'Want to be market leader in Business AI by 2025'

For the global software giant SAP, India remains a fast-growing market. According to the firm's senior management, India is the fastest-growing country in the Asia-Pacific region. MANISH PRASAD, who recently assumed the role of president and managing director of SAP Indian Subcontinent, says that maintaining and accelerating the pace of growth in the Indian market is a key priority. In his first interview since his appointment, he talks to Shivani Shinde on the sidelines of SAP Now, its flagship customer event in Mumbai, about his focus for India. Edited excerpts:

What will be your focus for SAP in India under your leadership?

We have been operating in India for close to 26 years. About 60 percent of India's gross domestic product touches the SAP system in some capacity, indicating that about 95 per cent of enterprise customers in India are using SAP. We currently serve 13,500 customers in India.

I believe the next step is to align ourselves with India's growth strategy. We have identified some focus areas.

Firstly, Business AI (artificial intelligence) is a tangible reality for us. There's no hype; we aim to become the market leader in Business AI by 2025, with a strong emphasis on adoption.

Secondly, we are prioritising the supply chain. Given the trajectory of the Indian economy, I foresee that we will continue to face supply constraints, making digital supply chain management a big focus area.

The third priority is addressing the needs of the 75 million micro, small, and medium-sized businesses that aspire to grow alongside the economy.