60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches a new innovation centre here

Straits Times

7 hours ago

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(From left) TCS Pace global head Leena Walavalkar, High Commissioner of India Shilpak Ambule, TCS Ppresident for growth markets Girish Ramachandran, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan, TCS chief technology officer Harrick Vin, TCS Singapore country head Punit Agarwal, TCS chief technology officer Michele Lemmens at the launch of the new facility on July 3.
SINGAPORE - Up to 60 local SMEs and start-ups are getting an AI boost from India's largest IT services provider Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with its launch of a high-powered innovation centre in Singapore.
The new facility, located within TCS Asia Pacific's office at Changi Business Park, will allow the firm's customers and partners – including up to 50 small and medium-sized enterprises and 10 start-ups in the next 12 months – to work with its experts to co-develop, prototype and scale AI solutions for real-world business challenges.
TCS also plans to hire up to 50 fresh graduates from local universities in roles such as data science and cyber security to support the centre's operations. The company has 6,600 employees in Singapore.
TCS declined to disclose the facility's cost or size, but said it plans to expand it in the first half of 2026.
Mr Punit Agarwal , TCS Singapore country head, told The Straits Times on July 3 that SMEs here typically do not have access to top consulting talent for tech, but the new centre will be able to help bridge that gap.
'SMEs may not be as tech-savvy as larger corporations, but our consultants can guide them in understanding their data, learning how to use AI, and assessing their existing tech stack to identify what needs to be modernised,' he said.
Mr Agarwal also noted that the centre will serve as a platform for fintech firms and start-ups to showcase their products and join TCS' Co-Innovation Network – a global ecosystem that connects emerging tech companies with TCS' enterprise customers worldwide.
'The centre will bring together our deep domain and contextual knowledge of customer business and cutting-edge technologies from Google, Nvidia and other technology partners to deliver impactful outcomes for business in Singapore,' he said.
At the launch ceremony for the new innovation centre on July 3 , Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan said Singapore will continue to deploy and develop digital AI solutions with digital and local players.
He noted that TCS's new innovation centre will play a similar role to the $150 million Enterprise Compute Initiative (ECI) announced in the 2025 Budget, which helps Singapore-based companies gain access to cloud resources, AI tools and consultancy services.
'It will partner with local and global corporates to advance their digital transformation – by connecting businesses including start-up s, academia, and government agencies, the centre will drive cross-sector innovation and collaboration,' he said.
Headquartered in Mumbai, TCS established its operations in Singapore in 1985. The firm, which specialises in IT services, consulting and business solutions, has a presence in 55 countries worldwide.