US-based analytics software firm SAS is planning to expand the scope of the research and development (R&D) work at its Pune centre. The company plans to build at least two to three high-quality software from concept to launch from its facility here in the next few years. At present, the Pune centre employs nearly 1,000 engineers and undertakes work across the product portfolio, including AI, analytics and data management. A significant part of the company’s efforts to integrate quantum computing capabilities into its AI offerings will also be carried out at the Pune facility.
“India is very strategic to SAS from an R&D standpoint,” Bryan Harris, the company’s executive vice-president & chief technology officer, told FE in an interview. “SAS views its presence in India as more than just an offshore outpost. For us, our Pune R&D organisation is really like an unofficial second HQ, driving product strategy, supporting core solutions, and contributing to our next generation solutions. We have almost over a thousand employees out there operating and working there. And we are going to continue to invest there,” he said.
SAS R&D India is the largest R&D centre outside the SAS headquarters in Cary, North Carolina. According to Harris, the journey of software from concept to launch typically involves several key phases, including ideation, market research, design, development, testing, and deployment. Expressing confidence in SAS’ engineering talent pool’s skills to translate an initial idea into a functional and successful software product, he said, “The Pune facility has been growing 30% a year, and I expect it to keep that pace for the foreseeable future. Every part of our portfolio – Viya platform, industry solutions and standalone AI models – has a contribution from the Pune facility.”
SAS R&D India focuses on key areas, including retail analytics, IoT analytics, risk modeling and decisioning, regulatory capital management and platform services. Apart from R&D, the centre also hosts various other teams such as product management, customer facing roles like professional services, customer advocacy, customer success, and also cloud operations, he added.
SAS is creating industry-specific AI and analytics solutions to meet the unique needs of different sectors. “We’ve invested heavily, over a billion dollars, in AI and our solutions. This investment extends to models as well. This strategic move enhances our capabilities and expands our footprint in critical markets, including India, by developing advanced AI-powered cloud-first solutions that can be rapidly deployed across industries,” Harris said.
Currently, the Americas contribute the majority of SAS revenues, although the Asia Pacific market, especially India, is emerging to be one of the fastest growing markets. Harris said there’s a strong appetite among Indian enterprises to explore and adopt cutting-edge AI and data analytics solutions. “In India, we have several banks that use our products. Our solutions are also helping both central and state governments drive public welfare and social benefit initiatives, improve revenues and tax compliance and get visibility into the progress of key programmes that impact millions of people,” he informed.
“Strategic use of analytics, such as with SAS Viya, empowers companies to optimise processes, anticipate market changes, and quickly respond to customer demands. Analytics also ensures compliance and effective risk management, crucial in regulatory environments like that of India,” he said, adding, “Our business growth in the Indian market has been remarkable, driven by robust double-digit growth and a commitment to innovation.”
(The writer was in Orlando at the invitation of SAS)