StarRez Aims to Build Innovation Hub as GCCs Struggle for Data Scientists

"We're trying to build a true innovation hub for end-to-end product delivery--from product management, engineering platforms and architecture, all the way through to customer impact." He mentioned that Hyderabad stood out not only for its deep engineering talent but also for its strong product mindset, a combination he found to be rare. "The talent ecosystem here combines deep engineering skill with product thinking," he said. "What really stood out to me, after visiting multiple times and interviewing candidates, is how well the local mindset aligns with StarRez's culture--very practical about innovation, ownership, and long-term value creation." A Nascent but Strategic Opportunity Alongside AI, StarRez is also laying the foundation for a dedicated data science team in Hyderabad.

"We're building a data science team in Hyderabad as well," Baumgartner said. "We don't have any other data capabilities yet at StarRez, and that's a huge opportunity for us that's currently nascent." The goal is to move beyond reactive insights and towards predictive and personalised outcomes through what the company calls an "intelligent resident ecosystem." This includes analysing millions of data points--from payment behaviour to social engagement--to identify early signals of student distress and prompt timely human intervention. The company operates under global compliance frameworks, including SOC 2 Type II, and uses fine-grained data residency controls across its Azure-based infrastructure.

StarRez partners closely with Microsoft and uses Microsoft OpenAI models, alongside orchestration technologies such as Semantic Kernel and the upcoming Microsoft Agent Framework. From Full-Stack Delivery to AI-Led Innovation StarRez is building the Hyderabad innovation hub as a full-stack capability centre, contributing across product development, engineering, platforms, quality, AI, and data science.