We plan to strengthen AI-ML, cloud and cybersecurity this year: Tata Elxsi's Ramachandran

Bengaluru-headquartered IT firm Tata Elxsi is driving Artificial Intelligence (AI) and analytics innovation across industries, from autonomous vehicles to video analytics, through its AI Centre of Excellence (AI CoE). In an interview with TechCircle, Sundar Ramachandran, VP of IT Systems, highlighted key technology focus areas of the company and the specific areas of AI-led innovations.

Ramachandran said that the company is working in the areas of AI, predictive analytics, Generative AI (GenAI) and cloud computing, emphasising their transformative potential for IT. “This year's focus is on predictive analytics and enhanced AI/ML integration for network and data security, alongside expanding Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to more complex processes for better data utilisation across people management, project execution, and sales/revenue forecasting,” he said.

According to Ramachandra, Tata Elxsi is automating daily operations with intelligent workflows. Examples include fully automated server backups triggering automatic ITSM tickets upon failure, and security dashboards consolidating data from EDR, DLP, and asset management for real-time system health monitoring. “Our Tedax platform, a cloud-agnostic, low-code/no-code data aggregation solution, further enables accessible analytics,” he said.

Asked how Tata Elxsi differentiates itself from competitors, Ramachandran said, “We do so through deep domain expertise in transportation, healthcare, media, and broadcast, enabling tailored AI and GenAI solutions for clients and internal use.” For instance, the company implemented GenAI-driven chatbots to improve employee access to knowledge repositories and HR policies.

The IT company further leverages AIOps to streamline operations. “Our AIOps-based infrastructure monitoring uses network element agents to collect and consolidate data centrally, employing MLOps to track data drift, identify anomalies, and trigger alerts for proactive issue resolution and improved network stability,” he said, adding that Tata Elxsi's AI Glass enhances AIOps with integrated AI/ML ops management, offering unified monitoring, versioning, streamlined MLOps, drift detection, scalability, and real-time insights for better decisions and proactive issue resolution.

The IT firm streamlines operations using AIOps, employing network element agents and MLOps to centrally collect and analyse data, detect anomalies, and proactively resolve issues, enhancing network stability. Its AI Glass further improves AIOps with integrated AI/ML ops management, offering unified monitoring, versioning, streamlined MLOps, drift detection, scalability, and real-time insights for proactive decision-making.

The company has also formed strategic alliances to provide AI-driven engineering services. In February, it partnered with Garuda Aerospace to establish a design, engineering, and certification centre for Indigenous drone technologies. This collaboration, announced at Aero India 2025, aims to develop UAV subsystems for Indian defense, agriculture, and smart city applications, supporting the 'Make in India' initiative. Tata Elxsi will leverage its expertise in avionics, secured communication, digital twin technology, and AI-powered automation for design, development, testing, and certification, while Garuda Aerospace will focus on business acquisition and delivery.

Earlier this month, Tata Elxsi announced a collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) for Vehicle Software Engineering and Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) development. Working with global manufacturers, Tata Elxsi develops SDV platforms, accelerating innovation and software scalability across vehicle models, combining experience in autonomous, electric, and connected vehicle technologies with solutions like the AVENIR SDV and AUTONOMAI ADAS suites.

In April, Tata Elxsi announced its fourth quarter result for FY25. The company reported a 13.4% quarterly drop in net profit to ₹172.4 crore from ₹199 crore in the previous quarter. The company’s operating revenue was ₹908.3 crore, lower than ₹939 crore posted in the last quarter. Despite the profit decline, Tata Elxsi said that it continues to invest in digital and AI technologies, with over 70% of its talent base now considered AI-ready. The company’s employee count in India was 12,414, marking a year-on-year decline of 985 employees.

Looking ahead, the company plans to expand AI/ML capabilities, enhance cloud solutions, and develop more robust cybersecurity measures, Ramachandran said.