From A Rs 2 Crore Proof Of Concept To A Full AI Platform: How HDFC Bank Built Neev Differently

Published 7 August 2026 · local

News india From A Rs 2 Crore Proof Of Concept To A Full AI Platform: How HDFC Bank Built Neev Differently From A Rs 2

News india From A Rs 2 Crore Proof Of Concept To A Full AI Platform: How HDFC Bank Built Neev Differently From A Rs 2 Crore Proof Of Concept To A Full AI Platform: How HDFC Bank Built Neev Differently Published By, Last Updated: August 07, 2026, 17:01 IST At the heart of that strategy is Neev, the bank's homegrown AI platform, designed not to compete on scale but to solve enterprise problems. Rapid Read Ramesh Lakshminarayanan, Group Head of IT and CIO at HDFC Bank speaking at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit. As enterprises move from experimenting with generative AI to deploying AI agents across core business functions, the conversation is rapidly shifting from adoption to execution. The challenge is no longer simply how to use AI, but how to build it responsibly, securely and in a way that delivers lasting business value. While many organisations continue to chase bigger models and larger investments, HDFC Bank is taking a different approach. Speaking at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit – South Regional Edition in Bengaluru, Ramesh Lakshminarayanan, Group Head of IT and CIO at HDFC Bank, shared how the bank is building its AI strategy around in-house capability, governance, and purposeful innovation. At the heart of that strategy is Neev, the bank’s homegrown AI platform, designed not to compete on scale but to solve enterprise problems with precision, efficiency, and trust.

He opened with a challenge to the industry’s spending habits. Before unveiling what the platform has become, Lakshminarayanan explained how it began. HDFC Bank started its Neev programme with a seed fund of ₹2 crore to establish a proof of concept demonstrating that an AI platform was necessary for the bank. Once the proof of concept was validated, the bank put its full weight behind building the complete platform. The seed funding for Neev of approximately ₹2 crore, is a fraction of what enterprises globally are investing in large language models. “That’s the biggest myth," he said. “Building smaller models, sharper models, is where the institution will have to focus." For the bank, capability is not measured by the size of the investment but by how effectively AI solves real business problems. That philosophy rests on two convictions that have shaped Neev’s architecture. First, Lakshminarayanan believes intelligence must be built in-house if an organisation is to remain competitive in a technology-driven industry. Second, owning the platform gives the bank greater visibility into how its models behave — a level of control he considers essential as regulators continue to shape AI governance in banking. Rather than relying entirely on external platforms, HDFC Bank has built a foundation that combines innovation with governance, enabling it to evolve AI responsibly while retaining control over how the technology is deployed.