Beyond tech transformation, GenAI a change in societal configuration: TCS UK Country Head

India's largest IT services company announced a seven-year extended partnership with Virgin Atlantic to modernise the airline's core systems with AI-led solutions.

New Delhi: Generative AI is more than a technological transformation, and could signify a fundamental shift in societal configuration, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Country Head for UK and Ireland Amit Kapur has said.

India's largest IT services company on Tuesday announced a seven-year extended partnership with Virgin Atlantic to modernise the airline's core systems with AI-led solutions.

The UK and Ireland contribute close to 16.8 per cent of global business of TCS, and Kapur told PTI that the market is yielding "healthy conversations of varied nature".

He mentioned that although GenAI ranks highly among major technological transformation trends, it goes beyond being merely a tech change.

"It's also possibly a change in societal configuration," Kapur said.

When asked about the current outsourcing demand environment in the UK, he said it is one characterised by "healthy conversations of varied nature", ranging from re-imagination of operating model all the way to prioritising agility.

"So UK and Ireland today is second largest market for TCS globally. We contribute a little less than 17 per cent...16.8 to be precise of global business of TCS. It's a marquee market...I think if you look at the long run, the investment profile in a market like the UK continues for us," he said.

The company is focused on investing in talent, and innovation in the UK, he said.

"Our base port in London continues to thrive, solving customer problems, in collaboration with academics, in collaboration with startups. So we are thriving an ecosystem which brings the solutions closer to the industry," he said.

On the Virgin Atlantic-TCS partnership, Kapur said it will strengthen the core engine on which the airline operates, make it leaner, efficient, and ensure that it has the integrity and resilience.

"Second thing it will do is stimulate growth. Virgin has big ambitions of connecting more passengers, transporting more passengers, more journeys, making it personalised. So on these two broad pillars - strengthening the core and stimulating growth again - is where the partnership is positioned...again on the back of tech transformation, talent transformation, the ways of working," he said.

Kapur noted that over the past eight years, the UK economy has faced persistent macroeconomic challenges, including Brexit, the pandemic, rising living costs, recession fears, and evolving workforce expectations. Despite these hurdles, British businesses have remained resilient, staying closely connected with employees and maintaining a steady course in decision-making.

"If you look back on the UK business...for the last eight odd years, possibly little longer, I think there is one or the other macros which has overshadowed the economy, whether Brexit, there was pandemic, cost of living, there's been war, there is fear of recession, there's tariff expectations and things like that," he said.

He went on to add: "I think the British businesses have felt this macroeconomics, but have stayed close to consumers and employees and have continued the path of decision making. I think when we look at our relationship with Virgin, it is possibly a reflection of that decision-making that while we know that there are uncertainties around but there are elements that we can do and prepare ourselves for," he said.