The benefits of human interaction endure in the era of artificial intelligence: Zoom Aparna Bawa, COO

Artificial intelligence is set to reshape the way work gets done, but its ultimate impact will depend on how companies deploy the technology, Zoom chief operating officer Aparna Bawa said in an exclusive interview.

Bawa, who joined the Zoom in 2018 when it was still a relatively little-known enterprise video conferencing startup, has witnessed the company’s dramatic rise and subsequent recalibration. Founded by Eric Yuan, Zoom went public in April 2019 with a market capitalisation of about $9.2 billion. During the Covid-19 pandemic, its valuation surged to a peak of $159 billion in October 2020 as remote work drove explosive growth. Since then, revenue growth has moderated, and its market cap has fallen to around $27 billion as of early 2026, even as the company remains profitable and holds roughly $8 billion in cash.

Reflecting on that journey, Bawa said the company’s success has been rooted in simplicity and reliability. “It’s the same platform that services Fortune 1 all the way to my mother-in-law,” she said, adding that ease of use and dependable quality have helped Zoom expand into a broader suite of AI-enabled collaboration products.

AI and the Future of Work

On concerns about AI-driven job losses, Bawa acknowledged there would be an impact but stressed that Zoom’s approach is to augment, not replace, human capability. She said the company focuses on enabling AI to convert conversations into actionable workflows — automatically generating action items, scheduling follow-ups, assigning tasks and completing processes — so users can focus on creative and strategic decision-making.

Even internally, she noted, AI-assisted coding has helped the company ship more features rather than reduce headcount. “We see this as augmenting humans, improving productivity and strengthening human connection,” she said.

Bawa pointed to advances in natural language processing — popularised by tools like ChatGPT — as a turning point in making AI more accessible. Zoom’s AI Companion now supports four Indian languages with real-time transcription and translation, underscoring its focus on inclusivity in a country with 22 official languages and thousands of dialects.

“You may not even need traditional interfaces as things evolve — voice alone can drive compute,” she said, aligning the vision with India’s broader push for inclusive digital growth.

Competing in a Crowded Market

Zoom faces competition from technology giants such as Microsoft and Salesforce, whose offerings in collaboration, contact centres and productivity tools are deeply entrenched. Bawa said Zoom differentiates itself through user experience and architectural simplicity.

“The end-user experience matters deeply,” she said, adding that the same platform architecture supports individuals and large enterprises alike, delivering high-quality audio and video even in bandwidth-constrained environments.

Addressing competition from Microsoft Teams — which can be bundled with Office products — Bawa said Zoom’s strategy is to reduce friction and drive productivity gains that delight users. “If I’m bogged down in mundane tasks throughout my day, that’s lost productivity. We focus on bridging conversations to task completion seamlessly.”

Growth, Acquisitions and AI Strategy

Zoom has also pursued targeted acquisitions to strengthen its AI capabilities. Bawa cited the recent acquisition of BrightHire in the employee engagement space as part of a broader strategy to build vertical-specific capabilities that enhance productivity and AI functionality.

Balancing expansion with profitability, she said, hinges on delivering customer value. Zoom’s AI Companion is included at no additional cost for paid users, contrasting with competitors that charge per-seat premiums. “Architectural discipline and know-how allow us to drive significant value in AI at lower cost,” she said.

India: A Strategic Market

Bawa described India as “tremendously important” for Zoom — both as a market and a talent hub. The company operates development and DevOps centres in Bengaluru and Chennai, leveraging India’s strong engineering base. Zoom Phone and Zoom Contact Center are active across six telecom circles in the country, including major metros, with adoption expanding.

India’s multinational enterprises also rely heavily on seamless cross-border collaboration, she noted, making the country a key use case for Zoom’s global platform.

Navigating Geopolitics and Data Localisation

On rising geopolitical tensions and data localisation requirements, Bawa said Zoom respects the laws of every country it operates in but acknowledged the complexity of building infrastructure across multiple jurisdictions.

“When someone in New York speaks to someone in Mumbai, data crosses borders by definition,” she said, highlighting the need to balance digital trade and sovereignty concerns. While a unified global regulatory framework would be ideal, she added, companies must adapt to varying national regulations and remain trusted partners across markets.

Ultimately, Bawa said, Zoom’s mission remains consistent: enhancing productivity while preserving the human connection at the heart of collaboration — even as AI reshapes the future of work.