India is central to our tech and talent development strategy: Pegasystems’ CTO

Pegasystems, an American software company, has significantly expanded its operations in India, which has become integral to the company's innovation strategy. During his recent visit to India, Don Schuerman, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Vice President of Product Management at Pegasystems, told TechCircle that with one-third of the company's global workforce located in the country, India boasts a skilled group of engineers who spearhead essential initiatives in cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI).

Notably, India has served as Pegasystems' largest research and development (R&D) centre since 2008. Schuerman highlighted that Pegasystems aims for $1.5 billion in FY25, achieving 16% year-over-year growth primarily through strategic AI-driven initiatives, with India playing a key role in Pegasystems' long-term global innovation strategy. Also, the Pega Cloud's Annual Contract Value (ACV) has grown 30% year over year, showcasing robust market demand and operational efficiency that supports the revenue target. 

When asked about recent technology investments, Schuerman explained that Pegasystems focuses on tailored innovations for the future. Key investments have been made in AI, low-code development, and cloud solutions to help enterprises modernise and adopt autonomous operations.

He said the company's recently launched ‘Pega GenAI Blueprint’ is a key revenue driver, speeding up process optimisation and development lifecycles, and helping enhance customer adoption and revenue growth. Additionally, the Knowledge Buddy tool enhances intelligent customer service. At the same time, low-code technology facilitates rapid application development for both technical and non-technical users, fostering collaboration between IT and business teams, he said. Pegasystems is driving transformation in sectors like healthcare and financial services through intelligent automation and predictive analytics, all supported by the scalable Pega Cloud platform, he said.

With one-third of its global workforce, primarily in Hyderabad and Bangalore, India contributes immensely to both the company's current success and future aspirations. Schuerman added that the Global Capability Center (GCC) in Hyderabad serves as a thriving multi-functional operation, benefitting from a leadership team and a highly experienced workforce, with more than 40% having over a decade of experience.

According to Schuerman, Pegasystems India not only develops key solutions but is also central to the company’s talent development strategy. With 2,000 professionals in India, it serves as a critical talent source, recruiting from top institutions and providing extensive training. Pega Academy plays a significant role in preparing clients and their teams for success in the AI-driven economy, ensuring that Pega India remains integral to Pegasystems' global strategy.

In assessing competition landscapes, the CTO highlighted Pega’s unique 'centre-out' architecture, which focuses on “customer outcomes rather than traditional data structures”. This approach supports businesses in implementing AI agents for enhanced automation and streamlining processes for improved results, he said.
“As the company continues to progress in AI, we remain vigilant in monitoring industry trends and strategically investing to accommodate clients' evolving AI needs while facilitating the migration of legacy systems to the Pega platform for improved efficiency and client satisfaction,” he summed up.