As companies around the world race to turn artificial intelligence from basic adoption into business impact, Calgary continues to attract firms looking for a place to build, test and scale what comes next.
Global technology company HCLTech is opening the doors to its Calgary AI lab, marking the next phase of its Alberta expansion.
The move builds on the company's November 2025 office opening in downtown Calgary and strengthens its ability to help clients test, adapt and deploy AI solutions across industries.
HCLTech, a leading India-based technology company, helps organizations modernize operations and adopt new technologies across areas including artificial intelligence, cloud and software, engineering, digital transformation and enterprise technology services. The company works across sectors ranging from energy and industrials to financial services, transportation and healthcare.
Six months after opening its Calgary office, this expansion builds on HCLTech’s broader commitment to invest $100 million in Alberta over the next five years and signals growing confidence in Calgary’s position as one of North America’s fastest-growing technology and talent markets.
“This is the realization of our commitment to becoming a premier AI solutions provider for Alberta,” said Dave Chopra, Executive Vice President and Country Head, Canada at HCLTech.
“Clients will be able to come in, bring their use cases, test ideas, understand outcomes and move from proof of concept to production-ready solutions.”
The lab enables HCLTech teams to work directly with clients to test AI applications, tailor solutions to specific business challenges and accelerate deployment into operational environments.
One example is VisionX, HCLTech’s edge‑to‑cloud, AI-driven platform designed to bring real-time intelligence into physical and operational environments—helping enterprises move from passive monitoring to proactive, data-driven decision-making. The company sees this technology as especially relevant to Alberta’s industrial sectors.
Building talent alongside tech
HCLTech currently employs approximately 3,000 people across Canada, with Alberta playing an increasingly important role in its long-term growth strategy. It plans to expand its Canadian footprint by 75 per cent by 2030.
The company says future growth will focus heavily on expanding AI capability, developing digital delivery capacity and strengthening links between industry and post-secondary institutions.
Locally, that includes collaboration with partners such as the University of Calgary to help prepare talent for growing demand — at HCLTech and across the tech ecosystem — in AI engineering, digital operations and applied technology roles.
“Global companies are looking for places where talent, industry and innovation already connect — and Calgary is increasingly standing out in that conversation,” said Brad Parry, President and CEO of Calgary Economic Development (CED).
“It’s those unexpected possibilities — rooted in the connections between people, ideas and industries — that drive innovation and attract investment to Calgary.”
Why Calgary
Chopra pointed to the Calgary’s growing technology ecosystem, access to talent and collaborative business environment as major factors in the company’s decision to continue expanding in Alberta.
HCLTech cited its relationships with CED, Invest Alberta, the University of Calgary and Platform Calgary were critical in creating the conditions for long-term investment and growth in the city.
“We would not have made the investment commitment we have today without those relationships,” said Chopra.
“It helped us expand our reach, strengthen our brand and accelerate our growth plans in Alberta.”
CED supported HCLTech in exploring the limitless opportunities in Calgary through sustained engagement in India and Alberta, helping the company connect with local partners, talent and market insights that informed its decision to establish a presence in the city.
That work builds on CED’s targeted work in India — one of Calgary’s priority investment markets — to engage leading technology firms and showcase Calgary as a competitive location for expansion. Drawn by a collaborative business environment, skilled talent pool and affordable cost of doing business, those efforts have helped attract and grow Indian technology companies including Mphasis and Infosys to Calgary.
“We’re seeing global companies choose Calgary because they can access talent, collaborate across industry and move from ambitious ideas to implementation quickly,” said Parry.
“That momentum is helping strengthen Calgary’s competitiveness as a destination for AI, innovation and long-term investment.”
Explore why global tech companies are choosing Calgary to scale AI, innovation and digital transformation in the Blue Sky City here.