Inc42 AI Summit 2026: India’s AI Ecosystem & Investment

The third edition of the Inc42 AI Summit 2026, held on May 28 at Sheraton Grand, Bengaluru, successfully convened over 600 founders, AI builders, enterprise leaders, and investors. The event, which saw significant interest with over 7,000 pre-registrations and 1,500 paid applications, featured more than 60 speakers across 20+ sessions, roundtables, and workshops.

Discussions focused on the practical application and scaling of AI in India, moving beyond theoretical discussions to address the challenges of transitioning AI from experimentation to large-scale deployment. Key themes included the realities of building and scaling AI businesses, enterprise adoption, AI-powered fintech infrastructure, e-commerce transformation, and the investor perspective on AI startups.

Prominent figures such as V Vaidyanathan, MD and CEO of IDFC First Bank; Rahul Chari, cofounder and CTO of PhonePe; and Mohit Saxena, cofounder and CTO of InMobi, shared insights on competitive advantages and market strategies in the AI space. Vaidyanathan emphasized technology as a cornerstone for long-term growth, while Saxena highlighted the structural challenges India faces in the global AI race.

The summit also featured panels with venture capital firms and technology leaders discussing investment trends, particularly what investors seek in the next wave of AI startups and common pitfalls in scaling. Partners such as IDFC First Bank, Skyflow, Loti AI, Intellemo.ai, Avalara, Vobiz.ai, kAIgentic, StockGro, and Rubrik, among others, highlighted their contributions and technologies supporting India’s AI ecosystem.

The event underscored the need for India to transition from an AI consumer to an AI producer, requiring a combination of innovation, execution, robust infrastructure, talent development, and sustained ecosystem support to compete globally. The summit served as a platform for dialogue on these critical aspects of India’s AI-first journey.