Rakuten, a Japanese e-commerce giant, plans to inject a minimum of $100 million into India's market and boost its workforce, as per their top official.
Tokyo's Rakuten Sets Sights on a $100 Million Investment and 8% Headcount Boost in India for Global Domination
Get ready for Rakuten, the Japanese internet colossus, to bring their A-game to India! A top-brass executive spilled the beans to our website, revealing their plans to provide at least three digit millions in investments to beef up technology, infrastructure, and personnel. But the precise sum remains a closely guarded secret.
"Rakuten's goal is to muscle up and storm the world with cutting-edge tech," said Sunil Gopinath, Rakuten's India CEO, with a gleaming grin.
Rakuten, an internet conglomerate operating in fintech, e-commerce, and telecom sectors, is kicking it up a notch. With a workforce of 4,000 in India (90% of whom are tech heads), they're on a mission to hire "power users" of AI to dazzle us all.
"We're on the hunt for AI whizzes who can infiltrate every nook and cranny of our company," Gopinath declared.
Rakuten's India Global Capability Centre (GCC) plays a pivotal role in the development of Rakuten Pay, a payment app sensation in Japan, and its SixthSense AI platform - a real-life Sherlock Holmes for system health monitoring.
"SixthSense is so smart, it can predict system issues before they even occur," Gopinath boasted, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Rakuten's SixthSense platform is a versatile player, catering to an array of clients, including banks, healthcare companies, airlines, and even the Indian government.
Rakuten's AI prowess paid off big time in the last fiscal year, netting a profit of 10.5 billion yen ($73.62 million), and they're aiming to double that in 2025. Last year, employees almost halved their time in creating sales materials, according to their full-year earnings presentation.
Rakuten's India GCC manages nearly half of the company's 70-plus businesses, stationed at multiple locations in the country, including two hubs in Bengaluru.
India's Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are poised to explode, estimated to be valued at up to $105 billion by fiscal year 2030, skyrocketing from $64.6 billion in 2024 according to a report by IT industry body Nasscom and consulting firm Zinnov.
Rumors swirl that Rakuten's strategic expansion in India includes elevating its GCC into a hub for AI innovation and operational scaling, with investments in AI-driven platforms and 6G partnerships. However, specific financial figures and headcount growth details are still under wraps. What we know so far:
- AI Integration Across Core Functions: Rakuten India's GCC now builds AI platforms for global operations, with a focus on productivity, business tools, consumer experience, and operations.
- Strategic Investments in Emerging Tech: The company is actively investing in 6G research collaborations in India, partnering with local entities to advance AI and next-gen communication technologies.
- Talent and GCC Evolution: Rakuten India's GCC is transitioning from support functions to owning end-to-end product development, indicating likely headcount expansion in specialized AI/ML and cloud engineering roles.
The stage is set for Rakuten to revolutionize India's tech landscape with their AI innovations! Will they reach their ambitious goals and rule the world? Only time will tell!
- Rakuten, in its strategic expansion in India, aims to transform its Global Capability Centre (GCC) into a hub for AI innovation and operational scaling, with potential investments in AI-driven platforms and 6G partnerships.
- The Indian GCC, currently managing nearly half of Rakuten's 70-plus businesses, is transitioning from support functions to owning end-to-end product development, suggesting a likely expansion in specialized AI/ML and cloud engineering roles.
- In pursuit of beefing up technology and productivity, Rakuten's India GCC now builds AI platforms for global operations, with a focus on business tools, consumer experience, and operations.
- As part of its mission to challenge the world with cutting-edge technology, Rakuten is actively investing in 6G research collaborations in India, partnering with local entities to advance AI and next-gen communication technologies.
