AI is now at the core of our cloud applications strategy: Oracle India’s Shailesh Singla

As Indian enterprises accelerate their shift from cloud adoption to AI-led optimisation, Oracle’s applications business is witnessing strong momentum across key sectors such as BFSI, healthcare, manufacturing, and IT/ITeS. The tech giant is embedding artificial intelligence across its Fusion Cloud Applications suite to deliver unified, predictive, and intelligent business outcomes.
In an interview with TechCircle, Shailesh Singla, Vice President, Cloud Applications, Oracle India, discusses what’s driving Oracle’s application growth, how AI is transforming enterprise software, and the company’s roadmap for India. Edited excerpts.

What’s driving the growth of Oracle’s application business, and how are you aligning your strategy with India’s cloud adoption?

Oracle’s applications business in India remains a key growth engine for the company, driven by strong enterprise demand for modernisation, intelligent automation, and AI-powered transformation. As organisations move from cloud adoption to cloud optimisation, we are witnessing accelerated adoption of Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications across sectors such as BFSI, healthcare, manufacturing, and consumer services. In Q1 FY26, Oracle recorded over 60% growth in Fusion Applications, with financial services and hi-tech/ITES segments alone growing over 100% in SaaS. The momentum is being driven by Oracle’s differentiated approach of embedding AI into every layer of the enterprise stack—from the secure data foundation to Fusion Cloud ERP, HCM, SCM, and CX suites—enabling businesses to automate processes, derive predictive insights, and enhance agility.

Our innovations, including the AI Agent Studio and embedded AI agents across business functions, are helping enterprises shift from reactive operations to real-time, data-driven decisions. Aligned with India’s rapid cloud adoption, Oracle’s development strategy focuses on industry-specific innovations, interoperability through collaborations like the Microsoft Azure integration, and scalable, outcome-driven AI.

How is Oracle embedding GenAI and agentic AI into its application suite to enhance automation and user experience?

AI is now a core element of Oracle’s application development strategy—deeply embedded across every business function rather than offered as an add-on. At Oracle AI World 2025 in Las Vegas, we announced a major leap in our AI roadmap, scaling to 600 Agentic AI features, with 400 embedded within Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications. Powered by the AI Agent Studio, these innovations are redefining how enterprises plan, analyse, and execute by automating insights and actions across finance, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. Fully integrated and available at no additional cost, these AI capabilities enhance automation, deliver predictive intelligence, and provide personalised user experiences, helping organisations move from reactive to proactive, data-driven operations.

Which sectors are showing the strongest demand in India? Are mid-sized firms joining the AI transformation wave?

The strongest demand continues to come from BFSI, healthcare, and IT/ITeS. The BFSI sector remains our top growth driver, recording over 100% growth in SaaS during Q1 FY25, with NBFCs emerging as a key contributor—we continue to add one to two new NBFC customers every month. The healthcare sector saw 64% year-on-year growth, leveraging Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications to enhance operational efficiency and patient experience.
Beyond large enterprises, mid-sized firms and unicorns such as PhonePe, BigBasket, Flipkart, and Lenskart are increasingly adopting Oracle’s SaaS solutions to improve scalability, agility, and customer engagement. This growing traction shows that businesses of all sizes are embracing AI-powered cloud applications as engines of innovation, compliance, and long-term growth.

How is Oracle integrating its applications, data, and AI capabilities to deliver connected and intelligent business outcomes?

Oracle’s Fusion Cloud Applications suite is designed to provide unified, intelligent outcomes by integrating applications, data, and AI within a single ecosystem. We have launched AI Agents across all applications to help HR, finance, supply chain, and sales professionals operate more efficiently and effectively. This deep integration allows AI agents to access real business context, application logic, and user roles, enabling contextually relevant insights, automation of complex tasks, and meaningful action right where work gets done. Solutions such as the CX Unity bundle and Customer Data Platform showcase how connected insights deliver 360-degree customer experiences and more strategic decision-making.

With growing competition, what differentiates Oracle’s application development approach—particularly in scalability, security, and AI readiness?

Oracle distinguishes itself through continuous quarterly innovation, deep integration, and enterprise-grade security. Each application runs on a common data model and user interface framework, ensuring interoperability, scalability, and a seamless user experience. With AI embedded across every layer—from the secure data platform and Fusion Cloud Applications to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)—organisations gain automation, predictive insights, and operational intelligence at no extra cost or integration effort. At Oracle AI World this year, we strengthened this vision by introducing an integration blueprint connecting Oracle Fusion Cloud SCM with Microsoft Azure IoT Operations and Microsoft Fabric, enhancing real-time supply chain visibility and decision-making.

How are Oracle’s global AI innovations translating into opportunities for Indian customers?

Global innovations in Fusion Cloud Applications and AI are creating tangible value for Indian enterprises. Recently, we introduced a suite of AI-powered analytics features across Oracle Fusion Applications to enhance workforce, financial, and operational decision-making with deeper automated intelligence. Partnerships with companies such as Wipro Enterprise, myTVS, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Apollo Health & Lifestyle, Credila, and RBL Bank demonstrate how these global innovations are localised in India, enabling faster close cycles, improved accuracy, and more personalised customer experiences.

What are Oracle’s top priorities for the next 2–3 years in India?

Our priorities centre on deepening AI integration, expanding sector-specific cloud solutions, and driving adoption among mid-sized and high-growth enterprises. At Oracle AI World, we hosted a hackathon where partners created 100 AI Agents in one day, showcasing the scalability of our AI Agent Studio. Going forward, we will continue to focus on secure, scalable, and connected business processes—enabling Indian enterprises across BFSI, healthcare, manufacturing, and IT/ITeS to unlock agility, actionable insights, and intelligent, data-driven growth.