Enterprise AI has had its “generative” moment. Now, Hexaware Technologies thinks it’s time for something bigger: Agentic AI.
The global IT services provider has unveiled Agentic Academy, a large-scale training initiative built in partnership with upGrad Enterprise, designed to upskill its worldwide workforce in the design, deployment, and management of autonomous AI agents. These are not the chatbots or copilots most businesses have been experimenting with—they’re intelligent, adaptive systems capable of planning, acting, and orchestrating complex workflows across an enterprise in real time.
If generative AI was about content, Agentic AI is about coordination and decision-making. And Hexaware is betting that training humans to work with these new “digital coworkers” will be the real differentiator in the next phase of enterprise transformation.
From Generative to Agentic
Hexaware has already put in two years of groundwork, with 95% of employees trained in generative AI fundamentals and advanced skills. The Agentic Academy builds directly on that foundation, expanding into areas where AI systems don’t just automate tasks but actively collaborate, monitor, and adapt alongside human teams.
Vinod Chandran, COO of Hexaware, sums it up bluntly: “Agentic technologies are becoming fundamental to how enterprises operate. Agentic Academy ensures our people are equipped not only to use these systems but to lead engagements built around them.”
How It Works
The Academy offers three tailored learning paths, all co-designed with upGrad Enterprise’s instructional design and subject matter expertise:
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Builder.AI: for developers and engineers architecting agents, focusing on orchestration, integration, and safety protocols.
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Collaborator.AI: for teams customizing platform-based or open-source agent frameworks for clients.
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Manage.AI: for delivery and operations leaders overseeing agent-human collaboration, QA, and live monitoring.
Training is delivered via upGrad’s enterprise learning platform, combining content, labs, and certifications. Importantly, the learning happens “in the flow of work”—not in siloed training modules.
Why It Matters
The push comes at a time when Agentic systems are moving from research labs into boardrooms. Enterprises across finance, healthcare, logistics, and IT services are beginning to explore AI agents capable of managing processes with minimal human intervention. The promise: faster execution, fewer errors, and smarter decision-making.
But the flipside is risk. With agents making real-time decisions, issues like safety, governance, and accountability demand a workforce fluent in both the tech and its implications. That’s where Hexaware is trying to carve a niche.
“We’re moving from automation to intelligent orchestration, where agents collaborate, decide, and deliver outcomes,” said Satyajith Mundakkal, CTO of Hexaware. “This shift is redefining roles and creating demand for Agentic expertise. Our goal is to equip talent to lead real-world Agentic assignments with confidence and capability.”
Industry Context
Hexaware isn’t the first IT giant to talk upskilling in AI. Accenture, Infosys, and TCS have all announced multi-year investments in GenAI training. But most of those programs still focus on generative capabilities. By emphasizing Agentic systems, Hexaware is pushing into what could be AI’s next frontier—where autonomous agents don’t just assist workers but take on roles as colleagues in delivery teams.
It’s a bet with potential upside. Gartner has already flagged “AI agents” as one of its top tech trends for 2025, predicting that enterprises failing to adopt them will be outpaced on productivity and adaptability. Hexaware’s Academy, then, is as much a talent-retention strategy as it is a client-facing one.
Early Returns
According to Hexaware, participants in the first training cohorts are already applying Agentic skills in live projects, with more tracks rolling out in the coming months. The company plans to bring a majority of its delivery and engineering workforce through the Academy this year, aligning directly with its growing Agentic services portfolio.
That scale of adoption, said Satyendu Mohanty, EVP & Global Head of Talent Management, is crucial: “For such a large-scale delivery transformation, enabling a hybrid workforce of humans and agents to deliver shared outcomes, rapid talent transformation is imperative. Agentic Academy enables a common language, shared fluency, and real capability across roles.”
The Bigger Picture
For upGrad Enterprise, the partnership is a validation of its focus on enterprise-ready, outcome-driven learning programs. CEO Srikanth Iyengar put it plainly: “As Agentic systems reshape enterprise operations, the real differentiator will be how quickly organizations can translate that shift into customer impact.”
And for Hexaware, it’s about staying ahead of a curve that’s bending quickly. AI copilots may have dominated headlines in 2023 and 2024, but the future looks more autonomous—and more disruptive. By training its people to not only keep up but to lead in this environment, Hexaware is trying to position itself as a first mover in a space that could soon redefine enterprise IT services.
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