'India’s developer community is changing the game': GitHub's Sharryn Napier on the rise of AI and innovation

As software development accelerates across the Asia Pacific region, GitHub’s Sharryn Napier has a front-row view of the innovations and challenges unique to these markets. From rapid developer growth in India to the integration of multilingual support within GitHub’s AI, CoPilot, Napier sees an ecosystem evolving in ways that empower developers and businesses alike.

In an exclusive conversation with Tech Today, Sharryn Napier, GitHub’s Vice President for the Asia Pacific region, shares her insights on India’s rapidly expanding developer community, GitHub’s plans to make coding more accessible, and the future of AI-driven “super apps” reshaping Asia.

“India’s developer community is the fastest growing in the world,” Napier said, highlighting the unique landscape. “AI is booming here, and the convergence of these trends is allowing Indian developers to deliver remarkable solutions on a global stage. It’s supercharging both the country’s GDP and the international competitiveness of companies from Infosys to Cognizant.”

GitHub’s CoPilot has quickly become central to this growth, helping to make coding accessible to a broader audience and addressing the language barrier that has traditionally limited non-English speakers from entering the coding field. With CoPilot’s support for various natural languages, developers no longer need to rely on English to write code, which Napier describes as “fundamentally changing” the tech ecosystem across APAC.

AI and Super Apps: The Next Frontier for Asian Developers

Napier points to an exciting trend in super apps - a platform model already popular across Asia. These apps, which consolidate multiple services into a single ecosystem, offer convenience and a streamlined user experience that resonates with Asian users who manage a high volume of services.

“Super apps are fascinating,” Napier said. “They are tailored to meet the unique needs of Asian users, and we’re seeing companies use CoPilot to expedite the development of these platforms. Outside of Asia, people often don’t understand super apps, but here, they’re game-changers.”

GitHub’s APAC division is closely monitoring the growth of super apps and aims to support developers in building such solutions by making its tools more accessible. GitHub’s partnerships with APAC-based companies also reflect a commitment to advancing this trend, as companies increasingly leverage CoPilot to accelerate the development and integration of new services.

Reducing Barriers for Emerging Coders and Developers

Breaking down the barriers to entry in software development is a significant focus for GitHub in the APAC region. The company has initiatives aimed at supporting women in tech by making the path to coding less intimidating. The introduction of Spark within GitHub’s ecosystem, along with CoPilot, is lowering entry barriers across age groups, skill levels, and languages, allowing even non-English speakers and latecomers to the tech world to participate in coding.

“CoPilot’s multilingual capabilities mean people no longer have to learn English to code,” Napier noted. “In APAC, many people don’t learn English until later, either in secondary school or university, which traditionally delayed their entry into coding. We’re changing that by enabling coding in natural languages.”

Napier also highlighted GitHub’s efforts to provide localised solutions for highly regulated markets like Australia, Japan, Singapore, and India. GitHub’s data residency offerings help customers in these regions comply with data protection laws, making its tools more accessible in regulated industries such as finance and government.

Embracing AI to Drive Innovation in India

Napier believes India’s developer community is uniquely poised to harness the potential of AI. As one of the largest outsourcing hubs globally, India is home to companies that build solutions for Fortune 500 firms, including major American banks and financial institutions. According to Napier, the faster Indian developers embrace AI, the quicker they can tap into vast opportunities both domestically and abroad.

“In India, we’re already seeing remarkable AI adoption, but accelerating this adoption can unlock even more potential,” Napier explained. “The faster Indian developers adopt these tools, the more they can seize global opportunities.”

With projections showing that India’s developer community could become the largest on GitHub by 2028, Napier expects India to remain a key market for GitHub’s initiatives, especially as CoPilot continues to see rapid adoption in the region.

Cybersecurity and Automation: Minimising Risks in the Digital Landscape

Cybersecurity has become a top priority for GitHub as it supports developers worldwide, including in regions where cyberattacks are on the rise. GitHub’s platform has integrated tools that help prevent vulnerabilities, providing developers with a safety net as they build and deploy code. Features like “found, mean, fix” and CoPilot’s security enhancements allow GitHub to assist developers in identifying and resolving code vulnerabilities before they escalate into threats.

Napier shared that CoPilot has contributed significantly to improving code quality, even catching security issues proactively. “Our customers tell us that CoPilot is helping them write better code with fewer vulnerabilities,” she noted. “We’ve integrated CoPilot’s functionality into GitHub’s security tools, which streamlines the developer experience and reduces the workload for security teams.”

With tools like push protection, GitHub prevents potentially harmful code from being deployed, adding an additional layer of security that Napier describes as “holistic.” This approach helps organisations across APAC protect their codebases, easing the burden on developers and security professionals alike.

Building a Thriving Developer Ecosystem Across APAC

Napier is clear-eyed about the need for continued investment in GitHub’s developer ecosystem across Asia. Her vision for the future includes increased accessibility and faster adoption of AI tools. In line with this, GitHub is expanding its educational programs and partnerships across APAC, with an eye on making software development a seamless experience for both novice and expert developers.

“If I could host a developer event anywhere in APAC, it would be India,” Napier said when asked about her ideal event location. “India’s developer community is figuring things out faster than anywhere else. Helping companies adopt GitHub’s tools more quickly can unlock new growth for both India and the broader region.”

For Napier, GitHub’s commitment to supporting developers in APAC, particularly in India, is about more than just growth - it’s about giving every developer the tools to succeed in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.