast Asia may be a sign of trade diversion, as direct exports to the US have fallen sharply in recent months, Citi's head of emerging-markets economic research Johanna Chua wrote in a report Tuesday. Bloomberg A flood of — often cheaper — Chinese goods could pose challenges to recipient countries and their local enterprises, Citi said. Indonesia, for one, saw textile imports from China recently reach a new monthly high, adding pressure to a struggling garments sector that's already laid off thousands of workers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Vietnam (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Chinese overall export prices and the price of textile shipments have been falling since early 2023. Exports to the US meanwhile plunged by just over a third in May, the most since 2020, with both countries locked in a heated trade dispute. The record shipments to Southeast Asia could likewise be a sign of transshipment, or China directing goods through other countries to avoid the impact of higher US levies, Citi said. The report noted a 'significant increase in correlation' between Southeast Asian countries' increased Chinese imports and their exports to the US. Live Events Transshipment has been a focal point in Washington's tariff negotiations with Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam and Thailand, both of whom have pledged to tighten rules on issuing certificates of origin. As the US clamps down on transshipment, 'China may be shifting more of its downstream production to third markets in lieu of US tariff risk, while maintaining its dominance in the supply chain for intermediate goods,' Citi said.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Crude Oil Jumps Over 12%, Hits 5-Month High As Israel Strikes Iran, Rattling Investors
Last Updated: Brent crude futures rise $8.64, or 12.45%, to $78.00 a barrel by 0825 IST, the highest in the past five months. Oil prices jumped by 12.45% on Friday, hitting their highest in months after Israel said it struck Iran, dramatically escalating tensions in the Middle East and raising worries about disrupted oil supplies. Brent crude futures rose $8.64, or 12.45%, to $78.00 a barrel by 0825 IST, the highest in the past five months. Israel said early on Friday that it struck Iran, and Iranian media said explosions were heard in Tehran as tensions mounted over U.S. efforts to win Iran's agreement to halt production of material for an atomic bomb. 'The Israeli attack on Iran has heightened the risk premium further," MST Marquee senior energy analyst Saul Kavonic said. 'The conflict would need to escalate to the point of Iranian retaliation on oil infrastructure in the region before oil supply is actually materially impacted," he said, adding that Iran could hinder up to 20 million barrels per day of oil supply via attacks on infrastructure or limiting passage through the Strait of Hormuz in an extreme scenario. Israel's strikes on Iran are aimed at hurting its nuclear infrastructure, its ballistic missile factories and many of its military capabilities, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday called Israel's strikes against Iran a 'unilateral action" and said Washington was not involved while also urging Tehran not to target U.S. interests or personnel in the region. 'Iran has announced an emergency and is preparing to retaliate, which raises the risk of not just disruptions but of contagion in other neighbouring oil producing nations too," said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova. In other markets, stocks dived in early Asian trade, led by a selloff in U.S. futures, while investors scurried to safe havens such as gold and the Swiss franc. [MKTS/GLOB] IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said the alarming escalation is a blow to risk sentiment in financial markets. 'While we await further news and a potential response from Iran, we are likely to see a further deterioration in risk sentiment as traders cut risk-seeking positions ahead of the weekend," he added. (With Inputs from Reuters) First Published: June 13, 2025, 08:15 IST
