Quess Corp shifts from human staffing to AI workforce in India

Bengaluru-based Quess Corp, once India's largest staffing company, is now pivoting towards an AI-driven workforce through its spinoff Digitide Solutions. The company, which traditionally placed over 630,000 people in jobs across factories, hospitals, and telecom sectors, is now integrating AI agents like Nikki, the chief listening officer, to manage employee morale and other HR functions.

The Shift to AI

• Nikki: An AI agent that tracks employee morale and provides actionable insights to managers.
• QBuddy: Guides call center agents through customer interactions in real-time.
• DigiColleqt: Optimizes loan recovery by prioritizing field visits and automating approvals.

Founder Ajit Isaac highlighted the need for HR managers for AI agents, emphasizing that these digital coworkers require oversight just like human employees. "If we’re hiring thousands of artificial workers, we might genuinely need someone to manage their training, reviews, maybe even their well-being," Isaac said.

Digitide's Blueprint

Digitide, barely a quarter old, already employs 55,000 people and is scaling rapidly with AI. The company follows a three-by-three-by-three strategy:

• Verticals: Insurance, healthcare, and financial services.
• Services: Digital engineering, analytics, and business process management.

Impact on Employment

• Collections: AI reduces manual work, increasing efficiency by 30%.
• Hiring: AI conducts unbiased interviews, even at odd hours.
• Payroll: Processes 15 million payslips annually with fewer errors.

Competitive Edge

Digitide is now competing with traditional IT giants like Infosys and Cognizant by offering AI-integrated solutions at lower costs. "We can go into a $10 million deal and say we’ll do it for $7 million—with efficiency backed by AI," said CEO Gurmeet Chahal.

Future Outlook

• Revenue: Projected to grow from $342 million (2024-25) to $1 billion by 2028-29.
• Headcount: Expected to increase by only 70%, showcasing AI's role in scaling efficiency.

"We’re delivering outcomes—not just hours," Chahal stressed. "It’s the architecture that matters now."

Training the Next Generation

Digitide has embedded AI curricula in colleges like Indore and Coimbatore, ensuring a pipeline of skilled workers. "They’ve never heard of GPT, but they understand field collections," said a Digitide trainer.

Leadership's Vision

Isaac sees this shift as a reinvention rather than a replacement. "The technology will keep moving, but leadership has to move with conscience," he said.

For more details, visit Quess Corp.