Mint Explainer: Vibe coding—the developer's latest buzzword
Last week, OpenAI agreed to acquire AI-based coding startup Windsurf for $3 billion—underlining just how prominent the 'vibe coding" trend has become, especially among startups targeting enterprise software. In India, too, the space is buzzing with activity as young firms rush to build intuitive, AI-powered developer tools. But are enterprises buying in? Mint explains.
What is vibe coding?
Vibe coding is an emerging programming philosophy that blends artificial intelligence with traditional development, offering developers a more intuitive, prompt-driven experience. Unlike earlier low-code/no-code (LCNC) tools that often eliminate the need for coding altogether, vibe coding retains the power of full-stack programming while simplifying workflows through AI suggestions, code generation, and task automation.
This allows developers to engage more intuitively with code, leveraging AI support rather than having to architect everything from scratch.
'It's useful for internal systems and workflows that need rapid iteration," said Poorvi Vijay, principal at Elevation Capital, an early-stage investment firm. 'Just as Canva speeds up design, AI tools are doing the same for coding—faster, easier, and less dependent on specialized professionals."
How is it different from low-code or no-code platforms?
Low-code/no-code platforms like Zoho Creator have traditionally enabled developers to build applications using drag-and-drop interfaces or prebuilt modules.
Vibe coding, by contrast, targets developers by enhancing the coding experience itself, marking a shift in philosophy from fiddling with mechanics to focusing purely on outcomes.
Zoho, too, recently embraced vibe coding, updating its Creator platform with AI to allow enterprise users to simply describe in natural language the kind of app they want to build. 'The abstraction capability should be like computer graphics in a good movie—you shouldn't know where there are graphics," said Bharath Kumar, head of marketing at the multinational technology company.
Also read | Mint Explainer: Microsoft's new chip and a quantum leap for computing
Startups like TableSprint Technologies and Dhiwise are using AI to speed up app development without removing code entirely. Surat-based DhiWise converts UI designs into backend-ready code via simple prompts. TableSprint helps both tech and non-tech users build apps collaboratively without relying solely on engineers.
'AI tools are shifting development tasks from experienced engineers to even interns. Right now, all tools are saying that they are empowering the developers but in a nutshell, they are replacing them," said Vishal Virani, chief executive of DhiWise.
TableSprint aims to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical users," said co-founder Nagasanthosh Josyula. 'Much of the development is now expected from citizen developers."
Who are the investors putting money into the vibe coding space?
Globally, the vibe coding space is drawing attention from high-profile investors. If OpenAI finalises a deal to acquire Windsurf for about $3 billion, it would be the ChatGPT maker's largest acquisition to date, signaling a push into the vibe coding space.
In India, TableSprint has raised $1 million from BlueLotus Ventures, TDV Partners, and DGC Ventures. DhiWise has raised $9.5 million from Accel and India Quotient.
Funding into India's no-code AI space peaked in 2022 at $55.2 million, dropped to $5.7 million the following year, and rebounded to $27.2 million in 2024, per Tracxn data.
Are enterprises excited?
Not quite. At least not yet. Experts agree that while these no-code and vibe coding tools are excellent for prototyping, they fall short for enterprise-grade adoption. Integration into complex architectures, compliance requirements, and maintainability concerns will likely limit large-scale production deployments in the near term.
'Low-code and no-code tools face limits with compute-heavy, real-time, or highly customized software—think financial systems or critical infrastructure—where performance and control matter," said Sivaramakrishnan R. Guruvayur, senior research fellow at the Centre for Responsible AI at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
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'The use for enterprise applications remains questionable. In the enterprise space, non-technical users are rarely using LCNC tools directly. AI copilots may assist, but debugging, security, and deployment still require technical knowledge," added Akash Jain, director at Gartner, a technology consulting firm.
How large is this market, and can it make software developers redundant?
The Indian LCNC market is projected to grow tenfold—from $400 million in 2020-21 to $4 billion this financial year, according to Nasscom. Globally, the adoption of AI tools is narrowing the skill gap between junior and mid-level engineers. In some cases, junior developer roles may be automated altogether.
That said, vibe coding isn't intending to eliminate developers, but could reshape how they work. These tools promise faster turnaround, reduced dependency on senior talent, and improved collaboration between tech and non-tech users.
Still, concerns around interoperability remain. Many of these platforms are siloed, and frequent changes in third-party systems can force developers to rewrite large chunks of code. Zoho, for instance, has chosen not to price AI capabilities separately for now despite rising compute costs.
'We believe that AI is an integral part of the app… we wouldn't want to price it separately," said Zoho's Kumar.
Also read | Mint Explainer: DeepSeek's lean AI and India's AI future
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