Data and AI company Databricks has appointed Kamalkanth Tummala as its new Country Manager for India, a strategic move reinforcing its aggressive expansion in the region.[1][2] The leadership change comes as the company commits to a significant $250 million investment in India over the next three years, aimed at accelerating innovation and adoption of data and artificial intelligence technologies across the country.[3][4][5] Tummala, a seasoned enterprise technology leader, is tasked with scaling Databricks' local business and driving its go-to-market strategy, signaling a new phase of growth for the firm in one of its most dynamic markets.[1][2] This dual announcement underscores India's rising importance as a global hub for both technology talent and enterprise AI adoption.

Tummala steps into the role with over two decades of leadership experience, most recently serving as a Vice President at Salesforce where he led go-to-market efforts across multiple industries.[1][6] His career also includes a nearly ten-year tenure at MindTree, where he was instrumental in expanding strategic accounts.[1][6] In his new capacity, Tummala will be responsible for strengthening Databricks' presence across various industries and partnering with customers to advance their AI journeys.[2] He takes the helm following the departure of former Vice President and Country Manager Anil Bhasin, who left the company after more than two years of leading its initial rapid growth phase in the region.[7][8] Tummala's appointment is intended to build on the existing momentum, leveraging his expertise to scale the business faster and deepen partnerships with leading enterprises.[1]

The cornerstone of this intensified focus is the more than US$250 million strategic investment planned for the next three years.[4][5] This substantial financial commitment is allocated across several key areas: bolstering research and development capabilities, expanding go-to-market operations, enhancing customer support, and building a robust talent pipeline through comprehensive training initiatives.[3][9][10] A major component of the plan involves a significant workforce expansion, with Databricks aiming to increase its local employee base by over 50%, targeting a headcount of more than 750 by the end of the current fiscal year.[3][4][11] This investment reflects the company's view of India not just as a market, but as a strategic pillar for its global operations, intended to serve customers worldwide from its Indian base.[3][9]

A significant portion of the investment is dedicated to fostering innovation and developing local talent. Databricks recently opened a new 105,000-square-foot R&D hub at Bagmane Capital Park in Bengaluru, which is a key part of its global R&D network alongside centers in San Francisco, Amsterdam, and Berlin.[4][5][12] The company plans to hire more than 100 additional R&D engineers in the coming months to strengthen this hub, where local teams are already contributing to core global product development in areas like large language models.[5][10] Beyond direct hiring, Databricks has launched the India Data + AI Academy.[12] This ambitious skilling initiative aims to train 500,000 professionals, including partners and customers, in advanced data and AI skills over the next three years through hands-on courses and certification programs.[3][12][11] This commitment to ecosystem development is further demonstrated by its plan to double its partner ecosystem to over 800 by the next year, with key collaborators like Accenture already establishing dedicated Databricks labs.[3][11]

This strategic push is timed to capitalize on the booming enterprise AI demand in India, a market where Databricks has already seen over 80% annualized growth in the past two fiscal years.[13] While the company's initial success was driven by digital-native firms such as Swiggy, Zepto, and Freshworks, its focus is now expanding to include large, traditional enterprises and financial institutions.[10][12] This pivot towards legacy businesses, which are increasingly looking to modernize their data architecture, represents the next major growth opportunity.[10] The appointment of Tummala and the massive investment plan signal Databricks' clear intent to dominate the data intelligence market in India, positioning itself to help transform the nation into a leading data and AI-driven economy.

In conclusion, the naming of Kamalkanth Tummala as Country Manager is a clear indicator of Databricks' strategic intent, moving beyond initial market entry to a phase of deep-rooted scaling and integration. Coupled with the formidable $250 million investment, the company is not merely expanding its headcount but is actively building a comprehensive ecosystem through R&D, strategic partnerships, and widespread skill development. This multi-pronged strategy positions Databricks to capture a significant share of India's accelerating AI transformation, impacting enterprises from digital startups to established conglomerates and solidifying the country's role as a critical center in the global AI landscape.[9]