India's Next AI Wave to be Driven by Inclusive, Monetisable Solutions, Say Experts

India must focus on building scalable, inclusive, and monetisable AI applications tailored for the next billion users, experts said at a panel discussion as part of an event that brought together over 75 early-stage startups supported by IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, which incubates startups.

The panel featured Prof Vimal Kumar M of IIM Calcutta, angel investor Deepak Daftari, and SuperProcure Co-founder Manisha Saraf, and was moderated by Gaurav Kapoor, Chief Business Officer of IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP).

Speakers highlighted India's unique position to lead in AI innovation if startups focus on affordability, access, and meaningful application in sectors such as logistics, agriculture, education, and public services.

IIMCIP, in a statement, said startups from the region were exposed to hands-on training in Google's generative AI tools, including Gemini 2.5, Gemma 3.0, Vertex AI, and AI Studio, as part of a national initiative by Google for Startups.

Participants engaged with Google engineers, venture capitalists, and domain experts through product workshops, mentorship sessions, and investor connect opportunities, gaining practical insights on building AI-first ventures from the ground up, the IIMCIP statement added.

"Generative AI is not just a tech evolution - it's a shift in how solutions for India can be imagined. We want startups to build with impact and scalability in mind," said Enisha Kalita, Program Manager, Google for Startups.

Subhrangshu Sanyal, CEO of IIMCIP, said the collaboration aims to fuel innovation that supports sustainable development and livelihoods.

"By bringing these tools and networks to early-stage founders, we're enabling them to solve real-world problems through purposeful innovation," he added.