As enterprises across the globe race to unlock value from data and artificial intelligence, Hoonartek has emerged as a key player helping organizations move from experimentation to real-world impact. In an exclusive email interaction with MediaCatalyst, Peeyoosh Pandey, CEO of Hoonartek, shares insights on the company’s evolution, India’s AI momentum, and how data-led transformation is shaping the future of business.
Q. Hoonartek has evolved from a data services provider to a global data products and AI solutions company. What triggered this shift, and how has it changed the value you deliver today?
Peeyoosh: The shift was driven by a clear market reality—traditional Proof of Concepts were no longer delivering business outcomes. Enterprises were investing in AI but struggling to move models into secure, scalable production environments. That gap became the trigger for our transformation.
We repositioned Hoonartek as an AI Value Delivery Partner, focusing on productized intelligence through our RealizeAI lab. Instead of building everything from scratch, we now offer verticalized, pre-built AI frameworks for industries like BFSI, telecom, and manufacturing.
With ready-to-deploy Agentic AI solutions for use cases such as fraud detection, churn prediction, and predictive maintenance, clients can move from data collection to data monetization much faster. The focus is clear—shorter time-to-value, stronger governance, and measurable business impact.
Q. Many organizations struggle to translate data investments into real business outcomes. How does Hoonartek bridge this gap?
Peeyoosh: The gap usually exists because data foundations are weak. At Hoonartek, we focus on framework-driven engineering built on modern platforms like Databricks and Snowflake.
We implement strong data lineage, governance, and more than 1,000 automated data quality rules to ensure trust in data from day one. This approach has delivered tangible results—ranging from real-time credit decisioning for banks to fuel optimization for global logistics firms.
One of the biggest challenges enterprises face is what we call the “Data Abyss”—where data governance is treated as compliance rather than a growth enabler. Our Governance-by-Design approach ensures data is standardized, secure, and usable from ingestion itself, allowing organizations to scale confidently while driving business P&L impact.
Q. India is at a crucial point in its digital transformation journey. How do you see enterprises evolving, and what role does Hoonartek play?
Peeyoosh: India is moving rapidly from basic digital adoption to Sovereign AI—where enterprises build AI systems aligned with local data regulations and global scalability. The country’s Digital Public Infrastructure has created a massive opportunity to innovate at scale.
We see Indian enterprises shifting from legacy systems to cloud-native, AI-first architectures. Hoonartek plays the role of an AI integrator, helping organizations select the right models, manage MLOps, and comply with regulations such as DPDP and GDPR.
Through our AI Labs and academic partnerships with institutions like IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Lucknow, we are also addressing the talent gap—helping India not just consume AI, but export high-value AI intellectual property to the world.
Q. Can you share a success story where data strategy delivered measurable business impact?
Peeyoosh: A strong example is our work with a leading private sector bank that was struggling with legacy data systems and compliance risks. The bank had over 1.5 PB of data spread across silos, limiting scalability and decision-making.
We led a full-scale modernization on Microsoft Azure, integrating over 120 data sources and implementing more than 4,100 automated data quality rules. Over 3,000 PII elements were identified and secured, and more than 350 manual processes were automated.
The results were significant—faster insights across 20+ business units, reduced operational costs, improved compliance, and better customer outcomes for over 6 million users. It showcased how the right data strategy can directly impact efficiency, security, and growth.
Q. How would you describe your leadership philosophy while scaling innovation and people globally?
Peeyoosh: My leadership approach rests on three pillars—customer-centricity, agility, and transparency. Innovation cannot be top-down; it must be democratized. At Hoonartek, every employee—our “Tekyz”—is encouraged to experiment and adopt AI as part of daily work.
We follow a simple but powerful philosophy: Define, Design, Deliver. It keeps teams aligned and minimizes rework. Whether operating in the US, APAC, or MEA, we focus on local context while maintaining global standards.
Integrity is non-negotiable. As we scale, we ensure our culture grows with us—rooted in trust, ownership, and continuous learning.
Q. What does Hoonartek’s growth roadmap look like heading into 2026?
Peeyoosh: Our vision for 2026 is anchored in scaling with intent.
Geographically, the US remains our primary growth market, supported by deeper engagement across the Americas. Technologically, we’re doubling down on Agentic AI, autonomous business processes, and Databricks-native accelerators through initiatives like our Riverside Program and “Agent Bricks.”
Culturally, our focus is on Responsible AI. We strongly believe that AI without governance is unsustainable. Our goal is to deliver auditable, ethical, and enterprise-grade AI solutions—especially for regulated sectors like BFSI and telecom.
With a global team of 800+ professionals and continued investment in R&D, Hoonartek is well-positioned to help shape India’s emergence as a global hub for AI innovation.
