Cohesity, a provider of AI-powered data security, has made a strategic move to accelerate AI-driven cybersecurity innovation by unveiling a new LEED Gold-certified, state-of-the-art regional office in Bangalore, positioning the city as a cornerstone of its global R&D and customer success strategy. The company announced plans to invest over $1 billion in India over the next 5 years. It has tripled its India workforce to more than 2,200 employees following its acquisition of Veritas’ data protection business last year, making India a critical hub for global R&D and innovation.
India has long been home to a strong and loyal customer base for Cohesity and is part of a 13,000-plus global customer community that represents 70 per cent of the Global 500. Four of India’s top five banks and three of its four largest telecommunications companies trust Cohesity to deliver critical data security solutions. India is now the primary driver of Cohesity’s product development, customer engagement, and global competitive advantage.
With cyberattacks growing in scale and sophistication, 76 per cent of enterprises faced at least one material breach in the past year. Cohesity is betting big on India’s deep talent pool and engineering prowess. The new facility, which doubles the company’s local capacity, will focus on developing AI-augmented security tools within the Cohesity Data Cloud – a unified platform that helps enterprises defend, recover, and extract insights from their data. The Bangalore facility specialises in AI-driven threat detection, immutable data storage, and multicloud security, while Pune serves as a secondary engineering hub with better infrastructure and accessibility.
For CEO Sanjay Poonen, a Bangalore native, the investment is both strategic and personal. “With AI and ransomware threats growing exponentially, our teams here are developing solutions that protect everything from hospitals and banks to critical infrastructure worldwide.”
The $1 billion investment will fuel R&D, customer acquisition, and infrastructure growth. It follows Cohesity’s integration of Veritas’ data protection business last year and aligns with India’s booming cybersecurity sector, projected to reach $35 billion by 2025. Cohesity’s Bangalore and Pune teams are already working on cutting-edge projects, including cyber vaults for ransomware recovery and AI models that predict security breaches. The company also sees India as a strategic base for serving neighbouring markets, with clients from the Middle East and Singapore increasingly engaging with Cohesity’s India-based experts.
Building the future
India’s role extends beyond talent; it is also a key revenue market for Cohesity, ranking among the company’s top 10 global markets. Poonen emphasised that Cohesity now leads IDC’s rankings post-Veritas acquisition, with India playing a critical role in maintaining its edge over competitors such as Rubrik and Commvault. “We’re not just hiring here; we’re leading global projects from India,” he said.
“India isn’t just a market for us – it’s where we build the future,” said Poonen during the launch. “From securing critical infrastructure like banks and hospitals to pioneering AI models that predict ransomware, our Bangalore teams are coding the solutions that protect global enterprises.”
A significant portion of Cohesity’s hiring focuses on early-career talent, with 40 per cent of recruits coming directly from campuses. Employee retention remains a priority, with regular feedback mechanisms aimed at ensuring satisfaction and reducing attrition in a competitive technology landscape.
Looking ahead, Cohesity aims to solidify its leadership in the data security market, with India playing a central role in its global strategy. While the company paused its IPO plans in 2021 due to market conditions, Poonen hinted at a future public listing. “We’re built for the public markets: profitable, with a strong customer base. When the time is right, we’ll move forward.”
Cohesity’s expansion mirrors a broader shift as enterprises move away from legacy systems towards AI-native platforms. With data breaches costing firms $4.45 million on average (IBM, 2023), solutions such as Cohesity Data Cloud – which unifies backup, recovery, and analytics – are becoming non-negotiable. For now, Cohesity’s focus remains on innovation, talent, and customer growth. “This isn’t just an office opening,” said Rebecca Adams, Chief People Officer. “It’s where the next decade of cybersecurity will be shaped. The engineers here don’t just support global challenges; they redefine what’s possible in cybersecurity.”