Varun Kaushik, Sr. Manager Strategy & Planning, HP

As the world races towards a sustainable future, India stands top at the forefront of a clean energy revolution. India’s renewable energy journey is no longer just a transition, it’s a revolution in motion. With solar fields blazing, windmills whirling, and innovation thriving, the nation is forging a cleaner, smarter, and more self-reliant energy future powered by ambition, technology, and unstoppable momentum.

Amidst India’s accelerating clean energy revolution, Varun Kaushik stands at the forefront of innovation, with strategy work at Sonnedix USA underscoring his impact in the renewable energy sector. He envisions his career in three transformative phases. The first began with relocating to a new country and entering the energy sector, where he led teams of over 20 professionals and executed multimilliondollar projects for British Petroleum (BP) and Shell across Africa and Southeast Asia. Passionate about solving complex technical challenges, he pursued an MBA at Kellogg School of Management. 

After graduating, he joined McKinsey as a strategy consultant, focusing on Strategy, business transformation and operational optimization. In the final phase, he pivoted to future-focused industries renewables at Sonnedix, smart consumer technology at Resideo, and Tech product and business strategy (AI solutions) at Microsoft and HP where he developed strategic roadmaps and explored the tangible value of on-device AI. His journey reflects a powerful blend of engineering expertise, business insight, and innovationdriven leadership.

Varun Kaushik emphasizes that AI isn’t just a tool, it's a catalyst reshaping industries, unlocking value, & driving the next era of productivity

A New Era of Strategic Execution

Delving into strategy and transformation, Varun identifies three critical pillars, rigorous market and business assessment, bottom-up initiative brainstorming, and ruthless prioritization. He emphasizes data accuracy and internal diligence to uncover real opportunities. In the second phase, cross-functional collaboration emerges as a natural enabler helping organizations navigate the tension between growth and operational efficiency.

The final phase focuses on prioritizing not just by financial impact or ease of execution, but also by market risks, competitive responses, and core business implications. He advocates setting SMART goals Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Results-oriented, and Time-bound to align teams and ensure clear, impactful business transformation.

Varun Kaushik says, “One of the most significant challenges in AI integration is bridging the knowledge gap especially around value creation and the myths surrounding adoption. In addition, concerns over data security and job loss add further complexity. These fears are natural with any disruptive technology, but the key lies in education, responsible deployment, and the development of futureready skills. AI should be viewed as a tool for enhancing productivity, not as a replacement. Those who evolve with it will thrive, those who resist may struggle. True transformation demands adaptability, and those prepared to embrace change will lead the future”.

Continuing his innovation journey, Varun focuses on unlocking value for both customers and internal teams. He develops disruptive business strategies, validates technology through internal adoption, and champions AI computing adoption transforming traditional cloud native models while navigating a competitive landscape shaped by tech giants and agile startups.

Mapping AI Value in a Digitally Driven World

Varun highlights, “Developing a successful strategy requires evaluating both short-term and long-term market trends while maintaining the flexibility to adapt the strategic vision as market conditions change. The strategic vision should result from thorough evaluation and brainstorming and remain relatively stable, supported by execution pillars that evolve with micro market developments. Continuously testing assumptions against market data and adjusting timelines and goals ensures strategies stay relevant. This process helps organizations identify opportunities early, take proactive measures, and navigate market complexities to achieve long-term success”.

Building on his experience at Resideo and Sonnedix, Varun leverages insights from the energy and security sectors to drive innovation in tech and AI industries. He recognizes that although these are traditional fields, digitization creates significant value and business opportunities through various vertical use cases across organizational operations. In solar energy, AI-powered forecasting and predictive maintenance optimize energy generation and reduce downtime by analysing weather data, satellite imagery, and sensor inputs. In security, sensor data facilitates automation in emergency detection and response. Varun’s deep expertise enables him to effectively launch, scale, and monetize both B2B and B2C digital solutions, bridging legacy industries with cuttingedge technology.  

Drawing from his experience with Copilot+ PCs and AI monetization, Varun evaluates AI revenue streams using three key parameters: product distinction, customer fit and willingness to pay, and total cost. He applies monetization models such as subscriptions, licensing, outcome-based pricing, API/AIaaS, or PSM Post-sale Monetization). Leveraging a 2x2 matrix of willingness to pay versus cost, he prioritizes features with high WTP and low cost, applies cost-based pricing to mid-range quadrants, and deprioritizes features with low WTP and high cost to optimize resource allocation.

Looking Ahead

Extending his strategic outlook, Varun identifies AI as a transformative force in the global commercial PC market, driving both technological refresh cycles and fundamental shifts in how businesses interact with devices. By 2025, AI-capable PCs equipped with on-device neural processing units (NPUs) are expected to account for over 40 percent of global shipments. This surge is propelled by the end of Windows 10 support and rising demand for next-generation productivity. With advanced workloads running locally enhancing privacy, security, latency, and efficiency the PC landscape is evolving rapidly. Early adopters of AIenabled PCs are poised to gain a significant competitive advantage.