Kulmeet Bawa, managing director for India and SAARC at ServiceNow, highlights governance as the decisive competitive edge in the AI era, positioning ServiceNow as the control tower for AI workflows across enterprises.
- Governance is emerging as the key barrier for leading AI deployments.
- ServiceNow invests billions in acquisitions to bolster its AI control capabilities.
- India is positioned as a showcase market for innovative AI governance models.
What happened
Kulmeet Bawa, who recently assumed the role of managing director for India and SAARC at ServiceNow, shared insights on the company's evolving strategy in the face of accelerating AI adoption. He emphasized that the critical battleground for enterprise software companies is shifting from merely deploying AI agents to effectively governing, orchestrating, and securing these agents.
ServiceNow has pursued significant acquisitions to enhance its AI governance and security offerings. Notable deals include the $7.75 billion purchase of cybersecurity firm Armis, the $2.85 billion acquisition of AI assistant startup Moveworks, and a $1 billion deal for identity governance company Veza. These moves aim to strengthen ServiceNow’s position as the AI control tower for enterprises.
Why it matters
The rapid proliferation of AI agents within enterprises has created a management and security challenge, as companies often struggle to monitor and govern these systems adequately. According to Bawa, the market will reward those companies that can provide robust orchestration and control over multiple AI workflows rather than those simply offering backend AI models.
This shift represents a fundamental transformation in how enterprise software competes. Traditional licensing and software services are under pressure, compelling SaaS vendors to refocus their investments on AI governance to maintain growth and relevance. ServiceNow's approach to becoming a governance engine exemplifies this new paradigm.
What to watch next
Monitoring how ServiceNow executes its vision to become the ‘AI control tower’ will be critical. Success depends on the company's ability to integrate acquired technologies effectively and deliver seamless governance frameworks that meet enterprises' escalating security requirements in India and globally.
Additionally, India's role as a potential showcase market for agentic AI adoption and governance will attract attention. Observers will watch how Indian enterprises adopt these next-generation control tools and whether this can serve as a replicable model for other regions facing similar AI governance challenges.