Hexaware Technologies introduced the Zero Friction Enterprise on August 17, 2026, a delivery framework designed to address the operational and technological resistance that slows performance across the enterprise estate. The company stated that friction often builds in aging code, security exposure, delayed delivery, operational noise, late-surfacing defects, and software dependency, collectively reducing an enterprise's ability to respond, adapt, and innovate.

The framework aims to help enterprises advance toward their strategic goals with greater speed, clarity, and control by addressing friction across the estate as one connected system. R. Srikrishna, CEO and Executive Director of Hexaware, said the vision is to help every customer become a Zero Friction Enterprise by understanding each customer closely enough to identify constraints slowing progress across their business and technology estate.

The Pillars of the Framework

The Zero Friction Enterprise is built on six pillars:

• Zero Vulnerability: Zero-trust, identity-first cybersecurity to identify and contain threats earlier.
• Zero Tech Debt: Modernization to reduce technical debt and accelerate change.
• Zero Backlog: AI-native engineering to move teams from requirements through build, test, and release.
• Zero Defects: AI-led quality engineering to catch issues earlier and reduce rework.
• Zero Tickets: AI-led operations to anticipate and resolve incidents before they reach users.
• Zero License: Agent-built capability to help enterprises own more business logic and reduce dependence on per-seat software.

Underpinning these pillars is Infinite Trust, a foundational layer spanning data readiness, security, governance, and observability. This layer creates the conditions for AI to operate securely, responsibly, and at enterprise scale.

Delivery Model

Hexaware’s delivery model is anchored by Zerovity, its AI delivery layer for governed coordination across the estate. Siddharth Dhar, President and Global Head of Digital IT Operations and AI at Hexaware, noted that AI now gives enterprises a connected view across infrastructure, operations, engineering, service, and business workflows. With an agentic cognitive layer on top, clients gain one command center through which intelligence and improvements can be applied across the system.

The framework covers migration, modernization, agentic software development, AIOps, release, cloud operations, and enterprise workflows. By creating a single pane across areas that often operate in silos, Hexaware aims to give clients a unified way to address constraints often handled through separate initiatives.

Hexaware Technologies and upGrad Enterprise have expanded their collaboration to deliver AI skilling and enterprise transformation programs for Hexaware clients worldwide. Announced on August 13, 2026, the initiative marks a shift from a previous vendor-buyer arrangement focused on internal workforce upskilling to a broader global go-to-market alliance.

Partnership evolution

The two companies previously teamed up to strengthen AI capabilities across Hexaware’s workforce, including enterprise-wide GenAI upskilling and the launch of the Agentic AI Academy. Under the new arrangement, upGrad becomes Hexaware’s preferred partner for enterprise AI capability development. The joint effort aims to address the growing demand for AI-driven solutions by integrating workforce readiness directly into client delivery strategies.

R. Srikrishna, CEO and Executive Director of Hexaware, stated that enterprise AI programs are increasingly constrained by execution capacity. He noted that clients need architecture, engineering, and business teams aligned to a common delivery agenda, a synergy that embeds workforce readiness directly into strategy.

Program offerings

The expanded portfolio includes verticalized AI learning tracks tied to industry use cases in Hexaware sectors. Key components of the collaboration include:

• Role-based Agentic AI programs for technical, business, and corporate functions
• Executive AI Innovation Labs and co-design workshops for C-suite leaders
• An AI-enabled Coding Center of Excellence with co-created experimentation environments
• Rapid prototyping and build-day formats as part of a joint AI playbook

Arushee Aggarwal, CEO of upGrad Enterprise, emphasized that enterprise skilling must influence how people make decisions, design solutions, and deliver work. She highlighted that the partnership allows both companies to build rigor into programs spanning executive priorities, engineering practice, and functional adoption.

Enterprise outcomes

The programs are designed to support enterprises in scaling their AI business and service lines. This includes upskilling Cloud Architects toward GenAI Architects roles and developers toward AI engineering capabilities. Technical leaders will learn to design data- and AI-first solutions, while business function teams will apply GenAI tools and low-code autonomous agents to automate workflows.

Beyond engineering outcomes, which aim to deliver approximately 30–40% faster releases, better code quality, and fewer bugs, the collaboration supports enterprises in scaling GenAI responsibly with stronger governance. Hexaware and upGrad Enterprise also plan to work with hyperscalers and AI-native venture partners.

Recent execution

Demonstrating the demand for these capabilities, Hexaware and upGrad Enterprise delivered a three-day AI training program in March 2026 for executives and senior engineering managers from a major banking client. This engagement reflects the growing need for enterprise AI capabilities across the financial services sector.