HCL Technologies announced its strategic participation at Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2026, where the global technology company will lead industry dialogues on the AI-native future of the telecom, media and technology sector. The event, scheduled for March 2-5, will showcase how intelligence, scale and ecosystem collaboration are driving sustainable AI-powered growth across the TMT industry.

Industry Leadership and Strategic Partnerships

The company will bring together senior executives from major global organizations to discuss AI-native transformation strategies. Key industry participants include representatives from Microsoft, Nokia, Ericsson, AT&T, Verizon, PwC, Bain, Axiata, Singtel, MasOrange, and Liberty Latin America.

Event Highlights and Demonstrations

HCLTech's presence at MWC 2026 will feature comprehensive showcases across multiple technology domains:

Executive Panels and Strategic Discussions

The company will host high-level CXO conversations focusing on strategic shifts driving the converged TMT ecosystem. A flagship roundtable will be conducted in partnership with GSMA, moderated by Prof. Saikat Chaudhuri, Faculty Director of the Management, Entrepreneurship and Technology program at UC Berkeley.

Live Technology Demonstrations

Attendees will experience hands-on showcases of cutting-edge solutions:

• Intelligent networks engineered for zero-failure environments
• AI-powered media and digital platforms delivering real-time insights
• Comprehensive automation frameworks including:
  • Agentic fraud management systems
  • AI-powered Operations Support Systems (OSS) Solutions for Telco
  • GenAI service transformation platform, AI_Force
  • Agentic AI solutions and AIops for operational efficiency
  • Agentic-powered Contact Center as a Service platform

Innovation Ecosystem and Market Research

The event will spotlight emerging companies advancing AI, digital marketplaces and cybersecurity analytics. HCLTech will demonstrate hyperscaler partnerships and co-innovation initiatives designed to accelerate transformation at scale.

Following MWC, the company plans to reveal findings from a Mobile World Live survey on AI and technology priorities for telecom organizations, providing insights into executive investment strategies in the intelligence era.

Leadership Perspectives

"It's an exciting moment for the industry as convergence and AI are redefining networks, platforms and business models," said Anil Ganjoo, Chief Growth Officer and Global Head of Telecom, Media and Technology at HCLTech. "By combining AI, cloud and digital engineering expertise with ecosystem partnerships, we are helping enterprises build resilient, scalable and intelligence-driven systems for sustainable growth."

Prof. Saikat Chaudhuri emphasized the strategic importance of the initiative: "HCLTech's leadership at MWC, bringing together enterprise, hyperscaler and academic voices, captures the strategic imperative of AI-native transformation. Their approach to integrating AI across infrastructure, platforms and ecosystems is empowering sustainable AI-driven growth for the TMT sector."

Company Overview and Financial Performance

HCLTech operates as a global technology company with more than 226,300 employees across 60 countries. The company delivers capabilities centered around AI, digital, engineering, cloud and software services across major industry verticals including Financial Services, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Healthcare, High Tech, Semiconductor, Telecom and Media, Retail and CPG, Mobility and Public Services.

Attendees can explore the company's innovations and insights at Hall 2, Stand 2E19, during Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2026.

HCL Technologies has entered into a strategic partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur to advance deep tech innovation for Global Capability Centers through a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding. The collaboration aims to convert cutting-edge research into practical pilots and scalable solutions for the global technology sector, with particular emphasis on accelerating product launches and supporting research-focused innovation.

Strategic Partnership Framework

The partnership positions HCLTech as a trusted GCC partner for enabling research-led innovation, with particular emphasis on advanced engineering and deep tech capabilities. The collaboration combines HCLTech's comprehensive GCC solutions with IIT Kanpur's robust research and startup ecosystem to deliver innovation that extends beyond traditional talent and services.

Academic and Industry Integration

Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, highlighted the institution's strong expertise in translational research and development across multiple technology domains. The partnership provides IIT Kanpur researchers with direct access to real-world challenges faced by global GCCs, complemented by research funding opportunities and industry mentorship programs.

The collaboration serves as a strategic bridge between academic research and enterprise applications, enabling the co-development of innovative technologies with measurable business impact. This approach aligns with IIT Kanpur's strategic priority of translational research that moves from laboratory concepts to market-ready solutions.

Market Impact and Innovation Acceleration

Kiran Cherukuri, EVP and Global GCC Practice Head at HCLTech, emphasized the partnership's role in shaping the next era of GCC growth through effective integration with world-class research ecosystems. The collaboration positions HCLTech as a catalyst bringing together GCCs, academic excellence, research capabilities, and startup ecosystems, with enhanced focus on speeding up product launches.

Industry Launch and Ecosystem Engagement

The collaboration was officially launched at the 'GCC 4.0: Co-Creating India's Innovation Powerhouse' summit held in Hyderabad. The event brought together more than 250 leaders representing India-based and global GCCs, IIT Kanpur, startups, and the broader technology ecosystem.

This strategic partnership reflects the growing importance of research-driven innovation in the global technology landscape and demonstrates HCLTech's commitment to advancing deep tech capabilities through academic collaboration, with enhanced emphasis on supporting research-focused innovation and accelerating product development cycles.