Over 30 Founders, Investors, and Academics Gather at IIT Delhi to Decode India’s AI Moment New Delhi, November 1, 2025 - India’s rapidly evolving AI landscape took center stage at the Global Innovation Dialogues – Vol. 02, hosted at IIT Delhi under the theme “Where Intelligence Meets Impact, and Brands Shape the Future.” The startup leaders debate on AI adoption and brand transformation became one of the event’s main highlights. The closed-door roundtable brought together over 30 founders, investors, corporate leaders, and academics to discuss how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming brands, reshaping consumer behavior, and redefining work itself. This startup leaders debate provided critical insights into how India’s innovation ecosystem is preparing for an AI-driven decade. The discussion was hosted by Amar Dixit of SwiftSeed Ventures and Amit Singal, Founder of Easy Knowledge Club. With RaySuite AI as the presenting partner and StayCircle as the Travel Partner, the event took place with high engagement from the entrepreneurial and academic communities. The roundtable brought together a carefully curated mix of participants, representing a dynamic blend of founders, investors, academics, finance leaders, and corporate strategists. The audience comprised 8 founders and tech builders, 7 investors and venture capital professionals, 3 finance and compliance experts, 3 academics and educators, 4 corporate and ecosystem strategists, along with the organising partners — turning the session into a meaningful startup leaders debate on India’s AI priorities.
AI as a ‘Compulsion,’ Not an Option
Opening the discussion, Atyab Mohd, Founder of
RaySuite AI , quoted Nvidia’s CEO to set the tone: “If you’re not using AI, you’re going to lose your job.” He clarified, however, that the shift is not about AI replacing people, but about “people who use AI replacing those who don’t.” RaySuite demonstrated a tool that generates short-form, user-generated content in just 15 seconds — symbolic of the new attention economy where speed and adaptability define brand survival. Participants noted a sharp decline in traditional search behavior, with users moving from Google to AI tools, Instagram, and TikTok. The consensus: businesses must adapt to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) rather than legacy SEO strategies — another theme echoed during the startup leaders debate.
The Intelligence That Isn’t
Dr. Pankaj Dikshit (Cygnet.One, former CTO, GeM) agreed that despite AI’s promise, implementation remains constrained by skill shortages. “Even if you have an idea for conversational intelligence, finding people who can execute it is a global challenge,” he said.
Dr. Ashish Dubey (Faculty In-Charge, IIM Lucknow EIC) proposed marketing automation but warned of the unintended societal consequence of excess free time: “Governments will have to rethink how to keep citizens meaningfully engaged.”
Prof. Gourav Dwivedi (Professor at IIT Delhi) questioned inclusivity, asking how AI can uplift less-digitally active populations.
Automation Wishlist
When asked what they would automate entirely, leaders gave striking answers:
Ankit Prasad suggested automating the CEO role, calling it the "most costly affair.”
Shrey and Sanjeev (Grest): “Operations and customer journey, areas of highest friction.” This part of the startup leaders debate revealed the tension between innovation, leadership, and automation — showing how India’s startup ecosystem views AI as both an opportunity and a challenge.
Bridging the Divide: Purpose Over Hype
Across the table, a shared skepticism toward AI hype was evident. Dr. Anand Banka noted that investors increasingly differentiate between startups “actually using AI” and those merely claiming to.
Saksham Kotiya and Mukesh Malik emphasized that sustainable adoption depends on clean, well-defined data rather than marketing narratives. Mukesh Batra added that education and talent alignment must evolve alongside the technology.
Dr. Gandhi revealed that his firm reviews 30 healthcare deals a week and is developing an LLM for healthcare, prioritizing Return on Society (ROS). The gathering reflected India’s broader AI crossroads: while the potential for inclusion and scale is immense, the gaps in skills, ethics, and data governance remain critical bottlenecks. Experts agreed that such startup leaders debates play a vital role in shaping responsible AI discourse in India.
Data Sovereignty and India’s Edge
Ravish Kumar from Google India noted that India’s diversity of languages and data scale give it a “unique advantage in the AI application layer.” Chahat Aggarwal concluded with a call for
“purpose-driven AI”: “Build AI that matters, in defence, healthcare, and security, boundaries are essential.” The roundtable brought together a carefully curated mix of 29 participants, representing a dynamic blend of founders, investors, academics, finance leaders, and corporate strategists. The audience comprised 8 founders and tech builders, 7 investors and venture capital professionals, 3 finance and compliance experts, 3 academics and educators, 4 corporate and ecosystem strategists, along with the organising partners. Among the participants were Ravish Kumar (Google India), Dr. Pankaj Dikshit (Cygnet.One), Vishal Gandhi (BioRx Venture Lab), Saksham Kotiya (Masters’ Union Ventures), Amit Singal (EasyKnowledge), Atyab Mohd and Jafar Khan (RaySuite AI), Shrey Sardana and Sanjeev Agarwal (Grest), Ankit Prasad (Bobble AI), Saurabh Gupta (Varysmart.ai), Mukesh Malik (GKConsulting), Vikas Garg (Startup Buddy), Amar Dixit (SwiftSeed Ventures), Dr. Anand Banka (BDO, Angel Investor), Chahat Aggarwal (A Square Capital), Sunny Kalra (DDB), Puneet Gupta (Unbundl), Imran Shaikh (TrustSignal), Bharat Sharma (Bankys), Santosh Jain (ASR Business Advisors), Rajesh Choudhary and Ankur Barthwal (Stay Circle), Prince Harjai (Parv & Co), Mukesh Batra (Marketscope), Prashant Dwivedi (Native Bytes), Sanjay Gupta (Connecting Universe), Dr. Ashish Dubey (IIM Lucknow), and Prof. Gourav Dwivedi (IIT Delhi). Collectively, this mix of technology builders, investors, educators, and ecosystem enablers fostered a uniquely multidimensional discussion on innovation, governance, and the evolving role of intelligence in shaping the future of business. The startup leaders debate thus reflected India’s collective readiness for the AI revolution. For more insights from startup leaders debate sessions and tech roundtables, visit our
Press Release A Step Toward Responsible Innovation
As the session concluded, what emerged was not blind optimism but a call for responsible intelligence. AI, participants agreed, is now a compulsion, but one that demands clarity of purpose, ethics, and inclusion. The next frontier, as several noted, will not be defined by algorithms alone but by the intent and integrity of those building them.
Conclusion: Building AI with Purpose
The discussion closed on a clear note: India’s AI future will be shaped not by those chasing hype but by those building responsibly. “AI is inevitable, but the choices we make today will decide whether it becomes a tool for empowerment or exclusion.”
