Databricks to invest $250M in India for AI growth, boost hiring

Databricks is significantly increasing its presence in India with a major investment aimed at tapping into the country’s growing AI expertise and market potential. This move represents a strategic expansion by the data analytics firm as global technology companies increasingly look to India for technical talent and growth opportunities in artificial intelligence development.

The big picture: Databricks announced plans to invest more than $250 million in India and increase its workforce by over 50% as it expands its artificial intelligence operations in the country.

• The San Francisco-based company intends to grow its headcount to more than 750 employees in India by the end of the fiscal year.
• The multimillion-dollar investment will support training initiatives, research and development, and go-to-market efforts including hiring.

Key details: The company is establishing a new research center in Bengaluru and launching a Data + AI Academy to train hundreds of thousands of professionals.

• Databricks plans to hire over 100 R&D engineers at its Bengaluru research center.
• The Data + AI Academy aims to train 500,000 partners and customers over the next three years.

What they’re saying: “Our investment in R&D in India, and particularly in Bengaluru, reflects our belief in the extraordinary technical talent found here,” said Vinod Marur, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Databricks.

Behind the numbers: Founded in 2013, Databricks provides a platform that helps users ingest, analyze, and build AI applications using complex data from various sources, positioning the company to capitalize on growing demand for AI infrastructure and capabilities.