Eminent CIO's Of India 2026

Engineering the Future: Standardizing Digital Backbone and AI Leadership

 

Saurabh Gupta
Group Chief Digital & Information officer - Gujarat Fluorochemicals

 

The technology strategy of Gujarat Fluorochemicals focuses on creating a scalable digital enterprise powered by modern platforms, intelligent automation, and an AI-enabled workforce. By combining innovation with responsible adoption, the company is driving operational excellence, sustainable growth, and long-term value creation.

 

Technology-Led Growth Aligned with Digital India
Our IT strategy is centered on building a scalable and resilient digital core that enables business growth while aligning with national priorities. We are strengthening our enterprise backbone through platforms like SAP S/4HANA, Salesforce, Data Lake, Analytics etc. ensuring standardized processes, improved visibility, and enhanced customer engagement across business units.

To drive operational excellence, we are advancing Industry 4.0, AI Automation capabilities through IoT-led smart manufacturing, real-time supply chain visibility, and data-driven decision-making powered by a centralized data lake and analytics platforms. This enables us to improve productivity, optimize costs, and respond more effectively to market dynamics.

From a national perspective, our initiatives are closely aligned with programs like Digital India. By digitizing manufacturing operations, enhancing supply chain transparency, and investing in advanced technologies, we are contributing to building globally competitive and technology-driven industrial ecosystems. Additionally, our focus on ESG and sustainability through digital solutions supports responsible growth and aligns with India’s long-term environmental and governance goals. As we move forward, our focus is to deepen AI-led decision-making and platform-driven innovation to further accelerate growth while contributing meaningfully to India’s digital and industrial vision.

 

From Learning AI to Leading with AI
We are approaching AI readiness as a combination of capability building, cultural transformation, and practical adoption. Our focus is not just on training employees in AI concepts, but on embedding AI into everyday business processes to drive tangible impact.

We have initiated structured leadership programs across functions, focusing on AI literacy, automation, and applied AI use cases relevant to roles in manufacturing, supply chain, finance, and sales. Alongside this, we are enabling hands-on exposure through real initiatives such as AI-led use cases, allowing employees to move from learning to implementation.

We are also introducing AI-powered enterprise tools (SAP joule/MS Copilot/purple AI) and copilots within our enterprise platforms like SAP S/4HANA and Salesforce augment decision-making and improve productivity. This helps employees experience AI as a day-to-day enabler rather than a distant concept.

While we are building strong foundational capabilities, our next focus is to scale AI adoption across functions and create a workforce that is not only AI-aware but AI-enabled and future-ready.