ITC Infotech opens new AI and digital hub in Melbourne

This hub will also be the solution provider’s APAC HQ.

Solution provider ITC Infotech has opened its doors to its APAC headquarters and digital and AI engineering hub in Melbourne to help organisations transform with the use of data and AI.

ITC Infotech hopes to hire 150 people over the next three years through the development of digital, AI, and agri-tech capabilities in Victoria.

Shyam Deshpande, SVP & Business Head, Asia Pacific, ITC Infotech spoke to CRN Australia prior to the launch noting that they’ve been in the region for a while but wanted to put down roots.

“We thought that this is the right time for us to refocus and double down on our investments in the region,” he said.

This hub is a part of a wider growth strategy, in 2024, the company acquired cloud digital company Blazeclan that has operations in Asia and Australia.

“As part of that, doubling down on the investment, I was brought in as the leader to head Asia Pacific, and I decided to make Melbourne as a headquarters for APAC,” he said.

Discussing why ITC Infotech built the hub, Deshpande said they wanted a place for co-innovation with partners, academia and customers.

He also wanted to home in on certain verticals.

“We've got significant expertise as a business group in consumer packaged goods, retail, agriculture and in manufacturing. Those are those key focus areas,” Deshpande said.

“We don't want to be something for everyone, but we do want to be everything for a select group of verticals, or micro vertical, as we call it. Go deep than go broad.”

In the first year of operations, Deshpande noted that they want to have three to five customers work with ITC in its new hub.

“[We selected] Melbourne because of the industry sectors that we focus on is the best place from that perspective as well, to keep ourselves here,” he added.

Deshpande is excited about the opportunities that AI has brought the company. Calling it a “leveller” for the IT channel.

“For us, this gives a new level playing field for us to directly engage with business stakeholders and customers and drive real outcome-based innovations and solutions,” he said.

“AI, for us, is enabler for businesses. We do hope that through this hub and all the interactions that we're having, we'll be creating that new way of enablement of the businesses.”

The hub was opened yesterday by Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, Danny Pearson, alongside S. Sivakumar, Group Head – Agri & IT, ITC Limited and Vice Chairman, ITC Infotech.