WSO2 CEO Sanjiva Weerawarana on India’s software growth strategy

At WSO2CON Asia 2025, WSO2 CEO and Founder Sanjiva Weerawarana outlined the company’s ambitions for India, emphasising software independence, public sector affordability, and the critical role of open source in ensuring digital sovereignty.

India’s scale and potential

“India is such a large market. If we can build a USD 1.5 million business in Sri Lanka, there’s no reason we can’t create a USD 100 million business in India,” Veerawarna remarked. He noted that WSO2 already supports several major Indian institutions, including Jio, RBI Innovation Hub, and the Railway Information System, often without a dedicated sales presence.

With around 40 Indian customers and approximately USD 4 million in existing business, WSO2 plans to expand beyond its current support team in Bangalore to a broader go-to-market presence.

Public sector affordability and open-source principles

Veerawarna stressed the importance of adapting pricing models for public sector customers in countries like India and Sri Lanka, acknowledging the limitations of taxpayer-funded budgets compared to wealthier nations.

“In Sri Lanka, we have offered all our software free, including support, to the government. It’s a way of giving back to the infrastructure that allowed us to grow. We want to do something similar in India,” he explained.

He framed this approach within a larger philosophy of “software security,” comparing it to energy or food security. “Software is everywhere in life. A country should not be beholden to somebody else for its software. That’s why open source is critical,” he said, warning of risks tied to reliance on foreign SaaS providers for sensitive national functions.

Shifting global landscape

Veerawarna observed a global trend towards software deglobalisation. “The world is deglobalising in software. It’s like food; you can’t globalise food. COVID showed us how fragile global dependencies are. Software is going the same way,” he said.

He pointed out that Europe, in particular, is becoming more conscious of hosting sovereignty after political tensions revealed the risks of overdependence on foreign technology providers.

Strategy for startups and enterprises

WSO2 is also building initiatives to support India’s startup ecosystem. Veerawarna mentioned plans for a startup program, alongside hiring more local talent to strengthen its footprint.

“We have had USD 4 million of business in India with zero sales, all inbound through partners. Now we are going to change that,” he noted. The company aims to focus on innovators, startups, and mid-to-large enterprises that are actively developing and integrating applications.

He emphasised collaboration with partners like Jio and Microsoft, citing opportunities in SaaS hosted fully in India to ensure local control and compliance.

The bigger picture

For Veerawarna, the long-term goal is ensuring India has the software sovereignty it needs to underpin Digital India. “Independence of software is fundamental. Just like energy security or food security, software security is essential. That’s the vision we’re working towards,” he concluded.

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