Applied Computing, a prominent British artificial intelligence firm, has officially expanded its global footprint by opening a new office in Bangalore, India. This strategic move signals the company’s deep commitment to the Indian market. Company leadership views India as the emerging “ground zero” for the next generation of industrial AI applications, particularly within the energy sector.
The UK-based company specializes in developing foundational AI models specifically for energy operators. Its flagship platform, known as Orbital, is the first foundation model of its kind built for complex energy operations. Orbital brings advanced, physics-groundground optimization capabilities to some of the world’s most intricate industrial environments, such as major refineries.
The decision to choose Bangalore reflects a significant shift in the company’s focus. India’s energy landscape is currently undergoing rapid transformation. Driven by a fast-growing population and substantial industrial expansion, the country faces sharply rising energy demands. Furthermore, India’s refining and petrochemical sectors are poised for major growth over the coming decade.
This dynamic environment presents a unique opportunity for high-impact AI deployment. Many of India’s critical energy assets utilize older infrastructure. AI-driven optimization can deliver huge operational benefits and system-wide efficiencies in these conditions. The country’s enthusiasm for new technology adoption and its willingness to deploy AI at scale make it a vital market for industrial intelligence.
To spearhead this expansion, Applied Computing onboarded a highly respected industry veteran. Dan Jeavons, the former global AI chief for Shell, joined the company and will lead its efforts as President from Bangalore. Jeavons, who has spent decades working on industrial data and analytics, cited the Orbital platform as a personal “ChatGPT moment.” He believes its ability to seamlessly combine physics models, time-series data, and natural language interfaces marks a game-changer for heavy industry.
Previous attempts at industrial digitalization, often grouped under the Industrial IoT banner, struggled to deliver on their promise. These projects often stalled due to high costs, slow returns, and difficulty integrating with aging, proprietary factory systems. Traditional data-driven methods were too opaque and inappropriate for deployment in mission-critical operations.
The new generation of foundation models, like Orbital, overcomes these hurdles. It allows plant operators to ask simple, natural language questions to interrogate all siloed data, including engineering drawings, shift logs, and maintenance histories. Crucially, the model is implemented within the customer’s secure infrastructure. This ensures proprietary data remains private while still delivering comprehensive insights across an entire business or network of facilities.
Applied Computing plans to use its new Bangalore presence to accelerate the technology. The company intends to hire extensively across AI research, engineering, and commercial operations. Company leaders emphasize that India is not just another geography but a primary market where the technology is already showing strong results. This investment is positioned to support global energy stability and emissions reduction by transforming some of the largest and most critical infrastructure assets on the planet.
