Events

This discussion highlighted how Axi is strategically using AI to boost innovation and efficiency across its software development lifecycle. Tom, Global Head of Engineering, detailed how AI augments human capabilities from product design (analyzing regulations and generating wireframes) to software development (securely accessing internal knowledge via MCP servers and generating compliant code), and even customer service (handling 50% of tickets with an AI chatbot). Axi maintains strict boundaries for AI usage, prohibiting it for financial advice, precise calculations, and direct access to customer data, emphasizing that AI is an expert assistant and not a replacement, and that strong foundational documentation and systems are crucial for its successful and responsible adoption.

Led by Dr. Oshin Anand, Dileep Bapat, Lohith K M, and Greg Reiser from Sahaj Software, this event explored the shift from traditional workflows to intelligent AI agents. Key insights included the architecture, implementation strategies, and real-world applications of AI agents, emphasizing their role as autonomous, goal-directed systems. The event concluded that successful AI agent adoption requires careful orchestration of planners, executors, evaluators, and memory systems, with appropriate human oversight and continuous improvement. Organizations should strategically focus on use cases where adaptive intelligence provides clear value over deterministic workflows.

This dinner roundtable, held in Mumbai on August 21st, 2025, explored the real-world application and future impact of Agentic AI in the Indian context. The event brought together experts to discuss how Agentic AI, Small Language Models (SLMs), and multi-agent systems can be developed to primarily benefit Indian businesses, focusing on creating new AI solutions specifically for India rather than just adapting existing ones. Key themes included the emerging consumer market in "Bharat," challenges in building Agentic AI systems for India (such as multiple Indic languages, code-mixing, literacy, and technical limitations), and the Sahaj approach to addressing these challenges through modular, industry-specific, and privacy-first designs. Practical applications like drug discovery, fraud detection, and customer service automation were also discussed.

Sahaj's flagship event in Australia was an evening of thought-provoking conversations, connections, and shared purpose. The evening commenced with Andy Ridley, founder of Earth Hour and CEO of Citizens of the Reef, who shared his journey building people-powered environmental movements at a global scale and how Citizens of the Reef leveraged community and technology to undertake a unique citizen science approach to supporting reef conservation. The event then explored the rise of Agentic AI, looking at real-world examples where it was already making an impact and discussed how to navigate the opportunities and challenges that it presented, based on actual experience. The evening brought together leaders and technologists to reflect on how innovation, data, and design were shaping the future.

The roundtable highlighted just how transformative Agentic Al can be when approached thoughtfully. Successful Al adoption isn't just about technology—it's about clearly understanding the business challenges to solve, ensuring data is reliable, and focused on empowering people rather than simply replacing them. For organisations to truly benefit, they need to build Al literacy across teams, stay flexible, be willing to experiment, and secure strong leadership support. At the same time, it's essential to navigate the complex ethical and regulatory landscape with care. By embracing these practical insights, businesses can confidently harness Agentic Al to not only stay competitive but to thrive and innovate in an ever-evolving technological world.

In summary, while Al has reached a significant "inflection point" with advanced capabilities and broader accessibility, it's crucial to approach its implementation with a clear understanding of its modular nature and current limitations. Focusing on augmenting human tasks, demanding robust measurement, and prioritizing strong data engineering will enable organizations to harness Al's true value, moving beyond the hype to achieve tangible productivity gains and enhanced decision-making. The future of Al promises even more sophisticated reasoning and autonomous capabilities, underscoring the importance of continuous learning and strategic adoption.

The participants acknowledged that data management is an ongoing journey. Future steps include integrating data systems (such as CRM), further refining KPIs, and exploring the use of Al and machine learning for advanced analytics and decision support. The discussion also touched on the challenges of managing external data and the need to standardise data definitions across customers and suppliers.

The meeting discussed leveraging AI to drive revenue, optimize operations, and deliver business value. Key insights included balancing AI hype, investment, and ethical challenges, the impact of AI-generated content on media and society, and the importance of a nuanced understanding of AI's potential and limitations. The discussion emphasized the need for thoughtful AI integration, high-quality data, and deep domain knowledge, fostering a culture of experimentation and agility, and addressing the balance between investment in trending AI technologies and systemic change.

Emerge Melbourne 2023 was a celebration of two years of transformative partnerships in Australia, bringing together clients, collaborators, and the Sahaj team for an evening of dialogue, learning, and connection. The event featured engaging sessions on the evolution of foundation models and the generative AI wave - these innovations are reshaping software engineering and data science. Set against a backdrop of waterfront views and conversations over drinks and dinner, the evening captured the spirit of shared purpose and progress.