According to CFO Kabir Ahmed Shakir, when AI giant Nvidia sought to expand its alliances in India, it knew exactly with whom to partner: “They did their homework, and they tapped on Tata Communications’ door.”
This partnership, Shakir tells us, has proven to be but one of a number of alliances in Tata’s journey toward becoming “the national AI champion for all of India.” Along the way, Tata Communications received its first order of Nvidia’s technology, whose integration has since been fast-tracked into Tata’s production processes. With Tata’s dominance in the Indian market, Shakir continues to relate, the company is now determined to capitalize on its Nvidia partnership in order to drive growth through AI innovations across its offerings.
Read MoreOf course, as it turns out, few finance executives may have been better prepared than Shakir to serve as an ambassador from India’s burgeoning AI appetite to U.S. technology companies. Before being named CFO of Tata Communications in 2020, Shakir—as CFO of Microsoft India—oversaw the software developer’s finance function for all of the country, gaining deep insights into the dynamics of tech-driven growth in one of the world’s most complex markets. His role at Microsoft involved managing a fast-evolving financial landscape, making him well versed in navigating the intersections of technology, finance, and global business. Not insignificantly, prior to his tenure at Microsoft, Shakir had spent 23 years at Unilever, where he advanced through various finance roles that ultimately led to major financial initiatives across multiple geographies.
Beyond its Nvidia alliance, Tata Communications has formed strategic partnerships with other tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, Cisco, and AWS, positioning itself as a key player in the global digital ecosystem. Each of these collaborations continues to strengthen the company’s ability to deliver cutting-edge solutions, particularly as the world increasingly embraces AI-driven technologies.
Tata Communications’ long-standing relationship with Formula 1 racing has further showcased its expertise in high-performance data transmission. The firm handles the live feed of Formula 1 events globally, ensuring seamless visual delivery of intricate performance data to millions of viewers. This partnership exemplifies Tata Communications’ ability to manage complex, large-scale operations while maintaining the highest standards of quality and reliability.
These forward-leaning collaborations—such as with AI innovators like Nvidia or through sports broadcasting and Formula 1—are central to Tata’s growth strategy, driving both innovation and market leadership in our increasingly digital world.
“We have new ammunition because we have a bigger debt capacity. We now have the ability to buy bigger targets, so we’re going to use it to propel this organization forward. This is a very inspiring time, and we’re extremely energized by being able to have finance stand shoulder-to- shoulder with the rest of the business.” –Kabir Ahmed Shakir, CFO, Tata Communications
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CFOTL: What makes Tata’s approach to partnerships unique, different, or otherwise meaningful? What do you think sets Tata apart?
Shakir: Our watchwords continue to be “Leadership with Trust.” Governance with ethics is #1 for us, closely followed by #2, which is an intrinsic commitment to business excellence in the full realization that our global presence requires us to always be able to fund or otherwise provide solutions for any challenges that may arise. New projects are fine, as long as they add value. We really have virtually no capital constraints regarding anything, as long as it provides the right returns. Our various partners understand this.
Read MoreGoing forward, it’s very important that I keep my feet on the ground, as you’re only as good as your last quarter or last deal. We need to continue to execute well on an ongoing basis with our partners such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, with which we’ve recently signed a very big deal. We had to fight for this with a number of other competitors, which only goes to show that we take nothing for granted.
You always need to be able to offer a good solution with a good price and a good value. Your partner always needs to be comforted in knowing that you have a track record of delivering your obligations in full and on time. These are the elements—credibility and reliability—that are key not just to making a deal but also to making sure that it creates value all along the line, especially in data and communications. Our partners know that they can count on us to make this happen.
Tata Communications | www.tatacommunications.com | Mumbai, India