Infosys and Columbia University Launch Enterprise AI Research Center

On October 1, 2026, Infosys announced a strategic collaboration with Columbia University to support the development and use of applications in artificial intelligence technologies. The collaboration includes a research center, the Infosys Topaz – Columbia University Enterprise AI Center, led by Columbia Engineering.

Infosys said the center is designed to help its customers accelerate AI-first innovations and support responsible deployment of generative AI and agentic AI technologies at enterprise scale. The company said the collaboration further strengthens its leadership in enterprise AI through Infosys Topaz, which it describes as an AI-first set of services, solutions, and platforms using generative and agentic AI technologies.

The center is located at Infosys’ One World Trade Center office in New York City. Infosys said it will serve as a global hub for AI innovation, attracting c-suite leaders, research and development leaders, students, and technology practitioners.

Research Themes and Client Program

As part of what Infosys described as its established track record of collaborating with leading academic institutions, the program will facilitate workshops, co-innovation sessions, and research collaboration with clients across industries. Through these initiatives, the announcement said, the collaboration will focus on three foundational research themes.

The first, AI-First Experiences and Processes, covers how users interact with technology through natural interactions such as voice and free-form text, and how enterprises can reimagine existing business processes and models by eliminating tasks and layers. Infosys said rethinking the user experience and underlying processes can help organizations unlock value, drive innovation, and achieve better outcomes.

The second, Responsible and Sustainable AI, addresses emerging regulatory complexities, ethical concerns, cybersecurity, and energy consumption, with the stated aim of making AI development transparent, explainable, and sustainable by design.

The third, AI for Marketing, targets hyper-personalized customer experiences, campaign optimization through agents, and the use of advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and generative content creation in marketing.

Leadership Statements

Garud Iyengar, Avanessians Director of the Columbia Data Science Institute, Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at Columbia Engineering, and founding director of the center, said in the announcement: “We are delighted to collaborate with Infosys to drive research and play a pivotal role in helping enterprises recognize the true value of implementing AI in their businesses. This collaboration will advance vital research and offer students and enterprises a unique opportunity to co-create the next frontier of intelligent systems.”

Satish HC, EVP and Chief Delivery Officer of Infosys, said the collaboration builds on the recognized credentials of both institutions in creating AI solutions that drive innovation and value for enterprises. He said the organizations are committed to shaping the future of the enterprise in a way that is innovative, responsible, scalable, and impactful for businesses and society.

Center Mission and Personnel

According to the center’s mission statement, the center works at the intersection of research and real-world impact, advancing the design, governance, and adoption of responsible, human-centered AI systems through collaboration among Columbia faculty, Infosys experts, and global industry partners. The statement adds that the center develops enterprise AI solutions, prepares the future workforce through experiential learning, and produces thought leadership on the ethical and sustainable evolution of AI in business and society.

The site’s stated purpose for the center is to advance enterprise-scale AI innovation by integrating Infosys’ generative and responsible AI capabilities with Columbia’s academic research, exploring AI systems design, governance, ethics, and adoption. It lists four key opportunities: collaborative research between Columbia faculty and Infosys as well as with Infosys’ global client base; concepts for responsible, sustainable, and human-centered AI systems; student engagement and workforce readiness through experiential opportunities; and thought leadership at the intersection of AI and business.

The center’s Faculty and Key Personnel directory lists eight profiles, with its affiliation filters showing four from Columbia University and four from Infosys. Alongside Iyengar, the roster includes Columbia computer science faculty leads Eugene Wu and Junfeng Yang; Tasnia Islam, a program manager at Columbia Engineering; Infosys EVP and Chief Technology Officer Rafee Tarafdar; Infosys leads Syed Ahmed, AVP and head of the Infosys Responsible AI Office, and Srinivasan Natarajan, AVP at the Infosys Centre for Emerging Technology Solutions; and Jeffrey M. Levenberg, a manager at Infosys. The directory also tags personnel by research area, with two listed under AI-First Experience and Processes (Agentic AI) and two under Responsible, Sustainable AI.