Surabhi Sankhla
Surabhi Sankhla

When Surabhi Sankhla talks about artificial intelligence (AI), she is quick to dispel the myth that it's a futuristic technology reserved for tech giants. "AI isn't a silver bullet or a brand-new arrival—it has been quietly powering businesses for years," she says. "What's changed is accessibility. Today, even the smallest company can use AI to compete with the biggest players."

Sankhla speaks from experience. Over the past decade, she has built enterprise-grade AI systems for global organizations including Amazon, Uber, Kore.ai, and The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). From predictive logistics platforms to conversational AI assistants, her work has consistently focused on enabling businesses to innovate faster and operate more efficiently.

Now, she sees a unique opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to leverage the same technology. "AI levels the playing field," she explains. "SMEs can use it to innovate, boost productivity, elevate customer experience, and streamline operations—all without the massive budgets or headcount of large corporations."

Breaking the Talent Barrier

For SMEs, innovation often comes with a major hurdle: hiring specialized talent. Skilled professionals are expensive and scarce, but AI can help bridge the gap.

While leading the launch of Kore.ai's global "AI for Work" platform, Sankhla saw how businesses used AI-powered assistants to act as customer analysts, sales researchers, and marketing managers. These digital tools helped uncover market trends, generate campaigns, and even model finances—tasks once reserved for specialists.

"AI gives SMEs the ability to move quickly and experiment without the traditional overhead," Sankhla says. She recalls a project where a digital experience management company was losing customers due to poor visibility into post-sales data. Her team helped the enterprise embed AI into the customer lifecycle to cut churn and boost retention.

Giving Employees Their Time Back

Time is one of the most valuable resources for SMEs, and often the scarcest. Employees spend anywhere from 30% to 60% of their time on repetitive or routine tasks, according to Sankhla.

"AI doesn't replace people—it gives them back their time," she explains. Her work at Kore.ai has shown how AI can automate IT and HR support, summarize meetings, manage follow-ups, and streamline daily workflows.

For a small restaurant owner, this might mean automating inventory tracking and invoice processing. For a startup founder, it could mean automating proposal drafts and customer outreach. In every case, the goal is the same: free people from mundane tasks so they can focus on growth and impact.

Redefining Customer Experience

Customer experience is the most powerful differentiator in business, and SMEs are no exception. AI, Sankhla argues, can elevate that experience to enterprise-grade levels.

While leading product initiatives at YaloChat, a conversational AI startup, she introduced AI-powered smart consoles that recommended responses, surfaced context, and pulled company data in real time to enable support agents service customers effectively. The results: 30% higher product adoption, 20% greater agent productivity, and a measurable jump in customer satisfaction.

"The real breakthrough wasn't automation—it was augmentation," Sankhla explains. "AI helped human agents work faster and smarter, which in turn gave customers a more personalized experience."

Today, SMEs can deploy similar solutions to provide 24/7 responsiveness, frictionless resolutions, and personalized engagement once reserved for big corporations.

Predicting What's Next

AI's predictive power is perhaps its most transformative capability. From demand forecasting to risk management, predictive intelligence allows SMEs to move from reactive firefighting to proactive decision-making.

At ClearMetal, Sankhla witnessed firsthand how AI models can predict shipment delays by analyzing historical data, shipment flows, and even port congestion. At Uber, she helped banks forecast loan defaults among drivers based on driving patterns—work that led to partnerships with India's largest bank and leading automakers to expand vehicle financing. "These same predictive tools are now accessible to smaller businesses," Sankhla says. "Whether it's a retailer forecasting seasonal demand or a manufacturer using predictive maintenance to cut downtime, the advantage is clear: better planning, leaner inventories, and stronger resilience."

Starting Small, Scaling Smart

Despite the benefits, SMEs often hesitate to adopt AI, constrained by cost or lack of expertise. Sankhla encourages a phased approach."Start small," she advises. "Focus on a single use case—like customer service—where off-the-shelf solutions can deliver immediate results. Leverage AI-as-a-service platforms to avoid heavy upfront investment. Then scale gradually, building momentum as you go." Her message to SME leaders is pragmatic: perfection is not the goal—progress is.

The Road Ahead

Sankhla is confident that AI will reshape the future of small and medium-sized enterprises. "As AI continues to mature, SMEs that embrace it thoughtfully will not just keep up with competitors—they'll set the pace," she says. For SMEs around the world, AI is no longer an option reserved for industry giants. It is a strategic advantage within reach, offering the ability to innovate, streamline, and thrive in ways previously unimaginable. "SMEs that start now," Sankhla concludes, "will be the ones redefining what's possible in the digital age."

AI