Infosys's recent acquisitions could mark a structural shift in its positioning — from a traditional IT services firm to a more end-to-end digital transformation player, particularly in healthcare, according to Amit Khanna, Partner – Digital and AI at Grant Thornton Bharat. “I think these acquisitions are going to give Infosys a positioning from a mid IT services company to an end-to-end digital transformation player, particularly in the healthcare area,” Khanna said.
Khanna emphasised that the healthcare sector demands deep expertise rather than broad-based IT services. “The market is moving towards more verticalised, sector-specific solutions. Optimum is very strong in that space,” he noted. Large global players like Accenture and Cognizant have already built strong vertical capabilities in healthcare, allowing them to offer end-to-end solutions.
The acquisition of Optimum Healthcare IT strengthens Infosys' presence in the provider segment, a key gap earlier. “This will give a lot of solutions in the portfolio where Infosys can do end-to-end, particularly in the US market,” he added. He also pointed out that clients in healthcare typically prefer integrated offerings. “They don't go to IT service providers for a small horizontal layer — they want end-to-end solutions at one go.”
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Strategic Value and AI Advantage
Among the two deals, Khanna sees Optimum as the more strategic bet. “Optimum is a more strategic acquisition in my mind compared to Stratus,” he said, highlighting its scale and domain strength.
Importantly, the deal also strengthens Infosys' positioning in AI-led transformation. “Optimum's positioning is AI-driven digital transformation rather than the classic way… that will help Infosys up the game,” he said. This becomes critical as Indian IT firms look to move beyond commoditised services. “A lot of Indian IT players still do commoditised work, the nature of work will change drastically with AI,” Khanna noted.
Another advantage lies in combining capabilities. “Infosys is strong in large-scale delivery from India, while these companies bring strong front-ending consulting teams,” Khanna said. This creates a complementary model — enabling Infosys to scale solutions efficiently while deepening client engagement in key markets.
Khanna cautioned that the impact won't be immediate. “I don't think anything will change overnight,” he said. However, he sees this as part of a broader shift. “Companies that move closer to clients and focus on AI-led solutions will succeed,” he said, adding that the disruption could also create opportunities for new leaders to emerge.
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