Author Profile

Dr. Krishnan CA

Senior Vice President - Strategic Solutions & Transformation, Tech Mahindra.

krishnan-ca

Dr. Krishnan leads large deals and drives digital transformation for clients globally at Tech Mahindra, delivering multi-tower solutions and creating business value across industry verticals and service lines. He is Tech Mahindra’s first AI Black Belt, a distinction that recognises the impact he has created for clients.

Earlier with TCS, Dr. Krishnan was a P&L owner and Business Unit Head, driving non-linear growth through products and platforms. He carries rich cross-geo and cross-domain experience in the US, Europe, and India, working closely with Fortune 500 clients across domains. At TCS, he won several large multi-million-dollar deals, opened up new logos, and held leadership roles in Strategy, Products, Business Development, and Delivery. He has conceptualised several new products and platforms and won the Tata Innovista award.

Dr. Krishnan is an alumnus of IIM-A and a recipient of the Economic Times Young Leader award. He holds the unique distinction of being a gold medalist in both his MBA and Engineering. A lifelong learner, he has completed executive education from MIT, Columbia Business School, and INSEAD.

His doctoral thesis - 'Transformational Leadership in the Age of AI' has been recognised by numerous CXOs as a pioneering contribution in the field of AI. Dr. Krishnan lives in Chennai with his wife and daughter.

Insights

Views

A recurring challenge for CXOs is bridging the gap between AI strategy and demonstrating measurable business outcomes. This is not due to a weak vision or lack of ambition, but is due to the complexity of translating AI aspirations into scalable execution. The missing link is often a clearly defined, bottom-up AI operating model—a framework of practices and enablers that advance AI from pilots to enterprise-wide adoption.

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Digital disruption is changing how industries operate by making processes faster, smarter, and more efficient. Customers today expect hassle-free and quick access to services, responses, and personalized experiences. Digital transformation is about adopting new technologies, creating a cohesive strategy, and facilitating a cultural shift to drive efficiency, cost savings, and better customer experiences. However, nearly 70% of digital transformation initiatives fail, losing approximately $900 billion from the $1.3 trillion invested. A structured approach to digital transformation is essential to align IT and business objectives, drive stakeholder engagement and leverage technology as a strategic enabler.