What Happened to the $1.5 Billion Infosys AI Deal?
On Saturday, Infosys reported the termination of a $1.5 billion deal by a global client. The announcement came a few months after India’s IT giant disclosed the signing of a $1.5 billion agreement with an unnamed global company in September, this year. The deal aimed to provide an enhanced digital experience, modernisation, and business operations services over a 15-year period, leveraging Infosys platforms and AI solutions, which might be Topaz. Infosys, in a filing to the exchanges, stated, “The global company has decided to terminate the Memorandum of Understanding, and the parties will not proceed with the Master Agreement.” The filings did not provide the reason for the deal’s cancellation. Following the chain of events: was it Palantir? The abrupt end to the agreement has raised eyebrows in the tech community, sparking speculations and discussions about the underlying reasons and potential players involved. The possibility of Palantir being the undisclosed party is something which is being heavily discussed on social media platforms. According to the chain of events, this was also possibly linked to the fact that Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys, and Peter Thiel, the owner of Palantir, had business links. Why this matter is that Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who is also the son-in-law of Murthy, was “inadvertently” selling the NHS to both the companies for no bid prices. Palantir has been accused several times of wanting access to NHS data since COVID. Adding another layer to the unfolding drama, Infosys announces the departure of its CFO, Nilanjan Roy. The stage is set for Jayesh Sanghrajka, an internal figure, to assume the critical CFO role. Roy’s exit introduces an element of intrigue to Infosys’ leadership dynamics, prompting speculation about potential influences on the company’s financial strategies. To illustrate, the $1.5 billion deal, when spread over the 15-year span, equates to $100 million annually or $25 million quarterly in revenue. It’s crucial to note that revenue doesn’t directly translate to net profit, and over the years, $25 million per quarter may diminish in real value due to factors like inflation. In essence, if Palantir is indeed the unnamed company, the impact could be minimal. A 15-year commitment in the dynamic field of  generative AI may not align with Palantir’s strategy of securing favourable deals and avoiding agreements that do not justify their time and resources. Pareekh Jain, Founder, Pareekh Consulting said, “There is so much change in the business and technology environment that such events reflect the risks associated with large deals in new technology.” He highlighted how such large investments only happen when the technology is established. The suspected high take-rate for the consulting shop may have prompted Palantir to reassess the terms, leading to strategic recalibration. Terminating a long-term agreement may signal Palantir’s commitment to maintaining adaptability and flexibility in a fiercely competitive market. The cancellation of this deal also underscores the uncertain economic conditions prevailing in the global economy, impacting the performance of the IT sector. In Q2 FY24, Infosys signed contracts with a total value of $7.7 billion. While the Total Contract Values (TCVs) for major IT firms have shown growth, the transformation into robust revenue growth remains less evident. What does the cancellation entail? Talking about Palantir’s flexibility, Infosys’ revelation reverberates through the market, with Wipro stocks experiencing a notable upswing. Market participants are quick to anticipate potential business redirection opportunities arising from the void left by Infosys’ terminated deal. This scenario reinforces the industry adage — one company’s loss can indeed become another’s gain, highlighting the dynamic nature of the IT services sector. But this is not the only investment Infosys made. Last week, the IT giant secured a five-year deal from LKQ Europe, an auto parts distributor. Notable among Infosys’ recent large deals is a $1.64 billion agreement with Liberty Global, based in London, spanning five years. The involved parties have forged an initial agreement featuring the possibility of extension to eight years or more. During the initial five-year period, Infosys is set to deliver services to Liberty Global valued at $1.64 billion, with the potential to increase to $2.5 billion if the contract is prolonged to eight years. This partnership enables Liberty Global to achieve ongoing annual savings exceeding €100 million, encompassing additional savings and investments in technology, specifically Topaz. In July, Infosys had also said it signed a deal with another undisclosed existing client to provide AI services, with the target spend of $2B over five years. In a parallel development earlier this year, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) revealed the termination of a $2 billion deal by Transamerica, an insurance player. The deal, initiated in 2018, involved five-and-a-half years of collaboration by TCS. Reliance also announced its partnership with NVIDIA. There has been an increasing pressure in Indian IT to adapt generative AI services. Which is what possibilly prompted Infosys to also make this hasty move.
One company’s loss can indeed become another’s gain.
On Saturday, Infosys reported the termination of a $1.5 billion deal by an unnamed global client, leaving everyone wondering.
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["AI", "generative AI", "Aim", "Ray", "RAG", "R", "Go", "Git", "BERT", "llm_models:BERT"]
Mohit writes about AI in simple, explainable, and often funny words. He's especially passionate about chatting with those building AI for Bharat, with the occasional detour into AGI.