In this Unfiltered Stories episode, Hansa Iyengar sits down with NewRocket CEO Harsha Kumar to dismantle the AI hype and get real about how enterprises can drive outcomes, not just experiments. The conversation zeroes in on building AI you can trust, redefining services as software, and what enterprise leaders must do now to avoid becoming irrelevant in the AI-first era.

The key takeaway from the discussion includes:

• AI is disrupting both low-end and high-end IT services models.
• Intelligent agents are transforming workflows, but you must design them right.
• Trust is the new differentiator for AI.
• Leaders must treat AI as a new operating model, not a side experiment.
• The ROI conversation must shift from cost savings to value realization.

Enterprise leaders who treat AI as a science experiment will lose to those treating it as a new business operating model. The pilot phase is over—budget for AI, train for AI, and build for scale—or prepare to be disrupted.

Also, check the HFS market impact report: “Reinvent your ServiceNow service model with agentic AI”, here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/servicenow-services-model/

In this episode of HFS Unfiltered, Saurabh Gupta, President at HFS Research, sat with Hiral Chandrana, CEO and Board member of Veltris, to explore how verticalized AI is transforming digital product engineering, reshaping pricing and delivery models, and redefining what true customer-centricity looks like in an AI-native world.

Hiral shares real-world insights on AI readiness, micro-industry innovation, leadership transformation, and why the next generation’s mindset will shape the next few decades of technological progress.

The key discussion points include:

• Understanding Verticalized AI
• Shifting from Traditional Models to Agile Practices
• The Role of Leadership in a Changing Landscape
• Delivering Value through Domain Expertise and Product Mindset

Read the recently published HFS Challengers Code Report titled “Vertical AI is a real win as Veltris lifts growth for micro-industries” on the HFS website here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/veltris-lifts-growth-micro-industries/

The last six months have seen CEOs seize the opportunity to reengineer their businesses with AI, particularly Agentic AI.

HFS Research Executive Research Leader David Cushman and HCLTech’s Alan Flower, EVP, Global Head AI Labs, dive deep into what’s changed and why every enterprise leader should be paying attention.

Key points discussed include:

• After moving from POCs to production, the next significant shift is business engineering with Agentic AI.
• Client confidence is growing every day as enterprises reconfigure for a world of digital employees.
• As organizations notch up early wins with AI, they’re coming back for more and scaling fast.

TCS was recognized as a Horizon 3 Market Leader in the HFS Workday Services Horizons 2025 report for its advisory-led, industry-focused, and AI-infused transformations.

The discussion highlights:

• How TCS’s Crystallus Framework, proprietary accelerators, and GenAI capabilities are redefining Workday-enabled HR and finance transformation.
• The conversation also explores the rise of the “superworker” and how TCS is collaborating with Workday and ecosystem partners to drive the next phase of intelligent enterprise transformation.

Explore the full report: HFS Horizons: Workday Services, 2025, on the HFS Research website: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/hfs-horizons-workday-services-2025/

GBS is moving from a cost-center to a growth-engine.

AI-first models and platforms are rewiring enterprise operations. In this Unfiltered Stories episode, Ashwin Venkatesan, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, sits down with Saurabh Gupta, President at HFS Research, and Shashidhar N, VP & Global Head of Platforms at EdgeVerve, to discuss what next-gen GBS really looks like—beyond slideware.

What you’ll learn:

• From “shared services” to “Generative Business Services” — AI-led, data-driven, value-obsessed.
• AI-first delivery = beyond productivity — shift from cost saves to revenue, speed, and innovation.
• What’s blocking progress — silos plus technical, data, and cultural debt (and how leaders break them).
• Why platforms matter — unifying people, process, data, and tech for scalable, AI-powered ops.
• The GBS of tomorrow — AI-first by design, built for agility, collaboration, and continuous value.

Also, check the companion HFS report: “Your GBS model is outdated: Fix it, or risk falling behind in the AI economy”, here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/your-gbs-model-is-outdated-fix-it-or-risk-falling-behind-in-the-ai-economy/

HFS Research and Ema discuss how agentic AI is transforming enterprise operations. From AI pilots to AI employees, learn what defines an agentic system, how to scale responsibly, and what the human-plus-AI workforce of the future looks like.

The key takeaways from the discussion include:

• Enterprises are moving from AI experimentation to AI as a core operating model.
• True agentic systems are goal-oriented, autonomous, and continuously improving.
• “AI employees” represent accountable, cross-functional digital colleagues.
• Success depends on governance, measurable outcomes, and C-suite ownership.
• The future workforce blends human creativity with AI execution for end-to-end transformation.

Explore the full report: The Enterprise Guide to Agentic Business Transformation, on the HFS Research website: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/agentic-business-transformation/

Life sciences are staring at a $1.5T revenue hit—time to rethink the playbook.

Suppliers can’t keep doing what worked yesterday. To help the industry navigate headwinds and continue delivering cures, they’ll need new capabilities, new partnerships, and faster execution.

In this episode of HFS Unfiltered Stories, Rohan Kulkarni, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, talks with Paul Watson, Vice President, Global Lead Healthcare & Life Sciences at Hitachi Digital Services, about what it will really take to adapt.

They get into:

• Finding growth in new markets, channels, and engagement models
• Regulatory shifts as more countries run their own approvals (not just the FDA)
• Speed to value, where partners that can design, build, run, and service plants end-to-end take the lead

Watch now for practical insights on where life sciences are headed.

Read more: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/life-sciences-survival-consumers/

Clean energy is confusing right now. Economics says yes to wind and solar, especially. The IEA says $2tr was invested in clean energy in 2024 vs $1tr in fossil fuels. But politics, at least in rhetoric—and the oil and gas sector, suggest otherwise. Despite recent US legislation, clean energy projects are accelerating to claim the remaining subsidies, other E&U firms are doubling down on what they know are great economics, nuclear and battery technology are developing with support of ensuring the energy mix is covered in multiple future scenarios. Globally, the energy transition is seeing growing political support on all continents.

• So how are E&U firms linking the time horizons of clean energy: now, the next 2 years, and beyond?
• And are there any standout Publicis Sapient projects in the clean energy space that can give the energy transition hope?

Learn more about this Horizons report to see how service providers are helping their E&U clients embrace innovation and realize value across three distinct Horizons: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/hfs-horizons-energy-and-utilities-service-providers-2025/

HFS Chief Research Officer Tony Filippone speaks with Stephanie Ayoub, Chief Growth Officer at ICG, about their work together in Saudi Arabia and across MENA. The discussion focuses on how research-led strategy and on-the-ground execution help enterprises and governments deliver real transformation at scale.

They explain how HFS and ICG are moving clients from plans to results: modernizing technology, improving procurement, scaling AI and automation, and building lasting capabilities.

With Vision 2030 reshaping the region, Tony and Stephanie cover why investment flows into Saudi Arabia, how organizations move from pilots to production, and what AI adoption and sovereignty look like in practice.

You will hear about:

• Why MENA, especially Saudi Arabia, is becoming a global digital and AI-driven transformation hub.
• How the HFS and ICG partnership blends research, strategy, and execution to accelerate outcomes.
• The key challenges for leaders: talent gaps, procurement friction, vendor lock-in, and legacy estates.
• The shift from efficiency to effectiveness and how to pursue outcome-based transformation.
• AI sovereignty, data residency, and hybrid models, and how these shape the region’s next phase.

To know more about our strategic alliance with ICG, visit here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/strategic-alliances/

In this episode of HFS Unfiltered Stories, Saurabh Gupta, President of Research and Advisory Services at HFS Research, sits down with Jay Desai, Head of IT Infrastructure Operations at JTI, for an eye-opening conversation on bridging the often-disconnected worlds of business, IT, and cybersecurity.

Jay shares hard-earned lessons from leading Global Business Services (GBS) through geopolitical shocks, shifting into IT and cyber leadership, and navigating the GenAI hype with realism and grit. This is a rare look into what it really takes to drive enterprise transformation, from aligning C-suite incentives to overcoming organizational resistance.

Whether you're scaling GenAI or building connected enterprise models, this conversation is full of truth bombs, leadership insights, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from being on both sides of the transformation divide.

Key discussion points:

• Breaking Functional Silos: Why IT, GBS, and cybersecurity leaders must adopt a shared vision to enable true enterprise-wide transformation.
• The Moral Hazard in Transformation: How misaligned ownership of costs vs. benefits creates friction between business and IT, and how to solve it.
• Why the 'OneOffice' Vision Still Eludes Us: The challenge of aligning incentives and OKRs across finance, IT, and HR departments.
• GenAI: From Hype to Reality: Why GenAI is stuck in POC purgatory, and what leaders must fix to unlock real value.
• Enterprise ‘Debts’ Beyond Technology: Cultural, process, and people debt are just as critical as technical debt in holding back transformation.
• Leadership Lessons in the AI Era: Jay’s real-world advice to aspiring leaders, embrace failure, earn trust, and be unapologetically authentic.

Tune in now to hear what it really takes to lead across silos—and why the future belongs to those who can connect dots others can't.

This conversation between HFS and EY explores the digital acceleration of commercial banking, the impact of AI, and how EY supports banks in modernizing legacy systems, navigating geopolitical uncertainty, and building scalable, future-ready platforms.

Key discussion points included:

• The discussion highlighted why commercial banking has historically lagged behind retail in digital transformation—and how that’s rapidly changing due to evolving customer expectations and the demand for streamlined, data-driven treasury experiences.
• EY assists commercial banks in their modernization efforts by integrating digital strategy, UX redesign, and core system upgrades with deep risk and regulatory expertise.
• The conversation also examined how geopolitical volatility is increasing the need for strategic banking support, with commercial banks uniquely positioned to guide clients through uncertain times.
• AI emerged as a central theme—viewed as transformational but still in its early stages—with EY advising clients to focus on connected, high-impact use cases rather than isolated pilot initiatives.
• The session concluded with a forward-looking perspective on embedded finance, digital assets, and the evolving role of commercial banks as key enablers of client growth and agility.

Commercial banks must accelerate their digital and AI transformation efforts—starting with pragmatic, high-value use cases—while leveraging their unique position to support clients through economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Rather than waiting for perfect data or systems, banks should prioritize building scalable platforms that integrate automation, AI, and user-centric design. Partnering with firms like EY can help bridge the gap between strategy, technology, and compliance to stay competitive and future ready.

Learn more about this Horizons report to see how service providers help commercial banks across the globe embrace innovation and realize value across three distinct Horizons: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/hfs-horizons-the-best-service-providers-for-commercial-banks-2025/

HFS Research and LTIMindtree discuss the intertwined transitions shaping the future of energy and utilities, sustainability, AI, and talent.

Josh Matthews, Practice Leader for Sustainability, Energy, and Utilities at HFS Research, sits down with Ramesh Kannan, EVP and Chief Business Officer, Head of Energy and Utilities at LTIMindtree, to explore how the industry must navigate these simultaneous shifts.

Key discussion highlights:

• Sustainability, AI, and talent are not isolated shifts—they are deeply interconnected.
• The industry needs bold and strategic transition planning that ties long-term global ambitions with the immediate push for efficiency and resilience.
• Energy and utilities organizations must balance future-focused goals with today’s operational realities to successfully insulate themselves from geopolitical volatility.

Learn more about this Horizons report to see how service providers are helping their E&U clients embrace innovation and realize value across three distinct Horizons: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/hfs-horizons-energy-and-utilities-service-providers-2025/

What do you learn when you place an agent in charge of HR for 30,000 people? How is the concept of minimum viable agent changing the way agentic AI gets deployed? How do you control and measure performance in agents - and clamp down on proliferation? Hitachi Digital Services CTO Premkumar Balasubramanian opens up to HFS Research Executive Research Leader David Cushman.

HDS is learning from its internal deployments of agentic AI at scale. Grounding on an internal knowledge base, applying rigorous evaluations, and keeping humans in the loop are all mandatory.

Among the key discussion points:

• The need for open telemetry and a single-pane view to control proliferation and control costs.
• The risk of a new tech debt delivered through agent sprawl.
• Coming soon: HARK Agents focused on reliability, responsibility, observability, and optimality - to jumpstart the enterprise journey.

Embrace agentic AI but do so with strong governance, measurement, and observability to maintain control at scale.

In this episode of HFS Unfiltered Stories, Ashish Chaturvedi sits down with Nitesh Mirchandani, Chief Business Officer at Mindsprint, to unpack how the convergence of CPG brands and retailers is redefining go-to-market strategies across industries.

From AI-first delivery models and outcome-based engagements to real-time supply chain visibility, the conversation reveals how Mindsprint is helping enterprises in food, agriculture, retail, and consumer goods adapt and thrive in an increasingly fluid ecosystem.

Together, they explore critical insights around GenAI adoption, omnichannel customer experience, and the industry's accelerated shift toward services-as-software, highlighting what it truly takes to unlock agility and competitive advantage.

Key Takeaways:

1. Convergence of CPG and Retail is strategic: Mindsprint sees the blurring lines between retailers and CPG brands as a growth opportunity, unlocking richer CX, new revenue streams, and operational leverage.
2. GenAI must be business aligned to succeed: Over 40% of AI initiatives fail not because of cost but because of poor alignment with business goals. Mindsprint takes an outcome-first approach to maximize AI ROI.
3. Data-driven product innovation and omnichannel CX are top priorities: Enterprises are doubling on real-time analytics and AI-led personalization to accelerate product launches, improve loyalty, and streamline supply chains.
4. The shift to Services-as-Software is accelerating: The market is proactively moving to subscription-based, outcome-driven engagement models, which give clients flexibility, speed, and co-innovation partnerships.

Watch now to learn how bold execution and AI-aligned strategy are reshaping the future of enterprise services.

Learn more about this Horizons report to see how service providers are helping their clients embrace innovation and realize value: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/hfs-horizons-intelligent-retail-and-cpg-ecosystems-2025/

Why is enterprise AI still stuck in pilot mode? And what does it take to actually scale?

In this episode of HFS Unfiltered Stories, Saurabh Gupta, President, Research and Advisory Services at HFS Research, is joined by Khalid Siddiqui, Global Finance Operations Offering Leader at IBM Consulting, for a no-fluff conversation about how to move from AI aspiration to enterprise-wide activation.

Khalid unpacks real-world examples of where AI—and more importantly, agentic AI—has been successfully deployed to improve cash flow, reduce processing time, and create orchestration across systems. They go beyond the hype to explore:

Key Discussion Points:

• Why AI is “dying a death by a thousand POCs”—and how to avoid it
• A building materials client’s journey from 30-minute query resolution to 2-minute outcomes using AI agents
• The critical role of data readiness and system simplification in AI scalability
• How agentic AI and AI fabric are orchestrating finance operations end-to-end
• The hidden cost of AI adoption: data debt, process debt, cultural resistance
• Tangible business results: improving DSO, boosting collections, and reducing controller workload across 50+ markets

Tired of AI pilots that go nowhere? Watch this candid conversation to learn what it takes to make AI work at scale—and how you can get there faster. Tune in now to start turning your AI ambitions into enterprise-wide impact.

What happens when engineering collides with AI, robotics, and software-defined everything? LTTS’s Abhishek Sinha joins HFS’s Hansa Iyengar to explore how the firm is doubling down on deep tech, cross-industry innovation, and outcome-led models to deliver scalable value—and whether that’s enough to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Key Points Discussed:

• LTTS is charting its path forward through engineering-led innovation, placing strategic bets on AI, robotics, and software-defined technologies to navigate an increasingly complex enterprise landscape.
• Abhishek Sinha shares how a culture of purposeful agility, cross-industry IP reuse, and outcome-based engagement models are creating tangible customer impact. With over 190 AI patents, a mature innovation framework, and deep digital engineering capabilities, LTTS is positioning itself as a leader in an era of disruptive change.

Learn more about this Horizons report to see how service providers are powering the next wave of engineering-led growth: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/hfs-horizons-the-best-of-engineering-research-and-development-service-providers-2025/

Bridging the Gap: Healthcare AI Aspirations vs. Ground Realities: In this episode of HFS Unfiltered Stories, Rohan Kulkarni, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, sits down with Nikhil Mendhi, President and COO of Exponential AI, to explore the disconnect between healthcare organizations’ AI ambitions and the reality of implementation.

Key discussion points include:

• Healthcare buyers aspire to prioritize predictability, risk management, and maximizing the potential of AI.
• Real buying behaviours are informed by past approaches and traditional challenges.
• The gaps are a function of time, and there are key considerations for healthcare leaders to execute on.

The conversation highlights the critical need for greater AI awareness across healthcare enterprises and calls for bold leadership to take decisive action.

Watch now to gain practical insights into navigating the future of AI in healthcare.

In this videocast, Joel Martin, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, sits down with Cedric Foray, Global and EMEIA Telecommunications Sector Leader at EY, for an insightful conversation on the evolving telecom landscape.

Together, they explore how accelerating transformation in the telecom industry demands a strategic realignment of AI and operations, driven by outcomes, not just activity. Cedric shares EY’s perspective on sector-oriented transformation and the importance of integrating AI into the core of telecom strategy.

Key themes discussed include:

• EY’s sector-specific approach to telecom transformation
• The critical role of speed in driving innovation
• Strategic alignment of AI and operations
• Embedding corporate strategy into service execution
• Shifting from effort-based to outcome-focused delivery models

Read more in HFS's Telecom Services Horizon 2025 report here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research-category/horizons-report/

Bosch’s Vision for Software-Defined, Outcome-Led Engineering in the Age of AI. In this engaging and forward-looking conversation, Ashwin Venkatesan, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research and Digant Shah, Chief Revenue Officer, Software and Digital Solutions at Bosch explored how Bosch is reimagining engineering and R&D (ER&D) in an era dominated by software innovation and artificial intelligence.

As industries accelerate their digital transformation journeys, Bosch is at the forefront with a software-defined, outcome-led engineering approach that leverages Generative AI, sustainability frameworks, and a robust global delivery model. This session delves into Bosch’s strategic shift from traditional engineering to a software-first mindset, highlighting how this transformation is enabling the company to deliver more meaningful outcomes and adapt swiftly to changing client expectations.

Key discussion points include:

• The shift toward software-defined engineering to drive innovation at scale
• How Generative AI is redefining R&D processes and boosting productivity
• Integrating sustainability as a core pillar in product and platform design
• Leveraging a global delivery model to support agility, speed, and localized client outcomes

To explore the full report titled HFS Horizons: The Best of Engineering Research and Development Service Providers, 2025, here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/hfs-horizons-the-best-of-engineering-research-and-development-service-providers-2025/.

In this episode of HFS Unfiltered Stories, Saurabh Gupta, President, Research and Advisory Services at HFS Research, sits down with Deepak Arora, SVP of Financial Services at HCLTech, to explore the dynamic transformation sweeping through commercial banking. From macroeconomic volatility to regulatory complexity and rapid digital disruption, banks are being pushed to act—not wait—for change.

Deepak unpacks how leading institutions are tackling modernization with purpose and urgency, backed by real-world case studies. From overhauling working capital systems to streamlining trade finance using AI and GenAI, the conversation brings to life the practical steps banks are taking to future-proof their business. Deepak also lays out a clear, actionable roadmap for moving from operational resilience to sustainable growth.

Key highlights of the discussion include:

• From Resilience to Growth: Commercial banks are evolving from a defensive posture to a growth-oriented, future-ready mindset.
• Balancing Legacy with Innovation: Modernization strategies must protect the stability of legacy systems while introducing digital agility.
• Use Cases That Matter: HCLTech is driving transformation in areas like trade finance, working capital optimization, and cash management.
• AI with Purpose: AI and GenAI are being applied intentionally to solve core business problems, not just for experimentation.
• Accelerated Tech Adoption: Macroeconomic and regulatory pressures are pushing banks to embrace change faster than ever.
• Beyond Point Solutions: Success lies in embracing platform-led transformation with integrated, scalable workflows.
• The New Playbook: Winning strategies center on platform investments, workflow redesign, and strong business-tech collaboration.

Trust at the Core: Efficiency matters—but trust, experience, and purpose are now key pillars of transformation.

Tune into this must-listen conversation for insight into how commercial banks are redefining their future today.

Read the full report HFS Horizons: The Best Service Providers for Commercial Banks, 2025 here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/hfs-horizons-the-best-service-providers-for-commercial-banks-2025/