Overview
Dell Technologies concluded its Forum 2026 in Mumbai and Bengaluru, drawing more than 13,000 technology and business leaders, customers and partners across on‑ground and virtual sessions. The event was framed around the urgency highlighted in the Dell‑Vanson Bourne Study, where 42% of leaders reported falling behind the pace of disruption, underscoring the need to move AI from pilot to production at scale.
Leadership Remarks
Manish Gupta, President and Managing Director of Dell Technologies India, opened the forum stating that India is at an inflection point for AI, with ambition, talent and opportunity aligning. He warned that without AI‑ready data, modern secure architecture and skilled talent, organisations cannot scale AI beyond experimentation. Gupta noted that nearly half of organisations still lack a clear roadmap for AI, data and security, and emphasized India’s growing role in shaping the regional AI ecosystem.
Strategic Themes
A consistent theme emerged: 76% of leaders believe treating AI, workplace and data‑centre modernisation as separate initiatives hampers effective operation, advocating instead for a single, connected strategy. Gerri Tunnell, Chief Marketing Officer, described becoming an AI‑native company as an existential priority rather than a competitive advantage.
Transformation Stories
Executives from Omega Healthcare and NCDEX shared case studies illustrating the shift from AI curiosity to tangible AI capability within their businesses. A fireside conversation between Toby Walsh, Chief Scientist at the UNSW AI Institute, and Ajaz Munsiff, Chief Evangelist – AI and Digital Transformation, APJC, Dell, explored practical considerations for getting AI right across people, processes and technology.
AI Portfolio Launch
Dell unveiled its latest AI‑focused commercial portfolio, introducing the Dell Pro 3, Pro 5 and Pro 7 AI PCs, along with Dell Pro Precision workstations, displays and peripherals. The portfolio is positioned to embed AI capabilities directly into everyday work, balancing performance, security and flexibility. Dell highlighted that 96% of leaders expect security and cyber‑resilience to be built into every proposal from a strategic partner, reinforcing the message that security is a foundational requirement, not an optional feature.
Workforce Skilling Initiative – uDaan
Dell announced the launch of uDaan: Empowering India’s Future Workforce, a national skilling and innovation programme aimed at preparing 23,000 young people for careers in AI, cloud computing and electronics manufacturing. Developed in partnership with FITT‑IIT Delhi, Learning Links Foundation and Generation India Foundation, uDaan will operate across Delhi‑NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune, creating structured pathways from education to employment, apprenticeships and entrepreneurship.
GCC Opportunity Insight
In partnership with Zinnov, Dell released a whitepaper titled India GCCs 2030: From Capability Centers to Agentic Transformation Engines. The paper quantified that approximately 28% of global GCC AI talent resides in India and that more than 1,200 GCCs are actively building AI and ML capabilities. However, nearly 70% of these GCCs have not moved AI beyond pilot projects, indicating that the next growth phase depends on strengthening data, infrastructure, security and talent foundations.
Partner Ecosystem Enhancements
The Dell Technologies Partner Summit gathered channel partners to discuss the evolving role of the ecosystem in accelerating AI adoption. Dell outlined enhancements to its Partner Program 2026, introducing new incentive structures that reward partners for delivering strategic AI solutions and expanding customer relationships, as well as an AI‑powered partner experience hub designed to simplify the journey for partners navigating AI, infrastructure modernisation and cybersecurity complexities.
Closing Perspective
Across two major Indian cities, the forum signalled a shift from questioning whether AI will transform enterprises to focusing on how organisations can realise that transformation. Dell reaffirmed its commitment to work with customers, partners and the broader ecosystem to turn AI ambition into measurable business outcomes for both the Indian economy and society.