IBM opens AI consulting centre in Visakhapatnam to expand India delivery

IT major IBM has expanded its consulting footprint in India with the launch of a new IBM Consulting FutureNow Centre in Visakhapatnam. The centre will support global clients across consulting and technology services, with expertise spanning AI, hybrid cloud, software engineering, cybersecurity, data and analytics, and enterprise transformation. It will also serve as a hub for AI-first cloud transformation, platform engineering, service integration, quality engineering and user experience services.

The facility was inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Human Resource Development Nara Lokesh in the presence of Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India and South Asia, and other government and IBM executives.

The announcement comes as global technology companies continue to expand delivery operations beyond traditional metros to tap emerging talent hubs offering a growing pool of engineering graduates, improving digital infrastructure and lower operating costs. Visakhapatnam has been positioning itself as one such destination, with the Andhra Pradesh government actively courting investments in AI, electronics and digital services.

IBM said the new centre reflects its strategy of expanding innovation and delivery capabilities across emerging technology hubs in India. The company expects the facility to support global client engagements while creating employment opportunities for technology professionals in the region and contributing to the development of a future-ready workforce.

"India has a unique opportunity to lead in the digital era by combining its talent, innovation and technology capabilities to realize the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047," said Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India and South Asia. "The IBM Consulting FutureNow Centre in Visakhapatnam reflects this commitment, while reinforcing India's role as a global destination for innovation and technology delivery."

Usha Srikanth, Managing Partner, IBM Consulting FutureNow Centre, India, said Visakhapatnam offers access to emerging digital talent, strong academic institutions and a growing technology ecosystem, making it an important location for supporting clients' AI and digital transformation initiatives.

Nara Lokesh said the investment reinforces Visakhapatnam's ambitions to become a hub for AI and digital innovation. "Our vision is not merely to attract technology investments, but to build a complete ecosystem that creates high-quality employment, develops future-ready talent and enables young people from Andhra Pradesh to participate in the global digital economy," he said.

With the Visakhapatnam launch, IBM Consulting now operates FutureNow Centres across 15 Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida, Gurugram, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore, Lucknow and Mysore.

The expansion adds to IBM's broader India strategy of strengthening AI-led consulting and technology services as enterprises accelerate adoption of generative AI, cloud modernisation and digital transformation initiatives across industries.