TCS wins broader role in ABB's global network overhaul

Tata Consultancy Services and ABB have expanded their partnership with a multi-million, multi-year deal to overhaul ABB's global network operations, extending a relationship that has lasted 20 years.

Under the agreement, TCS will take on a broader role in ABB's technology estate as strategic programme partner for the industrial group's Future Network Model. The programme aims to replace fragmented network environments with a standardised, centrally managed digital infrastructure across ABB's global operations.

The work includes service integration and management, a global network operations centre, advanced security tools, and upgraded local area, wide area and software-defined wide area networks. TCS will also manage ABB's multi-vendor network environment and provide end-to-end monitoring and orchestration.

The changes are intended to support network operations for ABB's workforce of about 110,000 employees. ABB operates across electrification and automation, where network reliability and security are increasingly tied to day-to-day industrial activity.

Broader remit

The deal shifts TCS's role at ABB from managing infrastructure and applications to running end-to-end global network operations through what the companies described as an integrated network-as-a-service model. It gives TCS responsibility for a larger share of ABB's core digital infrastructure as major industrial businesses seek to simplify complex technology environments built up over years of expansion and multiple suppliers.

For ABB, the project centres on standardisation. Large multinational manufacturers often run a patchwork of local and regional networks developed at different times for different operating needs, making them harder to secure, monitor and manage consistently.

Centralising those functions can reduce duplication and improve oversight, particularly as companies connect more operational technology with enterprise IT systems. That convergence has sharpened focus on network resilience and cyber risk in manufacturing and industrial settings.

Alec Joannou, Group CIO, ABB, said: "The Future Network Model represents an important milestone in reinforcing the digital foundation of ABB's global operations. As our business evolves, it is critical to have an ecosystem that is resilient, secure, and aligned with long-term transformation goals. Our association with TCS reflects a shared focus on delivery excellence, continuous enhancement, and building capabilities that can support our strategic priorities."

Long relationship

The latest agreement builds on two decades of work between the companies. Previous projects included consolidating ABB's ERP systems onto a unified SAP platform and supporting cloud transformation and adoption, according to the companies.

That history helps explain ABB's decision to extend TCS's remit into an area closely tied to business continuity. Network operations underpin communications between sites, access to business systems, and the exchange of data across production, supply chain and office environments.

The deal also reflects a broader push by technology service providers to position artificial intelligence as part of core infrastructure management, rather than only as a tool for analytics or application-layer automation. In this case, the companies said AI would be embedded in the network operations model supporting ABB's infrastructure.

TCS presented this as part of a broader effort to move network management away from static, manually intensive processes. It said the aim is to create systems that can respond and improve over time, though the announcement gave no detailed implementation or financial terms beyond describing the agreement as multi-million and multi-year.

Anupam Singhal, President, Manufacturing, TCS, said: "For over two decades, TCS has had the privilege of supporting ABB's transformation journey, and the Future Network Model marks the next chapter in this partnership. With AI embedded into the network operations model, supported by secure digital infrastructure and our deep domain expertise, we are bringing our 'infrastructure to intelligence' approach to build a resilient, intelligent network backbone. Through this engagement, we will enable network systems that can sense, adapt, and improve continuously, while strengthening reliability, security, user experience, and scale as ABB continues to advance as a future-ready enterprise."

TCS reported consolidated revenue of more than AUD $43 billion in its latest fiscal year, while ABB employs about 110,000 people worldwide. That scale highlights the size of the network estate covered by the agreement and the importance of maintaining consistent oversight across multiple countries and vendors.