NTT DATA’s Strategic Gambit: Reskilling 40,000 in India for an AI-Native & Quantum-Ready Future 

NTT DATA’s plan to reskill 40,000 employees in India signals a major strategic shift toward building an AI-native and quantum-ready workforce, using India as both a global talent engine and a fast-evolving local market. The initiative goes beyond basic training by embedding generative AI deeply into workflows to dramatically increase productivity, while supporting India’s needs for cost-efficient solutions, sovereign infrastructure, and enhanced security. Backed by large-scale investments in data centers, submarine cables and next-gen networks, the company is also expanding into quantum computing, photonics, blockchain, and post-quantum security—positioning India as a core innovation hub and preparing for an AI-driven future where quantum technology could accelerate breakthroughs across industries.

NTT DATA’s Strategic Gambit: Reskilling 40,000 in India for an AI-Native & Quantum-Ready Future 

In a move that underscores the strategic centrality of India in the global technology race, NTT DATA has announced an ambitious plan to reskill its entire 40,000-strong workforce in the country to become “AI-native developers” . This is not merely a corporate training initiative; it is a profound strategic pivot that reveals how global giants are repositioning themselves to harness India’s dual advantage: its vast human capital and its unique, fast-evolving market. This initiative signals a deeper transformation, where India shifts from being a back-office delivery hub to the core engine for scaling next-generation artificial intelligence capabilities worldwide . 

Decoding the “AI-Native” Reskilling Revolution 

At its heart, NTT DATA’s program is a massive productivity play. As explained by company executives, the goal is to amplify the output of its existing talent pool exponentially. Kenji Motohashi, Head of the Global Generative AI Office, illustrated this by stating that the same number of people who support 10 projects today could support 20 or even 100 in the future . This vision moves beyond basic AI literacy. Becoming “AI-native” implies embedding generative AI tools, methodologies, and problem-solving approaches into the fundamental fabric of every developer’s and consultant’s workflow. 

This need for deep, widespread reskilling is echoed in broader industry analyses. A report by NTT DATA itself found that 100% of Indian respondents believe GenAI can streamline workflows, yet they face significant challenges due to a lack of expertise among employees . The company’s move is a direct, large-scale response to this gap, aiming to future-proof its operations and meet soaring global demand for AI-augmented services. 

Why India? Beyond Labor Arbitrage to Strategic Epicenter 

NTT DATA’s declaration that “India is one of the most important countries for the future” is backed by substantial, multi-billion dollar investments in digital infrastructure . The country’s role has evolved from a source of cost-effective engineering talent to a critical market and innovation springboard. This dual identity is key to understanding the strategy. 

1. The Talent Engine for Global AI Scale:With over40,000 employees, India represents a massive talent reservoir that NTT DATA intends to leverage as a “high-capacity global delivery engine” for AI . The plan is to systematically upgrade this resource to drive generative AI projects for clients worldwide. Furthermore, the company actively hosts Indian talent at its core R&D centers in Japan and Silicon Valley, indicating the high value placed on this skill base . 
2. A Market with Unique Demands:The reskilling initiative is uniquely coupled with a strategy to tailor services for the Indian market itself, which presents distinct challenges and opportunities:

• Cost Sensitivity: Indian clients are highly price-conscious. NTT DATA highlights that even its partner, OpenAI, offers ChatGPT Enterprise at nearly 70% lower cost in India . The company’s services must therefore innovate around cost-efficient AI solutions, potentially using optimized models, hybrid cloud architectures, and efficient data management to deliver value. 

• Data Sovereignty and Confidentiality: A significant appetite exists for private, proprietary infrastructure. Many Indian clients, particularly in regulated sectors like BFSI and government, prefer dedicated environments over public clouds to maintain strict control over their data . This aligns with global trends toward sovereign cloud solutions and is an area where NTT DATA can leverage its extensive data center expertise. 

3. Infrastructure and Investment Commitment:NTT DATA is anchoring its strategy with formidable physical investments. It has operationalized the MIST submarine cable, directly connecting India to Southeast Asia, and opened its largest data center campus in the country, capable of holding over 500 MW of power . It is also deploying its next-generation Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) in India, aiming for faster, lower-cost data transmission using photonics . These investments create the essential backbone for an AI-driven economy.

Building a Fortress: Security, Sovereignty, and Blockchain Synergies 

The focus on data confidentiality in India is not an isolated concern but part of NTT DATA’s broader global focus on security in the AI and post-quantum era. In a related strategic partnership, NTT DATA has teamed with Fortanix to offer Cryptography-as-a-Service, helping enterprises prepare for future quantum computing threats by migrating to quantum-resistant encryption . This service is crucial for securing AI workloads and sensitive data, directly addressing the confidentiality needs of the Indian market. 

Furthermore, NTT DATA’s foray into blockchain through its collaboration with the NEAR Protocol, where it operates a validator node, is highly relevant . This initiative focuses on decentralized AI and data sovereignty—allowing users to maintain control over their data while participating in AI ecosystems. This technology could offer groundbreaking solutions for Indian clients seeking verifiable data integrity and secure, transparent AI model training without compromising data privacy. 

The Future Horizon: Quantum Computing and Photonics 

The reskilling announcement is framed within a much longer-term technological vision. Carlos Galve of NTT DATA points to quantum computing integrated with photonics as the “next wave of disruption” that will push AI to another level, leading toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) and advanced robotics in the next 5-10 years . 

This perspective is reflected in the company’s activities in India, where its expanded Bengaluru Innovation Centre will specifically focus on quantum computing projects alongside AI and digital twins . NTT DATA is positioning itself at the intersection of two transformative trends: 

• The AI Evolution: Scaling current generative AI through a reskilled workforce. 

• The Quantum Leap: Preparing for the next paradigm shift where quantum computing could solve problems intractable for classical computers, potentially revolutionizing drug discovery, material science, and complex optimization . 

The quantum computing landscape in 2025 is vibrant, with scenarios ranging from incremental growth to disruptive breakthroughs . Major players like IBM, Google, and a host of startups are making rapid progress, though commercial maturity is still years away . By investing in talent and research today, NTT DATA aims to be a leader when quantum computing begins to materially augment AI capabilities. 

Conclusion: A Blueprint for the AI-Powered Global Enterprise 

NTT DATA’s comprehensive plan for India is a microcosm of how to navigate the global AI transformation. It synthesizes several critical strands: deep, systemic reskilling of human capital; hyper-localized adaptation to market specifics like cost and data sovereignty; massive infrastructure investment to enable growth; proactive security hardening for the post-quantum future; and strategic R&D into frontier technologies like quantum computing and photonics. 

For India, this represents a significant validation of its growing importance not just as a talent pool, but as a strategic partner in defining the future of technology. For the global industry, it offers a case study in building an agile, future-ready organization that is simultaneously scaling today’s AI revolution while laying the groundwork for tomorrow’s quantum leap. The reskilling of 40,000 professionals is just the first, visible step in a much deeper architectural shift aimed at securing a leading role in the coming decade of intelligent machines.