In the telecom sector, where economies rely on real-time connectivity and digital experiences shape what customers expect, innovation is no longer an option; it is a matter of life and death. Every day, millions of people rely on the huge, outdated systems of telecom companies, but they need to update them right away. This is a strange situation for the industry: it needs to change quickly, but it can't stop for even a second.

This hard effort is being done by Hemant Soni, a Senior Digital Transformation Architect at Capgemini, well-known for managing big modernization projects for telecom corporations all around the world. His work shows how ancient telecommunications may change without generating difficulties. He does this by employing AI-driven intelligence, cloud-native architecture, automation frameworks, and customer experience platforms that are ready for the future.

Changing an Industry All the Time

Hemant says that changing modern telecommunications is like building an airplane while it's in the air. You don't stop the engine; you make it stronger while it's flying.

Instead of "rip and replace," his strategy says "stabilize, enhance, then evolve." Before starting a new project, the present system is checked and made safe. Further, modernization starts by adding cloud features, using AI and automation, and setting up new workflows alongside old workflows.

For Hemant, change isn't a mess; it's a dance.

Automation That Focuses on People: Adding to, Not Taking Away From

Hemant believes that artificial intelligence in telecommunications should be based on human-assisted intelligence, not automation for automation's sake. His groundbreaking work in creating AI-powered contact centre assistants is a great example of this.

The solution was never meant to be a basic chatbot. It was meant to be a digital coworker that helps agents answer questions faster, cuts down on repeat calls, and makes first-time resolution much better.

Hemant demonstrated that hybrid AI may enhance human capability rather than diminish it by fully embedding AI within CRM systems, guided call flows, and secure knowledge engines, and by merging machine intelligence with rule-based reasoning.

What happened? Better service quality, less effort, and happier customers are all things that have happened. Both users and frontline teams won because they felt empowered, not replaced.

Updating Order-to-Cash: A Long-Standing Problem in the Industry

The Order-to-Cash (O2C) ecosystem is one of the most complicated parts of telecom. There are a lot of product bundles, government rules, corporate processes, and product logic that has been around for decades.

Hemant made a huge stride forward when he shifted the focus from system interfaces to behavior in the actual world. Before he examined the architecture, he talked to network engineers, field techs, retail teams, and support agents.

Aim: Smart, Interactive Ecosystems in the Future

He sees value in themes that are going to happen in the future, like immersive customer experiences, edge-based IoT, adaptable networks, and AI-driven personalization. He believes that the telecom industry is not just starting a new phase, but also a new degree of digital contact.

Telcos are no longer just pipes that carry utilities; they are now helping people have experiences. There will be smart homes, better ways to shop, and ways to talk to each other in real time.

He sees the future as being for businesses that can manage convergence, which is when networks learn, systems adapt, and experiences change on their own, in real time.

Leadership Is Based on People, Not Platforms

Even though Hemant is very talented with technology, he argues that people come first and technologies follow second. He works based on these basic ideas:

1. Build the future while protecting the present.
2. Be responsible for innovation.
3. Give teams the power they need by being clear, trustworthy, and having a goal.

He said that technology works best when people grow with it, not around it. Change is not possible without culture.

Advice for Digital Leaders of the Future

Hemant tells future digital architects to:

1. Use data as strategic capital.
2. Put together flexibility and architectural discipline.
3. Don't digitise apps; digitise processes.
4. Make AI with rules and openness.
5. Don't measure innovation by activity, but by impact.

It's apparent what he means: digital transformation should improve trust, experience, and commercial value. Anything else is just noise.

A Leader Who Is Making the Next Wave of Telecom Innovation

Hemant is a new kind of transformational leader. He creates ecosystems for learning, growth, and unleashing the best version of people. In his work, modernity seems not just to be a question of how things are technically done, but more a matter of vision, empathy, precision, and insight into the big picture.

Telecom companies all over the world are racing toward futures that are always connected, cloud-based, and powered by AI. An excellent way to accomplish lasting change is to be able to mix stability with fresh ideas, as Hemant does. His view of the world reminds us that technology isn't just about speed; it's also about trust, discipline, and guidance.

About Hemant Soni

Hemant Soni is a senior technology leader specializing in AI-driven digital transformation and IoT-enabled enterprise innovation across Telecommunications, Media, and Technology sectors. He has led global initiatives in generative AI, intelligent automation, and advanced analytics, enabling organizations to achieve operational excellence and customer-centric growth.

His work has advanced industry understanding of secure and scalable AI architectures, IoT-driven ecosystems, and real-time data intelligence, combining strategic frameworks with practical execution in areas such as network optimization, predictive maintenance, fraud detection, and hyper-personalized experiences.

Hemant continues to contribute to the AI and IoT community through thought leadership, scholarly publications, and advisory roles on innovation councils. His efforts focus on fostering responsible AI adoption and guiding enterprises toward sustainable, intelligence-driven digital transformation in an increasingly connected world.

You can connect with him via LinkedIn: Hemant Soni