Retail giant Albertsons plans to hire 1,000 people for its Bengaluru tech hub

Time of India

4 days ago

The USD 80 billion Albertsons Companies—one of the largest food and drug retailers in the US—set up a digital hub in Bengaluru, leveraging the city's tech talent pool. The company plans to hire nearly 1,000 employees in the next 18 months, up from the current 300.
Embracing its move as a late mover, Albertsons is turning timing into a strategic advantage. The retail giant is reimagining the future of digital retail from its Bengaluru global capability centre (GCC) to build smarter and more agile solutions. "Our goal is not to catch up; it's about figuring out how to build for the future," said Anuj Dhanda, EVP - chief information and transformation officer at Albertsons Companies.
"There's a certain late-mover advantage—we're now able to design solutions with AI and data science at the core, rather than as an afterthought. Many capabilities that once required heavy coding can now be built with little to no code, dramatically increasing speed and agility. That's why we're so excited about our presence in Bengaluru and the incredible talent here driving this transformation." Albertsons has over 2,200 stores, and some of its banners include Safeway, Vons, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets, and Balducci's Food Lover's Market.
Dhanda said the US retail giant is aiming for a technology refresh. "We need a technology 2.0, with significant shifts underway—that's where Bengaluru and the GCC come in. For success, we realised we need much greater velocity and agility, and to build far more of our own IP than we do today. Our goal is to change the way we work in technology. We've integrated product, data, and full-stack engineers into fully functional, global teams to enable seamless collaboration. We're applying AI and automation across the entire tech stack—not just in software development, but from requirements gathering to infrastructure and observability."
Many GCCs are increasingly relocating tech roles to India, signalling growing confidence in shifting solution ownership. "My intent is to have several of my direct reports to be based here. If we consider the leadership group—around 17 to 18 vice-presidents and above—the goal is for at least a third of them to be in Bengaluru within the next 18 months," Dhanda said.
He also said that the insourcing mix will shift dramatically, reducing reliance on external IT providers. "We developed numerous digital systems, including pharmacy and health capabilities, and upgraded our financial systems. Going forward, our investment will move from foundational upgrades to development-driven initiatives. While we currently depend heavily on third parties like TCS, Cognizant, and Sapient for resources, we plan to bring much of that work inhouse, empowering our own associates. Our focus is to reduce third-party dependence and build stronger internal teams."
Lalit Ahuja, founder of full-stack GCC firm ANSR, said Albertsons is leveraging the late-mover advantage—not late to the party, but arriving at the perfect time to capitalise on a mature market. For retailers, the landscape is defined by thin margins, highly perishable inventory, and intense tech-driven competition—with e-commerce playing an increasingly vital role. "Some companies struggle because tech centres are set up suboptimally. But there are firms which are set up with sharper tech differentiation. We're witnessing significant maturity in the types of roles being introduced, driving modernisation of its tech stack. This includes mainstream adoption of new technologies and a stronger emphasis on product and functional ownership. And AI has become the greatest accelerator of efficiency," Ahuja said. Last year, Accenture picked up a significant minority stake in the Bengaluru and US-based ANSR, which set up over 170 GCCs in India.