- India is among the top three global markets poised to benefit from the AI revolution, said Afshar
- AI will replace parts of cognitive work but focus should be on reskilling and redeployment, he said
- Businesses are moving toward "agentic enterprises" where AI assists humans in tasks, added Afshar
Vala Afshar has rejected the narrative that India lacks a strong artificial intelligence investment story, saying the country is among the top three global markets poised to benefit from the AI revolution. However, he acknowledged the technology will replace parts of cognitive work eventually.
In an interview with NDTV Profit, the Salesforce executive pointed to India's vast pool of developers, booming startup ecosystem and rapid digital expansion as key strengths driving its AI potential.
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Afshar described AI as “electricity for the 21st century,” arguing that the technology will have a bigger impact than cloud, mobile and social media combined.
Citing industry experts, he said artificial intelligence could deliver “10 times the impact of the Industrial Revolution at one-tenth the speed,” making it the fastest technological transition he has witnessed in his three decades in the industry.
The Salesforce executive said businesses are rapidly moving toward what he called an “agentic enterprise,” where AI systems work alongside humans to execute tasks, retrieve information and automate workflows.
However, he cautioned that enterprises cannot blindly rely on probabilistic AI systems in sectors such as finance and healthcare, where trust and reliability are critical.
Afshar warned that AI in the wrong hands could “misinform and misguide society,” stressing that the real challenge lies not in the technology itself but in how people use it.
“There's a fine line between manipulating and inspiring, and that line is intention,” he said.
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On fears around job losses, Afshar acknowledged that AI will eventually replace parts of cognitive work. “Over time, and it will in the future — that's not something we can avoid.” But he argued companies should focus less on cutting jobs and more on eliminating wasteful work and redesigning roles through reskilling and redeployment.
Rejecting the view that India lacks a meaningful AI play, Afshar highlighted Salesforce's expanding presence in the country, which he said has grown more than eightfold since 2020.
He noted that Salesforce works with around 3,000 colleges and universities in India and sees strong opportunities across fintech, digital media, marketing and human resource management sectors.
Afshar also pointed to India's strengths, including its vast internet user base, growing unicorn ecosystem and millions of STEM graduates, saying the country is well positioned to shape the future AI economy alongside the United States and China.
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