Firstsource Solutions Limited has been recognized as a Horizon 3 Market Leader in the HFS Horizons: Customer Experience Services, 2026 report. The assessment evaluated the capabilities of 33 service providers, including customer experience specialists, global system integrators, and consultancies across the value chain.

The Horizon 3 designation recognizes providers that move beyond functional transformation to create new sources of value through ecosystem collaboration. HFS Research highlighted Firstsource's approach as "AI-native intelligence rooted in 25 years of CX operations," citing its Kairos operating system, Agentic AI Studio, and Intelligent Context Framework as key elements of its strategy.

Market dynamics and buyer preferences

HFS Research identified a significant shift in enterprise customer experience buying behavior. As generative AI and agentic AI become embedded in operations, enterprises are prioritizing partners who can take accountability for business outcomes rather than just technology capability.

The report highlighted a gap between buyer appetite for outcome-based models and current adoption rates:

This disparity underscores the demand for partners capable of underwriting outcomes. Firstsource’s Kairos system is designed to address this by integrating domain knowledge, operational data, technology, and AI engineering across transformation, implementation, and live operations.

Strategic validation

Ashish Chawla, Head of Customer Experience and Consulting at Firstsource, stated that the recognition validates their premise that AI creates enterprise value only when connected to work itself. He emphasized that the value of intelligence is experienced by customers through faster resolution and seamless interactions.

Melissa Fersht, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, noted that Firstsource’s pairing of AI-native intelligence with decades of operational expertise positions it to orchestrate customer experience across the enterprise. The firm’s owned intellectual property and single-partner accountability model were cited as differentiators against other market players.

About Firstsource

Firstsource is an RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group company serving enterprises in healthcare, banking, communications, media, technology, retail, and utilities. The company operates across the US, UK, India, Philippines, Mexico, Romania, Trinidad & Tobago, South Africa, and Australia.

Firstsource Solutions has been named among India's Best Workplaces™ for Women 2026 by Great Place to Work®, marking the company's second consecutive year on the list. The recognition highlights the IT-BPM firm's sustained focus on gender diversity and inclusive workplace practices.

Women constitute 48.54% of Firstsource's workforce, a figure significantly above NASSCOM's estimate of 34% women representation across India's IT-BPM sector. This disparity underscores the company's targeted efforts to not only hire but retain and advance female talent through structured development programs.

Recognition and industry context

The award adds to a series of workplace honors for Firstsource in 2026, including inclusion in India's Best Companies To Work For 2026 (Top 100) and India's Best Workplaces in BFSI 2026, both conferred by Great Place to Work® India. These accolades reflect the company's broader strategy of integrating allyship, mentorship, and reskilling opportunities into its operational framework.

Shamita Mukherjee, Chief Human Resources Officer at Firstsource, stated that creating an equitable workplace extends beyond initial hiring metrics. "The real measure of inclusion is not who comes through the door, but who continues to grow once they are here," she said. The company emphasizes providing access to learning and mentorship to enable career progression and leadership roles for women.

What the numbers show

The gap between Firstsource's female workforce participation and the industry average serves as a key indicator of its diversity initiatives' effectiveness. While the sector-wide benchmark stands at 34%, Firstsource's 48.54% representation suggests a concentrated effort in talent acquisition and retention within its specific business verticals.

This concentration of female talent is supported by an ecosystem designed to address career transitions and skill development. The company's approach combines allyship with tangible support mechanisms at different life stages, aiming to build confidence and professional networks essential for navigating complex business environments.