Persistent and Kong Partner to Establish Governing Control Layer for Enterprise AI Production

Persistent and Kong Partner to Establish Governing Control Layer for Enterprise AI Production​

Santa Clara, CA and Pune, India, May 25, 2026

Persistent Systems and Kong, a leading developer of API and AI connectivity, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at helping enterprises implement the critical control layer required to scale and secure Artificial Intelligence (AI) deployments. The collaboration positions Persistent as Kong's global systems integration partner, combining its deep engineering expertise with Kong's unified API and AI connectivity platform to simplify integration, strengthen governance, and accelerate enterprise AI adoption.

As organizations transition AI initiatives from experimental use cases to full production scale, the primary challenge shifts from accessing AI models to how those systems are connected, governed, and operated at scale. The operational landscape sees APIs, data pipelines, models, and agents converging into a single, complex operational fabric. This convergence necessitates a unified control layer to prevent fragmentation, simplify governance, and manage scale.

The partnership directly addresses this gap by enabling enterprises to implement Kong's scalable, governed connectivity layer across APIs, data, and AI services. Together, Persistent and Kong will empower organizations to modernize legacy API environments, reduce operational costs, and strengthen overall governance, particularly when supporting high-performance workloads across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Furthermore, the collaboration supports the operationalization of Generative AI (GenAI) and agentic workflows, including Model Context Protocol-based architectures. These solutions come equipped with built-in security, observability, and policy-driven control. Key safeguards enabled include protection for Personally Identifiable Information (PII), centralized access management, and end-to-end observability, ensuring compliance and enterprise-grade security across all API and AI interactions.

The alliance advances Persistent's AI-first, platform-driven approach by creating a more predictable path from initial AI ambition to full enterprise-scale execution. By merging Kong's AI Gateway and unified API and AI connectivity platform with Persistent's GenAI Hub and engineering-led delivery, the partnership helps clients move toward governed, production-grade AI systems with enhanced control, reduced risk, and faster realization of business value.

Industry Perspective​

Anand Krishnan, Executive Vice President at Persistent, noted, "Enterprise AI will not be defined by who has access to models. It will be defined by how effectively organizations can govern how intelligence flows across their systems. APIs are no longer just integration points; they are the control layer for enterprise AI. Our partnership with Kong brings together Persistent's engineering-led approach with a unified connectivity platform to help clients move from fragmented AI initiatives to scalable, production-grade systems."

Similarly, Ken Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Development at Kong, stated, "Enterprises are moving fast to put AI into production, and APIs are critical for connecting services, data, and model endpoints across complex environments. We are excited to have Persistent as a key global integration partner, bringing deep digital engineering expertise that complements our unified API and AI platform. Together, we can help customers modernize integration and deploy enterprise AI with consistent policy enforcement, secure access controls, and strong observability and audit trails."

PERSISTENT Stock Price Movement​

Shares of Persistent Systems Limited are edging higher to ₹5027.2 as of 12:38 PM today, gaining 1.14% in live trading. The stock maintains strong buyer interest, evidenced by 158,045 shares traded so far in the session.