Rakuten Bets Big on India’s Tech Talent with $100M AI Push
Japanese tech powerhouse Rakuten has announced a strategic investment exceeding $100 million in India this year, with a clear focus on expanding its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and strengthening its global technology backbone.
This significant capital injection will support Rakuten’s Global Innovation Hub in India, where the company plans to hire more tech professionals and accelerate the development of cutting-edge AI-driven solutions. Currently employing around 4,000 people in the country with 90% in technical roles Rakuten aims to increase its local workforce by approximately 8% by the end of 2025.
“India is more than just a talent hub for us it’s a center for global innovation,” said Sunil Gopinath, CEO of Rakuten India. “This investment reinforces our long-term vision to lead the digital transformation across industries using AI and advanced technologies.”
Rakuten’s Indian operations play a key role in developing platforms like Rakuten Pay and SixthSense an AI-powered system that anticipates and resolves operational anomalies across banking, telecom, and healthcare sectors.
Internally, Rakuten has also embraced AI to streamline its operations. The company reports a 70% reduction in time spent on tasks like preparing sales materials contributing to a net profit of 10.5 billion yen (approx. $73.6 million) in fiscal year 2024.
Rakuten projects to double this figure in 2025 through continued AI adoption and optimization. As India’s Global Capability Center (GCC) sector is projected to grow from $64.6 billion in 2024 to $105 billion by 2030, Rakuten’s expansion aligns with the region’s accelerating role in global digital services.
This investment not only reinforces Rakuten’s commitment to technology and innovation but also positions India at the heart of its global AI strategy.
