tech: ‘Riding new waves of tech essential for survival’ say Indian entrepreneurs

Indian entrepreneurs believe that riding new waves of technology is essential for survival and keeping ventures relevant, whether in healthcare, education, sustainability, manufacturing, or other sectors. They also emphasized that the ecosystem has shifted from merely “disrupting industries” to solving deep-rooted systemic problems that exist in India and globally.

Mayank Kumar, cofounder of upGrad, who recently stepped down from an executive role and plans to launch a new startup, said India’s demographic advantage is a “massive tailwind” for innovation that needs to be fully utilized.

“India has about 35 million Indians living abroad, sending $125 billion in remittances annually—nearly covering our $150 billion oil import bill. With our young and skilled population, platforms solving for global talent mobility and solutions will emerge from India,” Kumar said.

Meanwhile, Naiyya Saggi, cofounder of the Good Glam Company and now building her third venture, believes that education is a “burning platform” that requires a fresh perspective to move beyond industrial-era paradigms. In the age of AI, she said, education needs complete re-imagination. She added that the future of work will involve localized creativity interconnected across diverse hubs. “It’s not about centralization but a meaningful integration of different centres of expertise,” she said.

Vishal Gondal, founder of GOQii, a fitness-tech company, said that riding each technological wave is essential. “Whether it’s IoT, data, blockchain, or AI, each wave offers opportunities, and it’s crucial to adapt and align with the next big thing. By 2030, we expect 6.5 billion robots to join the workforce, and by 2046, 11 billion—more than the human population. Repetitive tasks will vanish, and even creative tasks like copywriting or design will rely on AI,” he said, adding that this shift will require humans to focus on finding purpose in life.

The trio was speaking at the TiE Global Summit in Bengaluru earlier this week, where they highlighted the opportunities being created by AI and the future of entrepreneurship.

Kumar, while discussing emerging industries, said he is excited about nuclear fusion, synthetic biology, and AI intersections like ethics and intellectual property. “These are long bets, but they hold immense potential with advancing computational power.” Gondal noted that AI is bringing complete automation to healthcare. “We’ve moved from IoT to blockchain to AI. Now, we’re working on predictive care, where health data can forecast diseases like heart attacks and kidney failures. The next wave will be full autopilot in healthcare,” he said.