CoinDCX, one of India's leading crypto exchanges, announced the introduction of Daily SIP, a new addition to its monthly SIP experience that lets users invest in crypto every day, starting at just Rs 100. According to the company, the update will give investors a tighter
Redmi Note 15 has become more expensive in India yet again, with Xiaomi revising the prices of both storage variants by Rs 2,000. The latest increase comes just weeks after an earlier price adjustment, making the phone significantly costlier than its launch price
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions. Apple reportedly bringing M6 chip and new colours to iMac later this year Apple is reportedly preparing a new 24-inch iMac with the M6 chip and new colours
Sonova launched its third hearing-aid platform utilising real-time AI on Monday, its latest effort to strengthen its position in a market that relies on rapid technology upgrades to shorten replacement cycles and attract first-time users. The Swiss company was the first one to roll
Drone deliveries are getting a full lift off and for Amazon Prime members the option to get their orders shipped faster is coming to more cities in the US. The company has confirmed that Prime Air deliveries will reach around 500 cities by the end of 2026
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday his party will introduce a bill in Parliament that seeks to ban children under 16 from using social media, proposing fines of up to 10% of a platform's global revenue for non-compliance
Apple shipments are expected to decline by around 2.1% in 2026, before returning to growth of around 2.8% in 2027, noted Counterpoint Research. However, it is likely to remain a comparatively resilient due to the sustained demand for the iPhone 17 series
The Indian government has ordered Google to shut down hundreds of Firebase accounts that have been linked to online and bank scams, affecting many people in the country. These scams have become a major issue in India over the last few years and most of it is linked to the rise of digital payments
Decoding the missing pieces in India’s tech puzzle: Mint CEO roundtable
Decoding the missing pieces in India’s tech puzzle: Mint CEO roundtable
India's technology sector stands at a critical inflection point—flush with talent, buzzing with innovation, but still searching for the capital and policy vision to match its ambition. These themes came alive at the Bengaluru chapter of the Mint Leadership Dialogues 2025, where a panel of industry veterans, investors, and technologists debated on India's tech moment. And how a shortage of capital, and policy to pursue that objective, is stalling India's drive to tech supremacy.
When asked to describe India's technology moment in a single word—breakout, balancing act, or crossroads—the answers reflected both optimism and frustration.
T.V. Mohandas Pai, chairman of Aarin Capital Partners, chose crossroads. “Look, there are three things required to be a great tech power — human capital, physical capital, financial capital,” he said. “We have the human capital. We have the physical capital in terms of data centres coming up.”
But for Pai, India's missing ingredient is capital. “We don't have the financial capital. For example, ChatGPT and OpenAI are saying $500 billion and they are able to get the money, people are signing up. What are we talking about? ₹11,000 crore policy from the government of India, which has no meaning. China invested $150 billion in AI starting seven years ago. They put $200 billion in EV over the last 10 years. What are we doing?”
He reeled off the numbers. “In the last 10 years—2014 to 2024—the US invested $2.35 trillion in venture and startups. China put in $845 billion, we did only $160 billion, out of which maybe 70% came from overseas. So, where is the capital? We have a lot of exciting innovations happening on the edge, but they need dollops of capital to grow and tackle the global markets.”
The Capital Conundrum
Sudhir Sethi, founder and chairman of Chiratae Ventures, agreed with Pai. “We see a lot of people… these are in AI, semiconductor, space, electronics etc. They have new product, new technology, new GTM—everything is new,” he said. “But if I look at the amount of capital which goes into this—and this is risk capital—we are still dependent on international capital. In the last five years, we have seen $300 billion invested, and I don't believe more than 10% is from India.”For Sethi, that dependence is the real bottleneck. “If that's the case, then we ourselves as Indians are not taking enough risk in funding these products,” he said, adding that the money flowing into public markets in the past five months proves India has capital. He also pointed to the top five IT services companies spending a lot on share buybacks and dividends.
“So there is corporate money, family offices, institutions, banks, insurance, etc. It is imperative to my mind for the growth of innovation which is really paralyzed right now,” Sethi said.
He called for bold policy decisions to unlock private capital. “Let's first release private capital—there's a couple of trillion dollars in private capital in the country—let's release part of that, that's a major thing.”
Deepak N.G., managing director of Dassault Systèmes India, offered a conciliatory view, calling the capital challenge an advantage as well. “Each state is competing—it can be a healthy competition — the policies are also different.”
He also spoke of the possibility of a common policy across the country for funds to be diverted to R&D? “1% spend on R&D is definitely not in the range where you can actually put up more and more resources on developing something,” he said.
When Capital Walks Away
Faiz Shakir, vice-president and managing director, Nutanix for India and APJ, pointed to a worrying trend. “In the last four-five years, there have been some very exciting companies founded,” he said, “but there's also this clear undercurrent within the investor community to have them move to Silicon Valley.”“So, there is capital, but that capital says this (India) is not the right place to put it, why don't you move there (US), we'll also get a lot of local support, you can probably create a hub and spoke model, have engineering staff in Bangalore but move your business in your headquarters,” he added.
Shakir echoed Pai's concern that India is failing to nurture its own innovation. “There's capital in terms of human capital. There's a lot of tech savviness that we have. But I don't think we have got the backing that one deserves in a country of this size and scale.”
Sajai Singh, partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, added another layer. “That move can also be IP related,” he said. “If you are creating IP, code cannot be patented in India. It can be patented in the US. So a lot of times when a product is being developed or you're reaching that level, you move the headquarters to the US while the development may continue to happen in India. So, IP protection may be another issue, not just getting capital.”
Shakir agreed but stressed that investors push for relocation to unlock western revenues. “I think investors and large private equities are looking at it more from what revenues come out of the western world provided you're headquartered in the right space,” he said.
Crossroads and Breakout
Manish Gupta, chairman and CEO of Indegene, offered a nuanced view, saying that India's moment is both at a crossroads as well as breakout. “Crossroads because we have a lot of work to do, but breakout because there are almost like forces converging and giving us an amazing opportunity. There's talent, there is rising aspiration.”Drawing a historical parallel with World War II, Gupta said a lot of skilled people migrated to the US at that time and helped develop cutting-edge tech.
“India today has that opportunity. There are enough people who, because of what's happening especially in the United States, want to come back,” he said. “And these are cutting-edge people who are doing really high-end work in those places. and that's the reason I say using that we could actually be at a breakout moment.”
Repurposing Talent
For Venkatraman Narayanan, managing director of IT services company Happiest Minds, the human dimension remains key. “Today the tech landscape of India is 90–95% services,” he said. “If you're talking about a transformation, bringing in capital, getting those experts, and starting down the AI path, you're going to leave 98 or even 100% of the people behind. There is a huge amount of transformation that needs to happen of the people that we have.”He cited how large IT firms can play a bigger role. “Like Mr. Sethi said, there's so much of money that's paid out as dividends or buybacks (by IT services companies). You need to start ploughing that into companies. Keep away from quarter-on-quarter profitability pressures… free up capital from there, help that to transform the entire set of people that are today there. We are missing the bus on the transformation.”
The New Builders
Pai jumped back in to underline that transformation won't come from incumbents. “Every tectonic shift in technology is led by new companies, not incumbents,” he said. “The services companies will not be transformation agents in AI. They will use AI to transform their clients. They're not going to be in LLMs. They'll be in verticals and use AI in apps.”Pai's argument was that India needs new companies. “The old companies cannot do it. It's like SBI wanting to be Goldman Sachs—they can't do it. That is the DNA. So, new companies have come up. Now you must scale them up. They must grow 100% year-on-year.”
Turning to a ‘new' company, he asked Narendra Sen, founder and CEO of RackBank Datacentres: “Somebody gives you $5 billion—what will you do?”
Sen's answer was immediate. “Give me $5 billion and I'll build the world's fastest supercomputer in the country,” he said. “Our research scientists should not be dependent on US technology and share patents. The capital is constrained and that's why I mentioned the balancing, because the world after China every company started coming to India. But capital is a big constraint, policies are also equally important. We have talent.”
Sen also gave a glimpse of how AI is reshaping data centre operations. “Imagine an SOC (Security Operations Center) in a data centre—we have seven-eight people watching what is happening 24/7. Now if some developer comes up with an SOC agent app, we have to remove those six people. The agent is working 24/7, 365 days. The productivity has gone 7x or 10x depending on usage. But jobs have not gone up. So skilling and reskilling are equally important.”
Balancing Growth and Reality
G.N.V. Subba Rao, global head of operation centres at ABB India, ended on a pragmatic note. “Capital will remain a matter of debate for a long time,” he said. “Europe still looks at us as a talent pool, a pretty large one. There are many things which Europe either doesn't want to do on the manufacturing side or can't do due to various reasons, including the talent constraint they have. For a lot of us in India, that is a golden opportunity. It's an opportunity for us to bring in more and more manufacturing, while others are not too eager for it.”He added, “We'll have to take some hard decisions. Do we continue to invest in the services sector and develop it further? Or do we think in the future we'll also need an equally vibrant manufacturing sector? For a lot of us in India, that is a golden opportunity.”
Source: LiveMint
Related Posts: india tech sector, india ai investment, indian startups funding, mohandas pai aarin capital, sudhir sethi chiratae ventures, indian venture capital, india innovation policy
India's semiconductor market is projected to reach USD 155 billion by CY31, implying a (CAGR) of 20 per cent and taking the country's share of global to roughly 9 per cent by 2031, according to a report by . The report said India's semiconductor opportunity is being supported by a combination of
12 hours ago
![Washington DC [US], August 23 (ANI): Dr Dre, the legendary hip-hop producer and performer, sees AI as another tool in the music-tech toolbox akin to](http://newsorbit360.com/files/news/en/imgs/its-a-new-tool-for-creativity.jpg?height=520)
Washington DC [US], August 23 (ANI): Dr Dre, the legendary hip-hop producer and performer, sees AI as another tool in the music-tech toolbox akin to synthesisers and asserted that only people "who have trouble creating" are afraid of AI, reported Variety.Washington DC [US], August 23 (ANI): Dr Dre
15 hours ago
Vine is back? Divine app revives six-second videos, bans AI content Vine is making a comeback through Divine, a new six-second video app backed by Jack Dorsey that bans AI content and brings back old Vine videos. Published on: Aug 23, 2026, 22:41:11 IST By Durva More Prefer HTon Google Share via
15 hours ago
The story so far: The head of Flock, a surveillance camera maker-operator that works with a range of clients in the U.S., issued an apology this month after the Washington Post reported that multiple law enforcement officers had abused his product network
1 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions. Fujifilm X-T30 III review: The specs are familiar, but the shooting experience is hard to ignore The Fujifilm X-T30 III is a tiny
1 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions. I tracked my sleep with these smartwatches to see which ones make sleep tracking useful I tested smartwatches with sleep tracking to see how useful their sleep insights are for
1 days ago
firms have become “somewhat marginal” in the artificial intelligence investment cycle given the scale of capital required, and large enterprises should increasingly fund AI companies alongside traditional investors, managing director said on Saturday
1 days ago
Amid growing competition from Anthropic and Chinese AI models, OpenAI said it is cutting the prices of its frontier GPT-5.6 Sol model for developers by more than 20% for the next three months. The price cuts are effective on OpenAI's application programming interface, or API
1 days ago
Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday indicated that Apple could broaden its manufacturing operations in India beyond iPhones, potentially adding products such as MacBooks and iPads. Speaking at the launch of the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS)
1 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions. Best 32-inch smart TVs in India 2026: Top picks across budgets for sharper viewing, smart features and entertainment Explore 32-inch smart TVs with Full HD and QLED options
2 days ago
Nvidia has made a minority investment in privately held to develop infrastructure to power AI across the U.S., the companies said on Friday. The investment will help Cloverleaf develop sites for the data centers, while Nvidia will support infrastructure buildouts for AI computing
2 days ago
Yuval Noah Harari on the economic and political perils of AI Humanity must not entrust its lot to clever machines, the bestselling historian warns Updated on: Aug 22, 2026, 14:21:37 IST The Economist Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link YUVAL NOAH HARARI describes himself as a historian who
2 days ago
Anthropic plans to let enterprise customers exercise greater control over their data when using its advanced AI models, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday, marking a shift in the Claude chatbot maker’s data retention policy
2 days ago
Asset manager suffered a last month in which hackers stole some personal information, according to a letter on Friday. The New York-based firm was among dozens of prominent U.S. and other businesses that were recently targeted by ransom-seeking hackers who use phone calls to compromise their
2 days ago
Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal has revealed a major design update for Temple, the wearable technology project he has been developing, saying the latest version is now less than half the size of the device previously shown. According to Goyal
2 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions. Best Tech Rakhi gifts under ₹1,000: 5 gadgets your brother or sister will actually use Whether your sibling is a fitness enthusiast or someone who's always on their phone
2 days ago
, a startup building data centers in space, said on Friday it had raised $250 million at a $2.3 billion valuation, as it looks to expand AI infrastructure through . SpaceX's blockbuster IPO has rekindled investor interest in the space industry
2 days ago
The new Apple iPhone range is expected to arrive in September, with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max among the key models revealed. The new lineup is also rumoured to include Apple’s first foldable iPhone. However, for customers seeking a traditional flagship smartphone
2 days ago
As Apple gears up for its major September iPhone event, the company is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and an all-new foldable iPhone. The iPhone 18 Pro models are tipped to feature a faster A20 Pro chipset, larger batteries and upgraded cameras. However
2 days ago
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE launch on August 27? Here’s what the new Galaxy event could reveal Samsung launched the Galaxy S26 series globally back in February this year. Updated on: Aug 21, 2026, 17:09:08 IST Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link You may be interested in 32% OFF Samsung Galaxy S26
2 days ago
As companies deploy AI across more users and workloads, Snowflake says attention is shifting to token costs, model choice, spending controls and returns. As AI moves from pilots to production, Indian enterprises are beginning to ask a familiar question: “Kitna deti hai?” Only this time
2 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions. Everyday cooking can mean more than reheating when these convection ovens bring several cooking methods together Capacity, cooking modes and preset menus vary across these convection
2 days ago
![New Delhi [India], August 20 (ANI): The next phase of enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) will be less about deploying the latest models and more about](http://newsorbit360.com/files/news/en/imgs/next-phase-of-enterprise-ai-not-about-deploying-models.png?height=520)
New Delhi [India], August 20 (ANI): The next phase of enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) will be less about deploying the latest models and more about managing their continuous upgrades, costs and performance, according to a report by Straive
3 days ago
![New Delhi [India], August 20 (ANI): India's key strength in artificial intelligence lies in the applications layer, while the country is simultaneously](http://newsorbit360.com/files/news/en/imgs/indias-ai-strength-lies-in-applications.jpg?height=520)
New Delhi [India], August 20 (ANI): India's key strength in artificial intelligence lies in the applications layer, while the country is simultaneously building capabilities in data centres and other digital infrastructure, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in an interview with Morgan Stanley
3 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions. Built for modern luxury kitchens, these side-by-side fridges make room for more without losing style Whether you buy in bulk or simply need better organisation
4 days ago
Google has a back-to-college gift! Get 1 year of free 400GB storage, better learning tools and higher Gemini limits Google is expanding its student perks with discounted premium services and new ways to research, revise and learn through Gemini and Search. Updated on: Aug 20, 2026
4 days ago
The first healthcare touchpoint for more than half of India’s population are the frontline workers such as ASHA and Anganwadi workers. Strengthening their confidence with AI-enabled tools on their hand-held devices, will significantly improve the quality and reach of primary healthcare in the
4 days ago
