Every developer at SAP will be an AI developer: Sindhu Gangadharan

In a bold declaration underscoring SAP’s aggressive pivot to artificial intelligence, Sindhu Gangadharan, SVP and MD of SAP Labs India, stated that every developer at the enterprise software giant is now — and will be — an AI developer. The shift reflects SAP’s strategy to deeply embed AI across its products — from supply chain tools to financial systems — as it races to redefine enterprise software in what Gangadharan calls “the new era of AI.”

The €194 million facility, capable of housing over 15,000 employees, serves as a physical manifestation of SAP's AI ambitions. "AI is embedded across our core processes," Gangadharan stated, highlighting how AI-driven automation has become a standard feature in their flagship S/4HANA Cloud platform for all clients.

To enable this transformation, SAP has rolled out extensive upskilling programs, including an “AI for Managers” curriculum that trains leaders in data storytelling, Python, and R. “This isn’t a one-time certification — it’s continuous learning,” Gangadharan noted, adding that partnerships with institutions like the Technical University of Munich ensure SAP stays ahead of AI trends.

At present, SAP employs 11,000 people in Bengaluru and has a total workforce of 17,000 across India.

India, SAP’s fastest-growing market for S/4HANA Cloud, is at the forefront of this shift. With 80% of its local clientele being MSMEs, Gangadharan sees small and mid-sized businesses driving AI adoption — especially in manufacturing, supply chain, and fintech. “They start with automating core processes, then scale rapidly,” she said.

Thomas Saueressig, a member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, says that geopolitical tensions are pushing demand for sovereign AI solutions — a space where SAP is tailoring offerings for Indian regulators and enterprises. “We will provide local, compliant AI innovations built in India,” he affirmed.

SAP isn’t just chasing AI — it’s trying to govern it. Saueressig also highlighted that the company established an AI Ethics Council in 2018, long before ChatGPT’s rise, and mandated ethics training for all employees. “Responsibility is non-negotiable,” he said, citing SAP’s recent ISO-standard AI governance framework.

“Eighty-seven percent of the world's business transactions touch an SAP system — that already gives the magnitude of the kind of problems that we are addressing,” Gangadharan adds.

Gangadharan’s message was clear: AI will “fundamentally change the nature of enterprise software.” From AI-powered dispute resolution agents to real-time tariff analysis for supply chains, SAP is betting big on the technology. “We’re not just adding features — we’re rethinking how businesses operate,” she said.