Abinav Raja – Managing Director:

1.With two decades of serving companies in the Middle East, what are the unique approaches Ramco is using to support enterprises in modernizing their payroll processes?

We are redefining payroll as a strategic enabler, moving beyond its traditional role as a back-office function. Our vision is anchored in AI-native innovation, deep localisation, and experience-driven design. Our payroll software, Ramco Payce, exemplifies this shift, leveraging in-memory and parallel computing for speed and precision, and delivering actionable insights through its built-in analytics tool, BInGO. Combined with multilingual support and a chatbot that can provide instantaneous support for frequently asked payroll queries, Payce delivers an intuitive, intelligent experience aligned with the region’s vision for digital transformation. By embedding compliance, accelerating go-lives, and enabling predictive insights, we empower organisations to modernise their payroll processes confidently and shape the future of work.

2. Ramco is undergoing product modernization and global expansion. What major shifts do you believe will define the company’s future direction?

The future of payroll is not about replacing people, but about amplifying their impact. At Ramco, we are building AI-native platforms where automation and human judgment work in harmony. In our Payce software, current AI capabilities include proactive anomaly detection with clear reasoning, continuous monitoring of regulatory changes to keep payroll aligned with local laws, and instant responses to employee payroll queries through chatbots.

Our roadmap envisions payroll powered by intuitive conversational interactions replacing screen-heavy workflows, with AI agents working behind the scenes. To enhance accessibility, we are working on voice-driven experiences in multiple languages. However, critical decisions will remain under human oversight to ensure trust. Our goal: payroll that is intelligent, human-centric, and future-ready.

3. How do you view the role of technology and innovation in transforming Ramco’s enterprise offerings in the coming years?

Technology and innovation will serve as the operating system of Ramco’s next chapter, transforming our enterprise offerings from systems of record to systems of intelligence. In payroll, this means moving beyond calculation engines to intelligent platforms that learn from context and orchestrate outcomes seamlessly. We have already compressed implementation timelines from months to weeks through AI-driven configuration and enabled high-volume calculations in minutes. Building on this foundation, we are designing systems where users express intent, such as “generate arrears”, and autonomous agents execute tasks behind the scenes with full auditability. Our approach combines secure-by-design, human-in-the-loop frameworks, modern architectures, and experience standards to make payroll intuitive and accessible across languages and devices.

Sandesh Bilagi – Chief Operating Officer:

1. Regional markets frequently require localization in areas such as compliance, deployment models, and support frameworks. How does Ramco achieve global scalability while accommodating these local requirements, including those specific to regions like the Middle East?

We scale by embedding localisation into the product itself, not treating it as a project add-on. Regional payroll compliance regulations are built into the platform, ensuring a unified global architecture that adapts seamlessly to local market needs. This is exactly what enterprises in the Middle East expect: a payroll solution that combines global standards with local compliance.

We apply the same thinking to deployment. Options like tenant-specific AI and local hosting respect data residency and governance mandates, enabling organisations to modernise without sacrificing control.

Beyond technology, we invest in programs that drive adoption, such as training, enablement, and enhanced support, so customers can quickly realize the full value of our payroll solution. By starting with solutions that reflect local realities, we accelerate go-lives and deliver measurable impact.

The result: harmonised global architecture with built-in localisation, giving enterprises the agility to scale while staying aligned with statutory regulations.

2. As COO, you are responsible for enabling productivity and growth outcomes. What operational levers do you consider most critical for Ramco at this stage?

My focus is on levers that drive speed, scalability, and customer success. We are simplifying our platforms to make them faster and easier to deploy, which means customers can go live sooner and start seeing value quickly. In parallel, we are using AI to improve productivity, both in how we build products and how customers use them, so processes become smarter and less manual. We are also investing in customer experience through intuitive design and self-service tools, reducing complexity for users. At the same time, we are strengthening partnerships and talent to ensure we deliver consistently across regions. These priorities help us scale efficiently while keeping customer outcomes at the centre.

3. What initiatives has Ramco implemented to strengthen customer-centricity?

Customer-centricity has always been at the heart of Ramco’s philosophy as every digital journey is, at its core, a human journey. We foster continuous engagement through Product Management Councils, which give customers a voice in shaping product roadmaps; Engagement Level Feedback during implementations to refine delivery; and annual NPS surveys that capture insights on usability, support, and value delivered. In addition, our adoption programs enable customers to quickly realize the benefits of our solutions. To ensure transparency and responsiveness, our issue tracking system, rTask, offers real-time visibility into service performance and SLA metrics. These initiatives reflect our commitment to evolving in harmony with customer aspirations.