Qlik’s Growth and Strategic Investments in India
Bullish on the growth of the Indian market, leading data analytics and artificial intelligence company Qlik is poised to expand significantly, expecting its customer base to exceed 1,000 by the end of this year. Varun Babbar, Qlik’s Managing Director for India, shared insights into the company’s impressive trajectory and future plans during an interaction with PTI.
Ambitious Growth Targets
“We have doubled our business in the last two years,” Babbar stated, highlighting the company’s strong market presence with over 800 customers, which includes industry giants like Indian Oil, Ather Energy, the National Stock Exchange (NSE), and HDFC Life.
When discussing the prospect of reaching the 1,000-customer milestone, Babbar remained optimistic but measured, saying, “We should be able to do it soon… it should happen this year, but it’s difficult to say exactly when.”
Focus on Small and Midsize Businesses
A significant opportunity lies in the small and midsize business sector, which Babbar believes will be crucial partners for both data analytics and AI strategies moving forward.
India as a Strategic Employment Hub
From a headcount perspective, India stands as Qlik’s third-largest employer, following the US and Sweden. This highlights the increasing importance of the Indian market in Qlik’s global ecosystem.
Significant Investment in Infrastructure
India is a priority for Qlik in terms of investments, with a recent data center opening that involved substantial financial commitments. This facility is strategically located in Mumbai.
The new data center not only enhances Qlik’s global cloud infrastructure but also underscores its long-term commitment to the Indian market, catering to the growing demands for local data storage, compliance with regulations, and advanced AI capabilities.
Investing in Advisory Services
Moreover, Qlik is heavily investing in advisory services to provide vertical guidance to its customers. This includes offering expertise on data environments and strategies, ultimately aiming for greater operational efficiency.
Workforce Expansion Plans
Maurizio Garavello, Qlik’s Senior Vice President for the Asia-Pacific region, revealed that the workforce in India has doubled over the past 16 months. This upward trend in hiring is expected to continue as the company experiences growth in the region.
“Go big is the direction that top management has given regarding the Indian market,” Garavello added, signifying Qlik’s commitment to maximizing its potential in this dynamic market.
Innovating for Efficiency
Earlier this month, Qlik unveiled a new “agentic experience” designed to enable faster decision-making and enhance productivity. This innovation aims to simplify complex data-driven workflows.
Introducing Open Lakehouse
In addition to the agentic experience, Qlik launched Open Lakehouse, a fully managed Apache Iceberg solution integrated into Qlik Talend Cloud.
Transforming Data Interaction
The agentic experience offers a unified conversational interface that allows users across the enterprise to interact naturally with data. This feature leverages specialized AI agents to quickly uncover insights, facilitating faster decisions and boosting overall productivity.
The Power of Qlik’s Technology
At the core of Qlik’s continuous innovation is the Qlik engine, a unique technology designed to index relationships across diverse data sets. This allows for the discovery of unexpected connections that can drive business value.
Conclusion
As Qlik continues to grow and innovate in the Indian market, its focused approach to investments, partnerships, and technology empowers businesses to navigate their data landscapes more effectively. The company’s commitment to enhancing its local presence through infrastructure and workforce expansion positions it as a leader in the data analytics and AI sectors.
Questions and Answers
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What is Qlik’s target for customer growth in India for this year?
Qlik aims to exceed 1,000 customers by the end of this year.
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How many customers does Qlik currently have in India?
Qlik has over 800 customers in India, including notable companies such as Indian Oil and HDFC Life.
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Why is Qlik investing heavily in advisory services?
The investment in advisory services aims to guide customers in optimizing their data environments and strategies for greater efficiency.
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What recent developments underscore Qlik’s commitment to the Indian market?
A recent data center opening in Mumbai represents a significant investment and strategic commitment to meet local demands.
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What is the ‘agentic experience’ introduced by Qlik?
The ‘agentic experience’ is a new interface that simplifies data interaction, facilitating faster decision-making and enhanced productivity through AI capabilities.
