Why India’s Tech Destiny Hinges on Automation and Innovation

Avaali, is a technology solutions company specialising in cost optimisation and margin improvement for mid- and large-sized enterprises, hosted a roundtable in Bangalore on the theme: “India Must Own Its Tech Destiny.” The session, led by Srividya Kannan, Founder and CEO of Avaali, featured leading C-suite leaders—Pratima Ram (Independent Director on Corporate Boards), Neeraj Agrawal (COO, Tata Projects), Dyuti Raj Anshu (Global Procurement Head, Himalaya Wellness).

On the sidelines of that roundtable, I sat down with Srividya for a deeper conversation. While panel shed light on how automation, AI, and indigenous innovation are redefining the enterprise landscape. In the one-to-one discussion with CiOL, Srividya delved into how Avaali is translating these trends into sustainable business impact—anchored by its flagship solution, Velocious.

Operating at the intersection of process automation, digital transformation, and supplier engagement, Avaali has carved a niche in a crowded market by focusing sharply on cost outcomes and operational agility. Unlike large consulting firms that often spread too wide, Avaali zeroes in on automating complex, unstructured, expense-side processes—procurement, supply chain, finance, contracts—where inefficiencies directly erode margins. With Velocious as its flagship Source-to-Pay platform, Avaali differentiates itself by combining deep domain expertise, rapid implementation, and measurable ROI, helping enterprises move beyond pilot projects into scalable, production-grade automation.

Excerpts from the conversation and the key takeaways from the roundtable discussion.

Can you take us back to the origins of Avaali? What gap did you see in the market, and how has that shaped your journey so far?

Avaali was founded in 2013 with a mission to help large organisations improve operating margins through digital transformation. We specialise in optimising costs in operational business processes—often where inefficiencies and long cycle times exist.

We focus on the expense side of the P&L—areas like sourcing, procurement, supply chain, HR, finance, contracts, and legal—rather than manufacturing, R&D, or revenue-generation. By consolidating, standardising, and automating these processes, we enhance visibility and governance while significantly reducing operational costs, directly improving margins.

Velocious has emerged as your flagship offering. Could you explain how it fits into Avaali’s vision, and what makes it distinct in addressing enterprise procurement and supplier challenges?

Velocious is our flagship Source-to-Pay (S2P) platform, uniquely positioned to automate the full lifecycle of supplier engagement. From RFP/RFI, reverse auctions, and supplier onboarding to invoice management and analytics, it offers end-to-end automation. It integrates with any ERP or AP automation tool and uses OCR to process invoices seamlessly—driving efficiency, compliance, and transparency.

With features like dynamic discounting, contract management, supplier scorecards, and real-time dashboards, Velocious enables procurement teams to deliver measurable ROI, shorten cycle times, and build resilient supplier relationships. This combination of capabilities has helped Velocious earn industry recognition and trust from enterprises across India, the Middle East, and Europe.

Many enterprises already work with large consulting or IT services firms. How does Avaali’s approach to automation differ from theirs, and where do you see your biggest impact?

We specialise in automating processes with heavy unstructured content—documents, emails, varied contract versions—elements that constitute around 80% of enterprise workflows but are often overlooked and fragmented.

Our approach digitises and integrates these into structured systems like ERP or CRM, making workflows seamless from end to end. Unlike IT services firms, we don’t offer ERP implementations or revenue-side optimisation; instead, we focus on operational efficiency that cuts costs and improves margins. This clarity of focus means we predominantly serve upper mid-market (revenues above US$250–300 million) and large enterprises—both global and Indian.

Could you share a real-world example of how this plays out with a client?

Take legal and contract management. An RFP triggers involvement from vendors, procurement, legal teams, business units, the CFO’s office, and sometimes external counsel. This generates various contract drafts, approvals, and exceptions—most of which go untracked until the final version.

We automate the entire lifecycle—capturing workflows, approvals, versioning, and deviations in real time. That ensures efficiency, compliance, and transparency from start to finish. The same methodology applies across operational functions.

Global Capability Centres (GCCs) have become central to India’s enterprise story. How do GCCs feature in your work, and what cadence have you built with them?

We involve business users, IT teams, and functional stakeholders during evaluations. Many projects also run through Global Capability Centres (GCCs). A large part of our work is helping enterprises set up captive GCCs and then centralise and automate their processes within these hubs. By embedding technology and best practices into GCCs, organisations can deliver measurable SLAs and stronger governance.

The automation market is crowded, with players ranging from BPOs to consulting giants. How do you view your competitive landscape, and where does Avaali draw its line of differentiation?

The automation market is broad, with many claiming capability in process automation. But we clearly outline what we don’t do: we’re not a BPO, and we don’t do HR consulting or manage people transitions.

Instead, we specialise in advising on future-state business processes—helping enterprises identify priorities, design workflows, choose technologies, and implement solutions. That focused positioning, alongside Velocious, sets us apart in a crowded landscape.

As an entrepreneur who has built a company in a space that is still evolving, what message would you like to share with Indian enterprises?

This remains a blue-ocean opportunity. While multinational enterprises have embraced GCC models, Indian corporations have yet to tap their full potential.

Indian enterprises—given their scale and complexity—stand to gain substantially from cost-efficient, automated operations that drive margins sustainably. What we’ve delivered for global companies should now be scaled for Indian enterprises at large.

Key Takeaways from the Roundtable Discussion

Beyond buzzwords: cost optimisation in action – Automation is transitioning from pilots to full-scale deployment, with real-world manufacturing and BFSI case studies showing strong ROI.

Balancing global dependency with local strength – Enterprises must blend global best practices with indigenous innovation.

Barriers to optimisation are more human than technical – Mindsets, alignment, and change leadership matter more than tech.

AI and automation as growth engines – These aren’t just cost tools; they drive new revenue models and innovation.

GCCs: from back-office to innovation hubs – Global Capability Centres are fast evolving into strategic innovation engines in India.

Where automation will hit hardest in the next five years – Finance, procurement, and supply chain are on the cusp of transformation.

Practical advice for CIOs and CTOs – Start small, win fast, scale fast. It builds trust and momentum.

Keeping people at the centre – Automation must elevate work, not eliminate it; people should feel more engaged and future-ready.

The roundtable advanced an insight: India’s digital future will be crafted at the intersection of cost discipline and innovation, automation and human-centricity, global insight and local strength. The enterprises that authentically embody this balance won’t just optimise margins—they’ll chart the course for India’s self-reliant tech destiny.