Persistent named among TIME's Best Asia-Pacific firms
Persistent Systems has been named to TIME and Statista's Best Companies in Asia-Pacific 2026 list, ranking ninth in the Professional Services category across the region and seventh within India.
Published by TIME with research partner Statista, the list evaluates companies on employee satisfaction, financial performance and sustainability transparency, using employee survey data, financial disclosures and standardised ESG metrics.
In India, Persistent ranked 46th out of 179 companies assessed, placing it in the top quartile nationally. The company operates from Santa Clara, US, and Pune, India, focusing on digital engineering and enterprise modernisation.
How rankings work
TIME and Statista's framework combines workforce sentiment with financial and ESG indicators. Employee satisfaction is measured through survey responses, financial performance through reported figures, and sustainability transparency through disclosure quality and comparable ESG measures.
Persistent pointed to strong results across all three dimensions, describing sustainability transparency as its strongest area. It also cited reductions in carbon emissions and ongoing work on ESG reporting and governance.
It added that it has maintained data privacy practices, set diversity objectives and holds ISO 42001 certification for AI management systems.
Workforce and delivery
Persistent linked its ranking to its approach to workforce development and retention, describing a culture of continuous learning and an emphasis on skills development as technology evolves.
It also connected the recognition to its business strategy, described as AI-led digital engineering and enterprise modernisation, and characterised recent performance as sustained growth with disciplined execution.
Client satisfaction, employee retention, governance and operational discipline also featured in the company's comments on the factors behind the ranking.
ESG emphasis
Statista's research commentary highlighted environmental transparency, placing Persistent in the top 15% of Asia-Pacific companies evaluated in that category and linking the result to reductions in carbon emissions intensity.
This aligns with the list's sustainability transparency dimension, which focuses on the quality and comparability of disclosures and related metrics. In technology and professional services, reporting practices and emissions measurement have become more visible in procurement and partner assessments, alongside financial stability and workforce indicators.
Persistent's leadership described the ranking as external validation of performance and governance and tied it to priorities around workforce readiness and responsible innovation as the company expands internationally.
Kalra called the ranking independent and data-driven, saying it reflected the company's approach to scaling.
"Our inclusion in TIME's Asia-Pacific Best Companies 2026 ranking is an independent, data-driven validation of our consistent performance and the discipline with which we continue to scale our business. Our focus on customer value creation, innovation-led execution and talent development continues to deliver measurable outcomes and build resilient partnerships. As we advance our AI-first strategy, we remain committed to strengthening governance, enhancing workforce readiness and building long-term stakeholder trust," said Sandeep Kalra, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Persistent.
Statista cited employee satisfaction, revenue growth and environmental transparency in its remarks on the company's placement.
Persistent has been awarded on TIME's Best Companies Asia-Pacific 2026 List, reinforcing its position as a leading organisation in the region. The Company has achieved strong scores in employee satisfaction and revenue growth. Persistent also distinguished itself through exceptional performance in environmental transparency and sustainability. Driven by significant reductions in carbon emissions intensity, the Company ranked in the top 15% of all Asia-Pacific companies evaluated in this category. This recognition reflects Persistent's commitment to sustainable growth, operational excellence and delivering long-term value for its stakeholders," said Niels Terfehr, Vice President, Research & Analysis, Statista R.
Persistent said it remains focused on disciplined growth and governance as it expands internationally and advances its AI-first approach.