IBM Doubles Down on Tier-2 Cities in India for Tech Talent

IBM's strategy to expand its presence beyond major metros in India is focused on tapping into high-quality local talent, according to Sandip Patel, Managing Director of IBM India & South Asia. The company believes that tier-2 cities are important centres for technology innovation and sustainable growth.

This approach comes as the technology industry undergoes a transformation with AI playing a key role. Unlike some companies that are reconsidering the economics of maintaining offices across multiple Indian locations, IBM sees regional expansion as an opportunity to bring technology careers closer to where employees live.

The expansion is expected to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems by creating opportunities for engineers and technology professionals outside India's traditional IT hubs. This can also provide employees with improved work-life balance while helping companies build more geographically distributed technology and development capabilities.