Strategic Gambit: Krunal Patel’s Helm at NTT DATA Signals India’s Ascent in the Global Tech Arena 

The appointment of Krunal Patel as Managing Director of NTT DATA Business Solutions India is a strategic move that signals India’s evolution from a mere delivery center to a vital nerve center for global innovation. With over 21 years of experience, Patel’s mandate extends beyond accelerating revenue; he is tasked with elevating the India operation into a premier “strategic shoring partner,” leading the charge in developing AI-driven SAP and ServiceNow solutions. His leadership comes at a pivotal “once-in-a-lifetime” moment, aligning with India’s own economic ascent, and his success will hinge on fostering a culture of bold ideas and continuous learning to not only serve the local market but also to propel the entire NTT DATA group’s global transformation efforts.

Strategic Gambit: Krunal Patel’s Helm at NTT DATA Signals India’s Ascent in the Global Tech Arena 

The appointment of a new Managing Director is often a routine corporate affair. But when a global IT titan like NTT DATA Business Solutions names Krunal Patel as its MD for India, it’s more than a personnel change—it’s a strategic statement. This move, announced on October 9, 2025, is a clear indicator of India’s evolving and critically important role not just as a delivery hub, but as a strategic nerve center for global digital transformation. 

With over two decades of experience, Patel isn’t just taking a new job; he’s stepping into the cockpit at a pivotal moment, tasked with steering one of the world’s leading SAP and ServiceNow partners through India’s ambitious journey to become a developed nation. This article delves beyond the press release to explore the significance of this appointment, the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and what it reveals about the future of enterprise technology. 

The Man for the Moment: Deconstructing the Krunal Patel Profile 

The press release highlights Krunal Patel’s 21 years of experience driving growth across APAC and the Middle East. But what does this truly entail in the context of the Indian market? 

• From Regional Operator to Local Visionary: Patel’s background as the “India Business Head” prior to this promotion is crucial. It means he isn’t an outsider parachuted in to learn the landscape. He has been in the trenches, developing what the release calls a “deep understanding of market dynamics and customer needs.” This implies a leader who has navigated the unique complexities of the Indian enterprise sector—a blend of massive, legacy-heavy public sector undertakings, agile unicorn startups, and everything in between. His experience suggests a leader who understands that “customer success” in India requires a bespoke approach, not a one-size-fits-all global template. 

• The Bridge Builder: His work across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East has likely honed his skills as a cultural and operational bridge. For a global entity like NTT DATA, the India office is not an isolated unit; it’s a “shoring partner” for the entire group. Patel’s role will be to ensure that the world-class talent in India seamlessly integrates with the demands of clients in Europe, North America, and beyond. This requires a delicate balance of advocating for local teams while aligning with global strategy—a skill set Norbert Rotter, the CEO, clearly values, as he welcomes Patel to the Global Leadership Team. 

The Mandate: More Than Just Revenue Growth 

While “accelerating revenue growth” is a standard corporate objective, the specifics of Patel’s mandate reveal a sophisticated, multi-layered strategy. 

1. Elevating from “Delivery Center” to “Strategic Shoring Partner.” The term “shoring partner” is deliberately chosen over the outdated “offshoring destination.” It signifies a fundamental shift. For decades, global firms saw India as a source of cost-effective, scalable labor. Today, NTT DATA Business Solutions is positioning its India arm as a center of excellence and innovation. Patel’s challenge is to ensure that the India team is not just executing projects defined elsewhere but is actively co-creating solutions, driving IP development, and leading in high-value domains like AI-driven SAP and ServiceNow implementations.

This aligns with Rotter’s comment: “We consider India an important market for our business.” The word “market” is key—it signifies that India is both a source of talent and a significant consumer of advanced IT services, a dual identity that Patel must navigate. 

2. The AI-Driven SAP & ServiceNow Imperative. Patel’s vision, as quoted, is telling: “transformative, AI-driven SAP and ServiceNow solutions.” Enterprise software is no longer about mere process automation. SAP’s S/4HANA and ServiceNow’s Now Platform are becoming the intelligent cores of businesses, and AI is the engine that makes them predictive and proactive.

Patel’s India organization will be at the forefront of embedding AI and machine learning into these platforms. This could mean developing industry-specific AI models for Indian manufacturing, creating intelligent service management for the booming financial sector, or leveraging AI for sustainable supply chain solutions. This moves the conversation from “implementing software” to “orchestrating business transformation.” 

3. Cultivating a Culture of “Bold Ideas” and “Continuous Learning.” Perhaps the most insightful part of Patel’s statement is his focus on culture: “bold ideas flourish, and continuous learning propels growth.” The Indian IT services industry is grappling with a talent war and the need to rapidly upskill its massive workforce. Patel’s leadership will be tested not just on financial metrics, but on his ability to foster an environment that attracts and retains top talent.

This means creating pathways for engineers to become AI specialists, for consultants to become industry thought leaders, and for the entire organization to embrace a mindset of innovation. In a market where the best people have endless options, a culture of trust, impact, and growth is the ultimate competitive advantage. 

The Macro View: India’s “Once-in-a-Lifetime” Opportunity 

Krunal Patel didn’t mince words, calling India’s trajectory a “once-in-a-lifetime growth opportunity.” This isn’t just corporate optimism; it’s rooted in tangible economic and technological trends. 

• Digital India Matures: Government initiatives like Digital India, Aadhaar, and UPI have created a massive digital public infrastructure. Enterprises are now looking to integrate their core systems (often run on SAP) with this public digital stack, creating a wave of complex, large-scale transformation projects. 

• The Manufacturing & R&D Boom: The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes are attracting global manufacturers to set up shop in India. Each new factory requires a digital backbone—an SAP system for ERP, supply chain, and human resources. Furthermore, many global MNCs are establishing R&D centers in India, focusing directly on developing the next generation of AI and enterprise tech. 

• The Mid-Market Awakening: While large enterprises have been using SAP for years, a new wave of mid-sized, high-growth Indian companies are now graduating to sophisticated ERP and CRM systems to manage their scale. This represents a vast, untapped market for NTT DATA Business Solutions. 

For Patel, capitalizing on this opportunity means his team must be agile enough to serve nimble mid-market startups while being robust enough to handle the multi-national complexity of a global conglomerate’s Indian operations. 

Conclusion: A Symbiotic Ascent 

The appointment of Krunal Patel as Managing Director of NTT DATA Business Solutions India is a microcosm of a larger story. It’s the story of Indian IT evolving from a back-office support function to a front-line strategic partner. It’s the story of enterprise software becoming the intelligent nervous system of a modern economy. 

Patel’s success will not be measured by revenue alone. It will be measured by how effectively he can leverage India’s unique market dynamics and deep talent pool to fuel global innovation. It will be measured by his ability to instill a culture where “bold ideas” around AI and transformation can thrive. And ultimately, his journey will be a key indicator of how a global tech leader like NTT DATA navigates India’s “once-in-a-lifetime” ascent, proving that the relationship is no longer one-sided, but a symbiotic partnership poised to shape the future of business technology worldwide. 

The eyes of the global enterprise tech ecosystem will be watching. Under Krunal Patel’s leadership, the Indian chapter of NTT DATA’s story is just beginning to get interesting.