Applied Computing expands to India with new Bangalore office
British AI firm Applied Computing has formally entered the Indian market with the opening of its new office in Bangalore, underscoring the company’s conviction that India will be the world’s most consequential arena for industrial AI adoption. The move marks a major milestone for the London-based company, which is pioneering foundation AI models purpose-built for energy operators.
The expansion is more than a symbolic step. Applied Computing is set to create new jobs across AI research, engineering, energy modelling and commercial operations as it scales its presence in India. The announcement will be made at an event in Bangalore today, where industry partners, policymakers and customers will gather to mark the inauguration of the new space. The decision follows strong early traction in the country, where the company’s flagship platform, Orbital, has already been proven inside major refining environments and is now being actively deployed with leading operators.
At the centre of Applied Computing’s proposition is Orbital – described as the first foundation model designed specifically for energy operations. By combining physics-based understanding with advanced optimisation, Orbital delivers what the company calls “superintelligent, physics-grounded optimisation” across some of the world’s most complex industrial assets.
India becomes the company’s primary market
Applied Computing’s expansion comes at a moment of profound change in India’s energy landscape. Even as global policy pressure mounts around decarbonisation, India’s energy demand is rising sharply, driven by rapid industrialisation and a growing population. This combination of demand growth and infrastructure complexity creates a high-stakes environment in which the most advanced technologies can deliver outsized impact.
“India is not just another geography for Applied Computing – it is our primary market and a proving ground for the future of industrial AI,” says Callum Adamson, CEO and co-founder. “The country’s refining and petrochemical sectors are central to the global economy, and the decisions made here will influence energy stability and emissions worldwide. Orbital is already deployed in India delivering impact at unprecedented scale, and our investment in Bangalore strengthens our ability to support operators as they modernise and transform their most critical infrastructure.”
With many of the country’s critical assets relying on ageing infrastructure, AI-driven optimisation is increasingly seen as an essential tool rather than a futuristic aspiration. India’s willingness to adopt advanced technologies at operational scale further positions it as a uniquely fertile market for industrial AI.
Deepening presence with senior leadership on the ground
The company’s commitment to India is also reflected in its senior leadership footprint. Applied Computing has assembled a high-calibre team in Bangalore, anchored by Dan Jeavons, former head of Shell’s global AI programme and one of the world’s most respected figures in industrial AI. Jeavons relocated to Bangalore several years ago and chose to remain in India after joining Applied Computing earlier this year.
“I have been based in Bangalore for several years now and it’s an obvious choice for us to base our operations here – in India’s digital hub at the heart of the fastest growing energy market in the world. The scale of operations, the volume of highly talented workers, the pace of growth and the willingness to adopt advanced technologies is unmatched. India has an environment where AI can move from experimentation to real, measurable impact,” he says. “Orbital is already delivering results with customers here, including at some of the largest refineries on the planet. By establishing our base in Bangalore, we’re investing directly in the talent, partners and ecosystem that will define the future of industrial intelligence.”
Jeavons is joined by Hari Ramani, Vice President of Commercial Markets, who will lead customer engagement and global market development. Ramani emphasises the immediate operational pressures facing India’s energy operators. “Energy operators in India are managing extraordinary complexity across ageing and emerging infrastructure. They’re looking for solutions that improve efficiency today while preparing for a more sustainable tomorrow. Orbital provides that bridge – delivering actionable, physics-grounded intelligence across entire facilities. The appetite for real-world AI adoption here is unmatched, and today’s expansion positions us to serve this demand at scale.”
strengthened by major early-stage backing
Applied Computing’s expansion follows its £9 million seed round raised earlier this year. Led by Fred Destin at Stride.VC, the round is one of the largest seed raises ever completed by a UK AI company – a signal of both investor conviction and the scale of the opportunity ahead.
