“Beneficial for the world”—Ankur Warikoo, Vijay Shekhar Sharma laud India’s AI talent

India’s tech talent built on AI will be vastly beneficial for the world, serial entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo said. “While China is keeping most of the talent in-house, we are very flexible and saying that the NRI economy is just as big, if not bigger than the resident economy,” he said on the sidelines of the 14th edition of TiE Delhi-NCR’s India Internet Day 2025 on Friday. Warikoo noted that students are going all out and doing things for themselves in this domain. “All of that will trickle back into the economy,” he said.Warikoo emphasised the significance of technology to build leverage, highlighting its role in tackling the problem of low productivity. “It’s not lack of talent; it’s not lack of capital. It is just the fact that we throw people at a problem rather than technology at a problem,” he said.

India is developing a robust AI computing and semiconductor infrastructure to bolster its expanding digital economy. Initiatives such as the IndiaAI Mission and the establishment of the Centres of Excellence for AI are strengthening the country’s AI ecosystem and paving the way for innovation and self-reliance in this critical sector, as per a PIB release in March. In 2024, the government has approved the IndiaAI Mission and allocated Rs 10,300 crore over five years to enhance the country’s AI capabilities.

These efforts align with the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, where India aspires to become a global AI powerhouse, leveraging cutting-edge technology for economic growth, governance, and societal progress, the release stated.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, CEO of digital payments platform Paytm, said that it is very clear to everyone that an internet revolution is taking place. “Right now, we use it (AI) as an agent. I have started using it for so many things. After some days, we will be agents for AI, and not vice versa. The change will be profound,” he said.

India’s digital economy, as per a press release by TiE Delhi-NCR, is growing at nearly double the rate of its GDP and is expected to account for 20% of the GDP by 2029.Industry experts also drew attention to some of the negative talk surrounding AI and its impact on jobs. Mohit Joshi, CEO of Havas Media Network India, stated that it is more about job recreation. “There would be reskilling and upskilling; a person who used to actually create the content today needs to give inputs to create it,” he said.In fact, India’s workforce is at the heart of its digital revolution. The country is adding one Global Capability Center (GCC) every week, reinforcing its status as a preferred destination for global R&D and technological development. Such efforts are contributing towards positioning the country as a global AI powerhouse.