Infosys and Anthropic, a U.S.-based artificial intelligence safety and research company, announced a strategic collaboration on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, to develop and deploy advanced AI solutions for industries including telecommunications, financial services, manufacturing, and software development. The partnership aims to address the specific needs of highly regulated sectors requiring robust governance, transparency, and security in their AI implementations.
The alliance has drawn attention from industry analysts, with Sumit Pokharna of Kotak Securities characterizing it as “a step in the right direction” and “the demand of the hour.” Pokharna emphasized that companies in sectors like banking and insurance cannot freely experiment with AI technologies, necessitating a focus on compliance and reliability. Infosys plans to launch an Anthropic Center of Excellence focused initially on the telecommunications industry, creating AI agents designed to streamline tasks such as claims processing and code writing, according to reports.
While the collaboration is viewed positively as a proactive move by Infosys, experts caution against overstating its immediate impact. Pokharna noted that the market is currently “discounting too much disruption,” and that AI improvements are proving to be “meaningful but incremental.” He suggested that current stock valuations already reflect expectations of slower long-term growth.
The partnership comes as Indian IT firms increasingly seek to integrate AI capabilities into their service offerings to meet growing client demand. Pokharna anticipates a surge in similar AI-driven alliances across the Indian IT sector. However, he also cautioned that the full revenue impact of generative AI may result in a 2 to 3 percent reduction in growth over the next three years. He predicts that 2027 could be a particularly challenging year for IT stocks, marked by peak investor pessimism.
Despite the potential for short-term headwinds, Pokharna believes that larger IT companies, due to their greater resources, will be better positioned to capitalize on AI collaborations. However, he also acknowledged the potential for midcap companies with specialized skills, such as Coforge and Hexaware Technologies, to benefit from their niche expertise and strong customer relationships.
Infosys shares experienced a 2.8% increase in India following the announcement, partially offsetting recent concerns about the potential for AI to displace jobs. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated that Infosys’s industry expertise makes the partnership crucial for bringing trustworthy AI solutions to market.
Pokharna also indicated that the market may be overreacting to the perceived threat of AI, creating potential investment opportunities for those who can identify undervalued companies with strong fundamentals. He warned that the narrative surrounding AI-driven disruption and reduced billing rates has fueled pessimism in the IT sector, leading to significant stock corrections.