Small Models, Big Impact: NTT Data Rewrites AI Revolution

NTT Data Group Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is a global leader in IT and business services. It delivers consulting, cloud, cybersecurity, data analytics, and digital transformation solutions across industries. Operating in over 70 countries and serving a significant share of Fortune Global 100 companies, the firm combines global scale with local execution to help organizations modernize and innovate. Today, NTT Data is positioning AI as a strategic capability, creating AI‑driven offerings and ecosystems that extend well beyond traditional services. Its Smart AI Agent™ Ecosystem deploys industry-specific autonomous AI agents to automate complex workflows and decision-making, transforming legacy automation such as RPA into intelligent, proactive systems.

In an exclusive discussion with The Interview World at the India AI Impact Expo 2026, Santosh Krishna, Vice President – Innovation at NTT Data, elaborated on the company’s core offerings and AI initiatives. He shared insights into NTT Data’s investments in strengthening the AI ecosystem, detailed its strategic initiatives for India, and discussed the future growth and evolution of the AI market in the country. He also highlighted the company’s lightweight LLM, designed specifically for enterprise AI applications. Here are the key takeaways from his insightful conversation.

Q: Can you provide an overview of NTT Data’s core offerings for new-age enterprises and explain how the company is advancing its AI initiatives?

A: We are a global IT services brand, serving 75% of the world’s Fortune 500 companies. With over $30 billion in annual revenue, we rank among the top five IT services companies globally. Headquartered in Tokyo, we operate across multiple countries, with India emerging as a strategic hub for our operations.

In India, we provide a range of services, including data center solutions, and are actively building several new facilities. We are also launching GPU-as-a-Service, enabling organizations to accelerate their AI initiatives. As a major software development company, we offer end-to-end services, from development to maintenance and management, and compete directly with the world’s leading software and consulting firms.

We have positioned ourselves as a global IT innovator, focusing on emerging technologies that reshape industries. One of our flagship innovations is All Photonics Networks (APN). By leveraging photonics, a new branch of physics, APN replaces traditional electronics in network elements, drastically reducing latency and delivering ultra-fast performance.

Beyond networking, we are advancing research in satellite data, smart factories, digital twins, and smart robotics. For instance, we have deployed one of our smart robots locally, showcasing practical applications of AI-driven automation. Across all initiatives, we embrace a co-innovation approach, collaborating closely with clients to develop solutions that drive transformation and measurable impact.

Q: How is NTT Data investing to strengthen the AI ecosystem, and what are its specific plans and initiatives for India?

A: NTT is intensely focused on AI, with our CEO serving as the company’s Chief AI Officer. Strategically in India, we are strengthening the AI ecosystem by building large-scale data centers. These facilities enable a diverse range of clients, from government agencies to startups, to access our infrastructure and accelerate their AI initiatives.

Through our Innovation Center, we actively engage with India’s AI and startup ecosystem. We identify niche deep-tech AI startups and explore collaborations to co-create solutions that address real-world client challenges. By combining our global expertise with local innovation, we are shaping a robust and collaborative AI ecosystem in India.

Q: Looking ahead five years, how do you envision the growth and evolution of the AI market in India?

A: The market is gradually maturing, and AI is evolving alongside it. In the short term, over the next few years, we will see a surge of proof-of-concepts (POCs) in the enterprise sector. Many POCs are already underway, and as AI technology advances and competition intensifies, enterprises will increasingly adopt it at scale. Ultimately, AI will become an integral part of daily life in India, driving significant economic transformation across the country.

Q: Does NTT Data offer any large language models (LLMs) that are particularly adaptable or widely adopted by users?

A: We have developed an LLM called Tsuzumi, a mid-sized language model optimized for Japanese. While it is not a large language model, it delivers exceptional performance in the Japanese language.

Building on Tsuzumi, we create RAGs (Retrieval-Augmented Generation systems) tailored to address the needs of the Japanese market. In parallel, we are developing a range of open-weight models to enable industry-specific AI applications. These SLMs (Small Language Models) focus on particular sectors such as manufacturing or finance, providing specialized intelligence for targeted use cases. This focus on high-impact models represents the core of our ongoing research and investment efforts in AI.