India-U.S. trade deal provides much-needed macro predictability: Nasscom U.S. CEO Forum

The India-U.S. trade deal provided much-needed macro predictability at a time when technology, talent and trust are central to global competitiveness, said Rajesh Nambiar, President, Nasscom.

Indian technology companies are already delivering measurable outcomes for the U.S. economy — high-quality jobs, regional investment and innovation at scale,’’ he said at a Nasscom U.S. CEO Forum meeting held in Washington DC on February 4th (5th in India), 2026, shortly after the announcement of the India-US trade deal.

The Nasscom U.S. CEO Forum was focused on moving this partnership from collaboration to co-creation, anchored in data, accountability, and long-term value creation, Mr. Nambiar added.

Energy security also emerged as a strategic priority, with the United States scaling AI-critical energy capacity and India integrating green and nuclear energy to support next-generation data centres, the forum noted.

According to the forum, Indian technology companies are increasingly contributing to AI-driven energy optimisation, grid analytics, and digital infrastructure, reinforcing the resilience of the U.S. innovation ecosystem.

The meeting held at Capitol Hill brought together leading Indian technology business leaders and senior US policymakers to advance a shared agenda focused on enhancing innovation, AI, trusted supply chains, workforce development and local job creation across the United States, said Nasscom in a statement on Thursday.

“India and the United States have a generational opportunity to build a trusted technology alliance across AI, semiconductors and digital infrastructure. Indian tech companies are deeply embedded in the success of US enterprises, supporting the majority of Fortune 500 firms while creating local jobs across US states,’’ said Amit Chadha, CEO & MD, L&T Technology Services & Vice Chair at Nasscom U.S. CEO Forum.

“By supporting the joint U.S.-India target of a bilateral trade number of $500 billion, we can help shape a more resilient, innovation-led future for both economies,’’ he added.

Conceived as a flagship leadership platform in July 2025, the Nasscom US CEO Forum brings together leaders from government, industry, academia, think tanks, and the Indian diaspora to advance the India–US technology partnership.

According to Nasscom, Indian technology firms affiliated with Nasscom currently contribute $103 billion to U.S. GDP and support over half a million jobs across 25 US states. India Inc. also has been playing a critical role in strengthening regional economies, enabling US Fortune 500 enterprises to innovate, scale and remain globally competitive, the forum said.

As part of the Washington, DC programme, the Nasscom delegation engaged with several Members of Congress and senior Administration officials, including Rep. Zoe Lofgren, Rep. Julia Brownley, Rep. Don Beyer, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Sen. Ron Wyden and Deputy US Trade Rep Ambassador Rick Switzer. The Forum also recognised Sen. Mark Warner, Senior Senator for Virginia and Congressman Rich McCormick, Representative for Georgia’s 7th District, for their leadership in advancing bipartisan cooperation on technology, innovation and jobs.

AI tools won’t bypass India’s tech services; it will redefine and augment its role

Meanwhile, Nasscom, in a statement, said AI models and tools would continue to drive exponential innovation and rapid adoption.

The recently released Claude Cowork tool was aimed to automate work across functions such as legal, sales, marketing, and data analysis, it said, adding, ” However, concerns that such tools will significantly disrupt or eliminate the technology services sector where India has a strong global presence are misplaced.’’

Indian technology services companies work closely with global enterprises that operate complex technology environments, with interconnected systems and fragmented data, it argued.

According to the apex body, creating real business value from AI requires careful coordination, with humans in the loop who understand business context, industry knowledge, and enterprise workflows.

AI is unlikely to be adopted as a simple “out-of-the-box” solution in large enterprises; it is assuredly adding, technology services companies have already accelerated their data and AI capabilities by investing in platforms, building partnerships with AI companies and hyperscalers, upskilling talent, and leveraging mergers and acquisitions.

With AI, new opportunities are emerging in areas such as legacy modernisation, AI-ready data foundations, and the use of intelligent agents across business and enterprise functions, yet, as enterprise AI adoption moves from experimentation to large-scale deployment, technology services companies will play a critical role in enabling this transition, as per Nasscom.

The industry body further said, “AI adoption will follow different paths across different types of enterprises, and the technology services sector is actively reinventing itself to stay ahead of these changes.’’

Published – February 05, 2026 10:03 pm IST