India’s AI opportunity could run into trillions of dollars, creating new possibilities for startups

What happened

He added that the internet and smartphone revolutions had already generated businesses worth billions of dollars by helping consumers meet previously unmet needs. Indian entrepreneurs can build globally competitive AI businesses by solving local problems across education, healthcare and consumer services, said panelists at Techsparks 2026.

India’s artificial intelligence (AI) opportunity could extend well beyond the $100 billion discussed by industry leaders, with the technology potentially adding $1 trillion to the country’s GDP by 2035. For startups, the opportunity lies in using AI to address large, underserved markets and building businesses that can scale across India and beyond.

Ashutosh Sharma said previous technology waves, particularly the internet and smartphones, created large businesses by democratising access to products and services. For Indian startups, Ashutosh Sharma believes the opportunity exists across virtually every sector.