‘Use AI and keep your job’: Honeywell CEO says AI will reshape workforce, not trigger job cuts
By:Shereen BhanOctober 30, 2026 | 20:08 IST
- Published OnOct 30, 2026 | 20:08 IST
- Last Updated OnOct 30, 2026 | 20:08 IST
Honeywell CEO Vimal Kapur has urged employees to embrace AI, warning that those who fail to adapt risk losing their jobs as skill requirements change. The company says it is focused on reskilling and redeployment rather than layoffs. Meanwhile, its data centre orders have surged over 100% this year, with India bookings nearing $50 million.
Honeywell Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Vimal Kapur has a blunt message for employees navigating the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution: use AI and keep your job.
Kapur said the company does not expect AI-driven productivity gains to translate into workforce reductions, even as the technology changes the skills required across its operations. Instead, Honeywell expects employees to adapt to new capabilities, with the company looking to redeploy workers into other roles as automation frees up time.
“Our slogan is very clear. We want to use AI. In fact, I tell all our colleagues and my workforce that if you use AI, you will keep your job, and if you don’t use AI, you’ll likely lose your job because it’s a skill transformation,” Kapur told CNBC-TV18.
He added that Honeywell would look to find employees another role if AI helped save time in their existing jobs, arguing that the focus should be on productivity and reskilling rather than job cuts.
AI boom drives demand as Honeywell data centre orders surge
Honeywell’s push towards AI comes as the company sees growing demand for the infrastructure supporting the technology. Its data centre orders have grown by more than 100% this year, while bookings from the segment in India are nearing $50 million, compared with practically nothing a year ago.
Kapur said the company’s pipeline was even stronger, adding that he had no data point to suggest an impending meltdown or correction in AI-related demand.
Beyond supplying data centre infrastructure, Honeywell is also looking to use AI to transform its own offerings. Kapur said automation systems, which have traditionally relied on data to control critical equipment, can now use that information to train systems and turn industrial facilities into learning environments.
This could move facilities such as hospitals, data centres, refineries and liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants from conventional automation towards autonomous operations. He said the shift could also help address the shortage of skilled workers, a challenge faced by businesses globally, including in India.
India’s GCC moves beyond engineering support
India is also playing a larger role in Honeywell’s global product development operations. The company established its Global Capability Centre (GCC) in the country in the mid-1990s and now has thousands of employees working across engineering, product development and solutions development.
Kapur said several Honeywell products were fully owned by teams in India, with some global offering managers also based in the country. This gives Indian teams responsibility beyond engineering support, extending to the complete product development cycle and decision-making.
The company’s ambition is to develop products in India for both domestic and international markets, with a focus on building larger product categories worth $100 million to $200 million rather than smaller offerings of $20 million to $30 million.
AI may slow hiring, but Honeywell isn’t planning job cuts
Kapur said AI could allow Honeywell to grow its business without expanding its workforce at the same pace. The company typically aspires to annual growth of around 6%, but does not necessarily need to increase headcount by the same percentage to achieve that target.
“We can grow by 6% without necessarily adding 6% to our headcount. But that doesn’t mean we’ll reduce our workforce,” he said.
He described the transition as a “skill inversion”, arguing that the conversation around AI and employment should focus on how workforce capabilities need to evolve rather than centre only on potential job losses.
Comparing AI with earlier productivity tools such as lean processes and robotic process automation, Kapur said the latest technological shift offered a much larger opportunity for enterprise-wide transformation, including in sales and supply chain operations.
However, he acknowledged that changing skill requirements could create uncertainty among employees. His message to the workforce was to embrace the technology and become part of the transformation rather than risk being left behind.
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artificial intelligence (AI)Hiring in IT sectorHoneywell
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//‘Use AI and keep your job’: Honeywell CEO says AI will reshape workforce, not trigger job cuts
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