Keystone Opens First India Hub in Bengaluru to Advise Global Tech and Finance Firms on AI Disruption and Platform Risk

The world's most valuable technology companies increasingly need advice on questions that did not exist a few years ago. How will artificial intelligence change competition in their markets? How should they respond to new regulation of digital platforms? What risks do AI systems create for their businesses? One of the firms that answers those questions is now building a team in India.

Keystone, a global strategy and economics advisory firm, announced on September 25 that it is launching Keystone India, with Bengaluru as its first hub in the country. The company plans to hire talent and increase its Indian workforce over the next two years.

Founded in 2003, Keystone has offices in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Washington DC, London, Dubai and Sydney. Its client list includes some of the world's largest companies, among them Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Goldman Sachs and Amgen.

What the Bengaluru team will do

According to the company, its Bengaluru team will support technology companies, financial services firms, law firms and global enterprises on issues spanning AI disruption, regulatory environments, technology ecosystems and platform risks.

The office will also contribute to Keystone's global AI Centre of Excellence, combining AI and data capabilities with expertise in economics, strategy, investigations and litigation. That means Indian team members are expected to work on global engagements, not only on India-related matters.

Keystone India's operations will be led by Rohit Chatterjee, Global Head and Senior Partner of Keystone Advanced Technology Services. Himanshu Singhi, a senior principal, will lead the Bengaluru team.

An unusual kind of consulting firm

Keystone occupies a distinctive position in the advisory market. It combines economists, technologists and management scientists in a single model, which the company describes as an integrated approach bringing together technical, economic and strategic analysis.

That combination is particularly relevant in cases where technology, markets and law intersect. In competition and antitrust matters, for example, regulators and courts increasingly need to understand how algorithms, data and platform design affect consumers and rivals. Firms such as Keystone provide expert analysis and testimony in such cases, as well as strategic advice to companies navigating regulatory scrutiny.

The rise of generative AI has expanded that demand. Companies are asking how AI will affect their competitive position, how to assess the risks of deploying AI systems and how emerging AI regulation in different jurisdictions will affect their products.

Why Bengaluru

Keystone said Bengaluru's technology ecosystem and its concentration of AI, data science and engineering talent make it a natural base for its India expansion. The city is home to research institutions, large engineering teams from global technology companies and a dense network of Global Capability Centres (GCCs), the in-house operations that multinationals run in India.

For an advisory firm that relies on technical depth, access to that talent pool is a significant advantage. Data scientists and engineers in Bengaluru can support complex analytical work, such as building models of market behaviour or analysing large datasets in litigation, alongside economists and strategists in other offices.

The move also reflects a broader trend. Professional services firms, including consulting, legal and financial advisory businesses, have steadily expanded their Indian operations to support global clients. What began with back-office functions has grown into high-value analytical, research and specialist work.

The India market opportunity

Keystone's Indian team will also support global technology, manufacturing and financial services firms navigating India's own market structure, regulatory complexity and platform risk.

India has become an important arena for technology regulation. The country's competition regulator has examined the conduct of large digital platforms, and policymakers have debated new rules to address competition in digital markets. India has also enacted a data protection law, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, and is developing its approach to AI governance.

For global companies operating in India, understanding these developments is increasingly important. Advisers with both local presence and global expertise are well placed to help them.

AI as the common thread

The emphasis on AI runs through Keystone's announcement. The firm's AI Centre of Excellence brings together its data and AI capabilities with its traditional strengths in economics and strategy.

That reflects a broader shift in how advisory work is done. AI tools are changing the way consultants analyse data, review documents and build models. At the same time, AI is the subject of much of the advice clients now seek. Firms that understand AI both as a tool and as a market force are likely to be in strong demand.

For Keystone's Bengaluru team, that means working at the frontier on both fronts: using AI and data science to deliver analysis, and helping clients understand how AI is reshaping their industries.

What it means for India's talent market

Keystone's plan to hire over the next two years adds to demand for professionals who combine technical and analytical skills. Economists with data science expertise, engineers who understand business strategy and specialists in AI policy are all in short supply globally.

For Indian professionals, the arrival of firms like Keystone creates new career paths that combine technology with economics, law and strategy, a mix that has traditionally been concentrated in a few global financial and consulting centres.

It also sharpens competition for talent. Global technology companies, Global Capability Centres, AI start-ups and consulting firms are all recruiting from the same pool of data scientists and machine learning engineers in Bengaluru. Advisory firms typically compete by offering exposure to high-profile global engagements and the chance to work alongside senior economists and technologists. For Keystone, the ability to offer Indian recruits work on matters involving some of the world's largest companies is likely to be a key part of its pitch.

India as an advisory base

Keystone's launch in Bengaluru is a modest step in terms of initial scale, but it illustrates how India's role in the global knowledge economy continues to evolve. The country is no longer only a destination for technology delivery. It is increasingly a base for sophisticated advisory work at the intersection of AI, economics and regulation.

With clients such as Microsoft, Meta, Amazon and Goldman Sachs, and a mandate to support its global AI Centre of Excellence, Keystone's Indian team will be working on some of the most consequential questions facing technology and financial companies today.