SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CELEBRATES OPENING OFGLOBAL INNOVATION CENTER IN INDIA
Southwest Airlines®, one of the world’s most admired airlines with more than five decades of delivering reliable air travel coupled with a strong People-first culture, announced the opening of its Hyderabad Office.
The Company’s Hyderabad Office will support the expansion of its business and innovation capabilities with local Southwest Employees leading the way
Hyderabad: Southwest Airlines®, one of the world’s most admired airlines with more than five decades of delivering reliable air travel coupled with a strong People-first culture, announced the opening of its Hyderabad Office.
The new facility will serve as the airline’s Global Innovation Center (GIC) and marks a significant step in expanding its global business and technology capabilities, supported by Southwest® Employees based in Hyderabad through a wholly owned subsidiary, Southwest Airlines India Private Limited.
The Hyderabad Office will plug seamlessly into Southwest’s global network, bringing together business functions, engineering, analytics, and technology expertise to advance the airline’s ability to deliver reliable, secure, and efficient operations. The Office will contribute to the development of next-generation business and technology solutions and strengthen Southwest’s broader innovation roadmap, including capabilities in artificial intelligence, data, and digital platforms.
The Center was inaugurated by Shri Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics, and Communications, Industries & Commerce and Legislative Affairs, Government of Telangana, along with Laura Williams, US Consulate General, Hyderabad and Mr. Sai Krishna, IT Advisor, Government of Telangana.
Representing Southwest were Woods; Tom Merritt, Vice President & Chief Technology Officer; Lindsey Lang, Vice President People; Krishna Kallepalli, Vice President & Global Head of Innovation, India; and Pooja Verma, Director Human Resources Business Partner Global.
Shri Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics, Communications, Industries & Commerce, and Legislative Affairs, Government of Telangana said, “More than 25 years ago, Hyderabad laid the foundation for India’s modern aviation ecosystem with one of the country’s first private airport initiatives under the PPP model.
Since then, the city has evolved into one of India’s leading aviation, aerospace, and space-tech hubs. Alongside prestigious institutions such as DRDO, RCI, and DMRL, Hyderabad is steadily emerging as a strategic center where aviation, space tech, defense, and deep tech are converging at scale.
Over the last year alone, several global enterprises have chosen Hyderabad as the location for their first innovation centers in India, reinforcing the city’s growing reputation as a hub for advanced engineering and innovation.
Southwest Airlines’ decision to establish its Global Innovation Centre here further reflects Hyderabad’s strategic importance in shaping the future of global mobility, aviation engineering, aerospace, and next-generation technology innovation.”
“The Hyderabad Office allows Southwest Airlines to advance our vision by furthering our efforts to build critical business and technology skills,” said Lauren Woods, Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer at Southwest Airlines. “Hyderabad is one of the deepest analytics, engineering, and innovation talent pools in the world, making it an ideal location for the next phase of our journey. Opening our Hyderabad Office enables us to expand our global talent network, supporting our business operations, and our long-term growth.”
“Through our Hyderabad Office, we are building capabilities across AI, data, next-generation engineering, and other business operations to support Southwest’s global operations, bringing together talent, technology, and a shared purpose to help further the next phase of growth for Southwest,” said Krishna Kallepalli, Southwest’s Vice President & Global Head of Innovation, India.
The Hyderabad Office serves as an extension of Southwest’s global workforce, with Employees fully integrating into the Company’s operations and Culture. Initial hiring will focus on engineering, analytics, and technology-aligned roles, with Teams contributing to the development of advanced systems and solutions that enhance operational performance and Customer Experience.
With a long-term vision of welcoming Employees across multiple business and technology operations, the Office reflects Southwest’s commitment to investing in People and building high-quality, future-ready roles to support innovation across the organization.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world’s most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports across 12 countries. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline1.
By empowering its more than 73,0002 People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among more than 134 million Customers carried in 2025. Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship.
- Based on U.S. Dept. of Transportation quarterly Airline Origin & Destination Survey as of Q4 2025
- Fulltime-equivalent active Employees as of March 31, 2026
Media Contacts:
Visit the Southwest Newsroom at swamedia.com for multimedia assets and other Company news.
