Enterprise applications have undergone a remarkable transformation—from being rigid, monolithic systems confined to mainframes to today’s dynamic, AI-powered platforms driving decision-making. What began as siloed, on-premises tools for payroll or inventory has evolved through client-server models, web-based solutions, and cloud-based SaaS into today’s modular, composable, and low-code ecosystems.
Now, with the advent of generative AI (Gen AI) and autonomous agents, enterprise software is not just supporting operations, it is actively shaping strategy, automating tasks, and unlocking new levels of agility and insight.
According to our IT Spending and Staffing Benchmarks 2024/2025 report, enterprise applications, such as SAP, Oracle, and Salesforce, continue to command the largest share of IT operational spending, accounting for 36% of total budgets across organizations. This dominant allocation reflects the pivotal role enterprise applications play in driving business operations, digital transformation, and innovation agendas across industries.
Figure 1: Spending by Tower
The continued investment in enterprise applications reflects a fundamental shift in perception—modern enterprises no longer see these systems as mere support functions, but as strategic enablers of innovation, agility, and competitive advantage. Organizations are now re-evaluating their application strategies, gravitating toward next-generation enterprise software that is:
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- Gen AI-enabled
- Purpose-built for a specific business context
- Aligned with sustainability and ESG goals
At the recently held TCS Enterprise Solutions Analyst Day 2025 in Mumbai, Vikram Karakoti, Global Head of the Enterprise Solutions Unit (ESU) at TCS, and business and industry leaders from the ESU weaved together several of these areas to build an overall theme, “Reimagine the Future of the Intelligent Enterprise.”
Many of TCS’s customers, including senior executives from DuPont, Electrolux, LYB, Saint-Gobain, Tata Power, and one of the largest India-based department store chain shared firsthand insights into how strategic collaboration with TCS has accelerated their transformation agendas.
Gen AI-Infused Enterprise Solutions: From AI-Enabled to AI-Embedded
Across the enterprise landscape, Gen AI is no longer an add-on, it is becoming the architectural foundation for reimagined applications.
The Avasant Enterprise Solutions 2024–2025 RadarView surveys on SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Cloud ERP, and Salesforce services highlight the infusion of Gen AI into horizontal and industry-specific processes, rapid adoption of AI for operational optimization, and the rising importance of AI-led observability, automation, and risk mitigation.
Organizations are no longer simply layering Gen AI onto workflows—they are re-architecting core applications to be intelligent by design. There is a clear push for service providers to embed Gen AI into ERP systems, integrate NLP and cognitive services into IT operations, and accelerate real-time decision-making in procurement, finance, supply chain, and asset maintenance domains.
Figure 2: Illustrative use cases addressed across business functions through Gen AI
Leading service providers are embedding Gen AI capabilities across platforms to drive measurable gains, reducing ticket resolution time by up to 80%, increasing test automation from 65% to over 85%, and improving development accuracy through automated coding assistants.
Over the last two years, even TCS has aligned its Gen AI infusion strategy closely with these trends through a structured set of offerings that cut across lines of business and verticals. As showcased at the event, TCS’s Gen AI-infused application portfolio spans marketing, purchasing, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, human capital management, and sales/service. To industrialize these capabilities, TCS is leveraging the following proprietary platforms and accelerators:
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- iR2D (Intelligent Requirement to Deployment) accelerates the software development life cycle for SAP, Salesforce, and Oracle using AI-led automation via TCS Crystallus™, which offers industry-specific configurations and process KPIs.
- TRANSPlatform.AI facilitates ERP modernization via built-in reverse engineering.
- Service Intuitive Thinker combines NLP and cognitive reasoning to enhance observability and issue resolution in IT operations.
In line with broader industry use cases, TCS has further customized these capabilities across industry verticals such as life sciences, healthcare, energy and resources, retail, education, utilities, BFSI, manufacturing, and telecom, reflecting the company’s emphasis on contextual, industry-led AI enablement, driving targeted outcomes—from financial forecasting, optimal freight calculation, accounts receivables optimization to automated compliance workflows.
Pivot Toward Industry- and Customer-Centric Enterprise Solutions
Today’s enterprise buyers expect software that is not only functionally rich but contextually relevant. The need for faster time-to-value, more intuitive user experiences, and compliance with complex industry regulations has made generic solutions insufficient.
Off-the-shelf software solutions often fail to meet the nuanced demands of sectors such as healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and telecom. As a result, enterprises are now prioritizing platforms and partners that offer industry-specific configurations, embedded best practices, and deep domain expertise, enabling business and IT teams to cocreate differentiated outcomes.
Figure 3: Illustrative Gen AI-led use cases span multiple industries
Over the past 12 months, TCS has made a strategic pivot with its TCS Crystallus preconfigured reference suite. It has evolved from being a platform-centric offering to one that is deeply industry-aligned. TCS Crystallus now features over 150 unique intellectual property assets across 20 industry segments, designed around integrated value streams such as manufacturing, finance, procurement, and sustainability.
Whether it’s Patient 360 for healthcare, ESG-led operations in energy, or telecom order orchestration, each asset within TCS Crystallus is preconfigured to accelerate transformation in a specific industry vertical. TCS combines these prebuilt assets with ready-to-deploy industry-specific templates, advanced analytics, and deep integration built on partner solutions such as SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, and ServiceNow to create modular, reusable assets. This approach not only ensures faster deployment timelines but also gives enterprises a crucial lead-time advantage in realizing value-added business outcomes.
| Case study: Vantage Towers
Vantage Towers, a leading tower company in Europe with operations across 86,000 sites in 10 countries, partnered with TCS to digitally transform its lead-to-cash journey using Salesforce. With operations spanning 86,000 sites across 10 countries, Vantage Towers aimed to streamline its end-to-end process—from customer onboarding and order intake to service delivery and billing. TCS implemented an integrated solution on the Salesforce platform, helping the company shift from manual processes to a more automated, standardized setup. One key outcome was an 80% improvement in the speed of contract creation, particularly for site-based agreements. Throughout the engagement, TCS brought flexibility and deep Salesforce expertise, supporting Vantage Towers through a complex transformation journey. The new system has helped the company improve process efficiency and deliver a more consistent experience across its markets. |
Embedded with Sustainability Principles
Sustainability is no longer a “nice to have.” Enterprises are embedding green principles into core digital transformation agendas to meet net-zero targets. Core strategies include migrating to energy-efficient cloud environments, adopting scalable microservices architectures to optimize resource use, and embracing green software engineering practices that minimize energy consumption and environmental impact.
Platforms such as Salesforce Net Zero Cloud enable real-time emissions tracking and ESG compliance. Combined with IoT and AI, organizations are now empowered to make sustainability operational, measurable, and auditable.
TCS integrates sustainability across its core operations and client engagements, enabling enterprises to meet ESG goals through a technology-led, comprehensive approach. Central to this is the TCS Zero Carbon Platform, which supports the measurement, monitoring, and reduction of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. The platform leverages AI and advanced analytics for proactive emissions management, streamlines ESG reporting, and accelerates the journey to net zero.
Additionally, TCS operationalizes its Fighting Climate Change initiatives by conducting annual sustainability assessments aligned with ISO 14044, promoting energy-efficient coding practices, and embedding sustainable procurement throughout global supply chains.
| Case study: Tata Power
Saurabh Ray, Chief of Digital & IT at Tata Power, highlighted the company’s strategic collaboration with TCS to modernize its digital core and drive sustainable innovation. Operating across the full energy spectrum, including renewable, thermal, and hydro power, Tata Power covers the entire value chain from generation to transmission, distribution, power trading, and smart grid solutions. To future-proof its operations and enhance agility, Tata Power embarked on an ambitious transformation of its ERP landscape by migrating from a legacy SAP ECC system to the SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition. This initiative reduced technical debt and maintenance costs, streamlined financial operations, and automated procurement workflows and customer service. It also enhanced vendor invoicing through AI-powered scanning and multichannel automation, enabled predictive maintenance, and strengthened data governance frameworks. From a sustainability lens, the shift from energy-intensive, on-premises infrastructure to a renewable-powered cloud environment played a pivotal role in reducing the company’s carbon footprint, reinforcing Tata Power’s commitment to building a greener, more resilient energy future. |
Conclusion: Building the Blueprint for an Intelligent, Sustainable Enterprise
Enterprise applications are at a watershed moment. From being back-office tools to becoming strategic enablers, their evolution is being accelerated by Gen AI, verticalization, and sustainability. Organizations must now rethink their application strategies—not just to optimize workflows but to shape business models, elevate customer experiences, and deliver ESG impact.
The convergence of Gen AI and domain-centric platforms is ushering in a new era—one where technology and strategy are inseparable and innovation is infused into the very fabric of enterprise operations.
TCS’s journey, backed by next-gen offerings like TCS Crystallus, TRANSPlatform.AI, and Net Zero Carbon Platform, shows what’s possible when software becomes smart, industry-specific, and responsible by design.
By Swapnil Bhatnagar, Partner, Avasant, Gaurav Dewan, Research Director, Avasant, and Premal Shah, Principal Analyst, Avasant