Why Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Sees a ‘Huge Opportunity’ for India in AI

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said India has a “huge opportunity” as the company moves to rebuild its enterprise systems around an AI-first approach, with its teams, technology professionals and partners in the country expected to play a role in the transition.

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of Dreamforce 2026 in San Francisco, Benioff said Salesforce had built “incredible teams” in India and that they would be important to the company’s AI-led transformation. He also referred to the company’s millions of Trailblazers in India.

Salesforce has had a presence in India for more than two decades and has expanded its operations across technology, research and development, sales and customer support. The country also has a large ecosystem of Salesforce-trained professionals, developers and implementation partners.

The company is increasingly focusing on artificial intelligence and autonomous AI agents, integrating them into enterprise software as businesses seek automation and AI-based tools. Benioff said intelligent interfaces would do some of the work and would then require partners and Trailblazers to support the broader transition.

Salesforce’s AI-first approach involves rebuilding enterprise systems around intelligent interfaces and AI agents. The company is developing systems in which AI can perform some tasks, while technology professionals and partners can support their implementation and use.

India’s technology workforce includes developers and other professionals familiar with Salesforce products, while implementation partners work with businesses to deploy and integrate the company’s software. Benioff said this ecosystem would be important as Salesforce advances its AI-led transformation.

The company’s India operations cover technology, research and development, sales and customer support, reflecting its long-standing presence in the country. Its network of trained professionals, developers and partners has also grown alongside its operations.

Salesforce’s shift comes as AI and autonomous agents become a larger part of enterprise software. The company is integrating these capabilities into its products and enterprise systems, while its teams, partners and Trailblazers are expected to contribute to the transition.

These groups would support Salesforce’s AI transition in India further.