Latest news with #IndiaInternetDay2025
India.com
05-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
TiE Delhi-NCR's India Internet Day Celebrates Indicorn Surge: Delhi-NCR Leads with 51 Startups Crossing Rs 100 Cr Revenue each
Number of startups crosses 1.57 lakhs in India, 73000 companies are run by… Gurugram, 2 May, 2025: India Internet Day (iDay), India's definitive startup event for tech entrepreneurs hosted by TiE Delhi-NCR at The Leela Ambience, concluded today, marking a high point in redefining India's position as a rising global digital power. In its 14th edition, the event brought together more than 1,200 attendees, 60+ investors, over 50 speakers, and 40+ partners, alongside policymakers and industry leaders. The focus was on driving collaboration to propel India toward its predicted $1 trillion digital economy by 2030. India's digital economy is expanding at double the pace of overall GDP growth, with projections showing it will contribute to one-fifth of national GDP by 2029. By 2025, India's internet user base is expected to cross 900 million, with rural adoption playing a significant role in driving growth. Event sessions discussed how this momentum creates a fertile ground for startups, digital platforms, and tech ventures to scale, positioning India as a leader in the global tech landscape. Opening the conversation on India's policy environment shaping the future of the digital economy, Dr Abhijit Phukon, Economic Adviser, Department of Financial Services, Government of India, stated, 'As innovation evolves rapidly, our regulatory approach must be equally adaptive and predictive. The goal is to ensure that digital and financial ecosystems remain secure while enabling innovation to thrive. A balanced regulatory environment builds trust, protects consumers, and allows startups to grow responsibly. The government remains deeply committed to collaborating with industry to strike that balance and drive inclusive digital growth.' 'India Internet Day 2025 reaffirmed its role as the crucible where India's digital doctrine is not just discussed—but actively redefined,' said Upasana Sharma, Executive Director, TiE Delhi-NCR. 'With over 1,200 attendees, 60+ investors, and 50+ speakers, the event became a high-voltage hub for bold ideas on artificial intelligence, startup scaling, and Bharat's digital acceleration. At a time when India is poised to lead the global AI revolution, iDay provided a critical platform for innovators, policymakers, and technologists to converge. The space tech session led by IN-SPACe was particularly electric—signaling India's next leap into frontier technologies and deeptech. Events like iDay are no longer just conferences; they are launchpads for India's tech-powered future.' Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder and CEO, One97 and Paytm, joined a discussion on 'Keynote – Dreaming Big, Building Bold: India's Road to Tech Superpower.' Vijay compared the 2014 era of startup funding to 'crossing flyovers in Delhi's Outer Ring Road.' He explained, 'The first flyover you cross is angel funding. For the second flyover, there's no series A funding because all are tourist VCs. At that time, VCs were opening a few bases in India. Now, Outer Ring Road has all the flyovers. I think funding in India is not that big of a problem. Now, investors will value you if you are building for India in India.' On AI, he noted, 'So it is my reading that currently we consider AI as an agent, saathi, or assistant for us. I've started using it for many deep insights. But actually, after a few days, we will be the agents of AI. It will no longer be just an agent to us.' iDay 2025 became a crucial platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their techdriven startups. The event focused on cutting-edge topics such as AI, 5G, fintech, digital public infrastructure, e-commerce, space tech, startups, policies, smart cities, and regional internet trends. Experts discussed how these technologies are creating opportunities for businesses to accelerate and how government initiatives, like the Digital India Programme, are facilitating growth. These initiatives aim to position India as a digital superpower by 2030. At iDay 2025, transformative sessions inspired the ecosystem—Col Sanjeev Yadav, Director, UIDAI, explored how Aadhaar authentication can power startup innovation, while Air Vice Marshal Retd. Dhananjay V Khot, AVSM, VM; Director, Strategy and Planning, IN-SPACe, highlighted India's bold leap into the spacetech frontier. The event also highlighted India's digital economy growth, the expansion of internet connectivity, and how AI is shaping industries such as healthcare, agriculture, and innovation. Experts discussed how other open tech frameworks are reshaping India's digital landscape, empowering startups to scale while improving access to services for underserved communities. With indicorns on the rise, Kunal Bahl, Co-Founder, Titan Capital and Snapdeal, joined the discussion on 'Indicorns: Building India's Enduring Startup Foundation—Release of India's Indicorn List 2025.' Kunal shared, 'India's startup engine is thriving. 202 Indicorns with over ₹1.5 lakh crore in revenue and ₹7,393 crore in profits prove that building profit-first businesses at scale is not only possible but already happening. With 51 Indicorns, Delhi-NCR is leading the charge, powering jobs, innovation, and sustainable growth.' Delhi-NCR Tops the Charts with 51 Indicorns as India's Profit-First Startups Cross ₹1.5 Lakh Crore in Revenue Indicorn—a Titan Capital initiative—highlights the rise of 202 'Indicorns,' or Indian startups with over ₹100 crore in annual revenue. Together, these companies generated ₹1,51,137 crore in revenue and ₹7,393 crore in profits while employing over 1.46 lakh people. Delhi-NCR leads the pack with 51 Indicorns, followed by Bengaluru (42) and Mumbai (35), reinforcing India's shift toward scalable, profit-driven entrepreneurship. The event featured an impressive lineup of speakers, including event co-chairs Akshay Chaturvedi, Founder and CEO, Leverage Edu; Apurva Chamaria, Global Head, VC and Startup Partnerships, Google; and Upasana Taku, CoFounder and CEO, MobiKwik; alongside industry leaders such as Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President and CEO, Startup Policy Forum; Akshat Babbar, Managing Director, ChrysCapital; Shantanu Deshpande, Founder and CEO, Bombay Shaving Company; Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder, One97 and Paytm; and Ankur Warikoo, Founder, WebVeda. These leaders shared their insights through fireside chats, panel discussions, and keynote speeches. iDay 2025 facilitated unparalleled networking opportunities, connecting entrepreneurs with decision-makers and fostering collaborations that will drive future innovation. The discussions equipped attendees with the knowledge needed to thrive in the evolving digital landscape. Havas Media Network India served as the Silver Partner to this milestone event. Spotlighting the importance of iDay and its association with the Indian startup ecosystem, Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Network India, said, 'At Havas Media Network India, we take great pride in our consistent partnership with TiE, which continues to be a powerful force in shaping India's startup ecosystem. iDay2025 brought together some of the most inspiring minds driving innovation and transformation. As champions of meaningful brands, we are committed to being enablers in this journey of entrepreneurial growth and digital progress.' TiE Delhi-NCR remains committed to empowering entrepreneurs and fostering innovation within India's rapidly growing digital economy. iDay 2025 served as a milestone in this journey, laying the foundation for India to not only participate but also lead the global tech narrative. About TiE Delhi-NCR TiE Delhi-NCR is by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs. It is a member-based organisation, a group of successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and senior professionals who have come together under the TiE Delhi-NCR umbrella to foster future entrepreneurs and innovators. With the vision to help entrepreneurs gain access to the best experts and grow their businesses beyond conceivable limits, TiE Delhi-NCR is on a mission to provide budding and growing entrepreneurs the right networking, mentoring, and funding support for achieving business excellence. At the same time, the mission is to grow the rock-solid support of mentors, investors, and founders, through innovative programs and platforms that offer startups and entrepreneurs the best guidance for growth.
India.com
05-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
TiE Delhi-NCR's India Internet Day Celebrates Indicorn Surge: Delhi-NCR Leads With 51 Startups Each Crossing Rs 100 Cr in Revenue
Gurugram: India Internet Day (iDay), the country's premier startup event for tech entrepreneurs, hosted by TiE Delhi-NCR at The Leela Ambience, concluded successfully, reinforcing India's growing stature as a global digital powerhouse. Now in its 14th edition, the event brought together over 1,200 attendees, 60+ investors, 50+ speakers, and 40+ partners, along with key policymakers and industry leaders. This year's focus was on collaboration to propel India toward its projected $1 trillion digital economy by 2030. India's digital economy is growing at twice the pace of overall GDP, and is expected to contribute one-fifth of national GDP by 2029. With internet users projected to surpass 900 million by 2025—thanks largely to rural adoption—the sessions at iDay 2025 explored how this momentum is creating fertile ground for startups, digital platforms, and tech ventures to scale and lead globally. Opening the conversation on India's evolving policy landscape, Dr. Abhijit Phukon, Economic Adviser, Department of Financial Services, Government of India, said, 'As innovation evolves rapidly, our regulatory approach must be equally adaptive and forward-thinking. We aim to build a secure yet innovation-friendly digital and financial ecosystem. A balanced regulatory environment builds trust, protects consumers, and supports responsible startup growth. The government remains committed to collaborating with the industry to drive inclusive digital progress.' 'India Internet Day 2025 once again proved to be the crucible where India's digital future is not just discussed—but actively reimagined,' said Upasana Sharma, Executive Director, TiE Delhi-NCR. 'With 1,200+ attendees, 60+ investors, and over 50 speakers, the event became a hub for transformative ideas across AI, startup scaling, and digital inclusion. As India prepares to lead the global AI revolution, iDay provided a vital platform for technologists, policymakers, and entrepreneurs. The space tech session by IN-SPACe was especially exciting—signaling India's leap into frontier technologies. iDay is no longer just a conference—it's a launchpad for our tech-powered future.' Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder & CEO of One97 and Paytm, joined the keynote session titled 'Dreaming Big, Building Bold: India's Road to Tech Superpower.' Comparing the 2014 startup funding landscape to 'crossing flyovers on Delhi's Outer Ring Road,' Sharma noted: 'The first flyover you cross is angel funding. But back then, there was barely any Series A funding—only tourist VCs were around. Today, all the flyovers are in place. Funding is not the challenge anymore—investors now value startups built in and for India.' On the role of AI, he added, 'Right now, we see AI as an assistant. But very soon, we'll be the assistants to AI. It's evolving faster than we can imagine.' iDay 2025 also spotlighted India's innovation potential in AI, fintech, 5G, space tech, digital public infrastructure, smart cities, and regional internet adoption. Entrepreneurs showcased breakthrough startups, and speakers emphasized how tech is transforming industries like healthcare, agriculture, and logistics. Government initiatives such as the Digital India Programme were recognized for supporting this rapid growth. Notable sessions included Col. Sanjeev Yadav, Director at UIDAI, explaining how Aadhaar authentication can power startup innovation, and Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Dhananjay V. Khot, Director of Strategy and Planning at IN-SPACe, sharing insights on India's ambitions in space tech. Indicorns Take the Spotlight Kunal Bahl, Co-Founder of Titan Capital and Snapdeal, unveiled the 'Indicorn List 2025' in the session 'Indicorns: Building India's Enduring Startup Foundation.' He shared: 'India's startup engine is thriving. 202 Indicorns with over ₹1.5 lakh crore in revenue and ₹7,393 crore in profits prove that building profit-first businesses is not just a dream—it's already a reality. With 51 Indicorns, Delhi-NCR is leading the charge.' The list, curated by Titan Capital, highlights 202 Indian startups (Indicorns) with annual revenue of over ₹100 crore. Collectively, they generated ₹1.51 lakh crore in revenue and employed over 1.46 lakh people. Delhi-NCR led with 51 Indicorns, followed by Bengaluru (42) and Mumbai (35). Ecosystem Leaders And Partners The event featured an impressive speaker lineup, including Akshay Chaturvedi (Founder & CEO, Leverage Edu), Apurva Chamaria (Global Head, VC & Startup Partnerships, Google), Upasana Taku (Co-Founder & CEO, MobiKwik), Shweta Rajpal Kohli (President & CEO, Startup Policy Forum), and Ankur Warikoo (Founder, WebVeda), among others. Through engaging fireside chats, keynotes, and panel discussions, iDay 2025 enabled entrepreneurs to network, learn, and explore collaborations that could shape the next decade of innovation. Havas Media Network India partnered as Silver Sponsor. Mohit Joshi, CEO, noted: 'We're proud to support iDay2025—an event that brings together the brightest minds driving innovation. As champions of meaningful brands, we're committed to enabling the journey of entrepreneurial growth.'
Economic Times
05-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Fintech revolution 2.0 is expected to unfold in India in the next 10 years: MobiKwik's Upasana Taku
Founded in 2009, MobiKwik offers a range of services, including payments, digital credit and insurance products, catering to 172 million users and more than 4.5 million merchants. A new wave of companies will emerge to jumpstart the fintech revolution 2.0 in India over the next 10 years, said Upasana Taku, Co-founder of fintech major MobiKwik. India is a very large market that offers significant growth opportunities over the next 10-20 years, Taku said. 'Less than half of the population have access to digital payments, and fewer than 10% have access to credit.'Addressing these gaps will require more than simply reaching out to the existing banks, financial institutions, and fintech companies, she said. 'It is not just going to the current crop of banks, financial institutions and fintech companies that will address the gaps. A whole next level of companies is getting formed now as we speak,' she said while talking to ET Digital on the sidelines of the 14th edition of TiE Delhi-NCR's India Internet Day 2025. Founded in 2009, MobiKwik offers a range of services, including payments, digital credit, investments, and insurance products, catering to 172 million users and more than 4.5 million payments have now reached approximately 500 million Indians. Taku, citing industry reports, expects this number to double to at least 850-900 million who will be transacting digitally using apps. 'But if you see in financial services or in fintech, payments is the least common denominator. Everything else is lesser in terms of inclusion. Credit has reached less than 100 million, and the numbers are even smaller for insurance and wealth,' she emphasised that more efforts are required in this space. 'It needs to be seen if, for example, a woman sitting in Jhajjar or a small town in the northeast has access to a bank account, digital payments, credit or insurance. Currently, that is not the case.' Many small businesses don't have access to capital necessary for growth, she said. 'Whether they are online MSMEs or physical stores, life is not so easy for them. Traditional banks can only serve them once they reach a certain scale. But until they reach that scale, it's hard for them,' she explained.'If it is a physical store, we give them a QR code. If they want to collect payments via cards, then we also give them an EDC, which is a card machine. Firstly, we enable them to collect payments. Once we have enough insight into their collection data, whether it is a physical MSME or an online-based MSME, then we can also start offering them merchant loans or working capital loans,' she said, adding that working capital loans for MSMEs offer an extremely large growth opportunity. 'India is a country of more self-employed people than salaried. And the self-employed are these MSMEs.' Shravan Shetty, MD of Primus Partners India, concurred, noting that fintech solutions have increased the efficiency of MSMEs, with digital payments playing a critical role in enhancing working capital. 'They provide quick access to short-term capital, helping them grow. Besides this, innovative financial products help MSMEs better manage their businesses in terms of lending, insurance, and capital management,' he said the fintech sector has been critical in leveraging the digital public infrastructure to come up with innovative solutions, which have helped increase digital penetration. At the Global Fintech Fest 2024 in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that 'India's UPI has become a major example of fintech in the world' and that it had enabled 27X7 banking services in every village and city in all weather conditions. Noting the changes brought in by the fintech industry in the country, the Prime Minister also said that it has not only transformed the technological front of Bharat but also made a widespread social impact by closing the gap between urban and rural India together.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Fintech revolution 2.0 is expected to unfold in India in the next 10 years: MobiKwik's Upasana Taku
A new wave of companies will emerge to jumpstart the fintech revolution 2.0 in India over the next 10 years, said Upasana Taku , Co-founder of fintech major MobiKwik . India is a very large market that offers significant growth opportunities over the next 10-20 years, Taku said. 'Less than half of the population have access to digital payments , and fewer than 10% have access to credit.' #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Inside Operation Tupac: Pakistan's secret project to burn Kashmir Who is Asim Munir, the Zia-style general shaping Pakistan's faith-driven military revival 'Looking for partners, not preachers': India's strong message for EU amid LoC tensions Addressing these gaps will require more than simply reaching out to the existing banks, financial institutions, and fintech companies, she said. 'It is not just going to the current crop of banks, financial institutions and fintech companies that will address the gaps. A whole next level of companies is getting formed now as we speak,' she said while talking to ET Digital on the sidelines of the 14th edition of TiE Delhi-NCR's India Internet Day 2025. Founded in 2009, MobiKwik offers a range of services, including payments, digital credit, investments, and insurance products, catering to 172 million users and more than 4.5 million merchants. Digital payments have now reached approximately 500 million Indians. Taku, citing industry reports, expects this number to double to at least 850-900 million who will be transacting digitally using apps. 'But if you see in financial services or in fintech, payments is the least common denominator. Everything else is lesser in terms of inclusion. Credit has reached less than 100 million, and the numbers are even smaller for insurance and wealth,' she added. Taku emphasised that more efforts are required in this space. 'It needs to be seen if, for example, a woman sitting in Jhajjar or a small town in the northeast has access to a bank account, digital payments, credit or insurance. Currently, that is not the case.' Live Events Many small businesses don't have access to capital necessary for growth, she said. 'Whether they are online MSMEs or physical stores, life is not so easy for them. Traditional banks can only serve them once they reach a certain scale. But until they reach that scale, it's hard for them,' she explained. 'If it is a physical store, we give them a QR code. If they want to collect payments via cards, then we also give them an EDC, which is a card machine. Firstly, we enable them to collect payments. Once we have enough insight into their collection data, whether it is a physical MSME or an online-based MSME, then we can also start offering them merchant loans or working capital loans,' she said, adding that working capital loans for MSMEs offer an extremely large growth opportunity. 'India is a country of more self-employed people than salaried. And the self-employed are these MSMEs.' Shravan Shetty, MD of Primus Partners India , concurred, noting that fintech solutions have increased the efficiency of MSMEs, with digital payments playing a critical role in enhancing working capital. 'They provide quick access to short-term capital, helping them grow. Besides this, innovative financial products help MSMEs better manage their businesses in terms of lending, insurance, and capital management,' he highlighted. Shetty said the fintech sector has been critical in leveraging the digital public infrastructure to come up with innovative solutions, which have helped increase digital penetration. At the Global Fintech Fest 2024 in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that 'India's UPI has become a major example of fintech in the world' and that it had enabled 27X7 banking services in every village and city in all weather conditions. Noting the changes brought in by the fintech industry in the country, the Prime Minister also said that it has not only transformed the technological front of Bharat but also made a widespread social impact by closing the gap between urban and rural India together.
Business Mayor
02-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
'Beneficial for the world'—Ankur Warikoo, Vijay Shekhar Sharma laud India's AI talent
India's tech talent built on AI will be vastly beneficial for the world, serial entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo said. 'While China is keeping most of the talent in-house, we are very flexible and saying that the NRI economy is just as big, if not bigger than the resident economy,' he said on the sidelines of the 14th edition of TiE Delhi-NCR's India Internet Day 2025 on Friday. Warikoo noted that students are going all out and doing things for themselves in this domain. 'All of that will trickle back into the economy,' he emphasised the significance of technology to build leverage, highlighting its role in tackling the problem of low productivity. 'It's not lack of talent; it's not lack of capital. It is just the fact that we throw people at a problem rather than technology at a problem,' he said. India is developing a robust AI computing and semiconductor infrastructure to bolster its expanding digital economy. Initiatives such as the IndiaAI Mission and the establishment of the Centres of Excellence for AI are strengthening the country's AI ecosystem and paving the way for innovation and self-reliance in this critical sector, as per a PIB release in March. In 2024, the government has approved the IndiaAI Mission and allocated Rs 10,300 crore over five years to enhance the country's AI capabilities. These efforts align with the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, where India aspires to become a global AI powerhouse, leveraging cutting-edge technology for economic growth, governance, and societal progress, the release stated. Vijay Shekhar Sharma, CEO of digital payments platform Paytm, said that it is very clear to everyone that an internet revolution is taking place. 'Right now, we use it (AI) as an agent. I have started using it for so many things. After some days, we will be agents for AI, and not vice versa. The change will be profound,' he said. India's digital economy, as per a press release by TiE Delhi-NCR, is growing at nearly double the rate of its GDP and is expected to account for 20% of the GDP by experts also drew attention to some of the negative talk surrounding AI and its impact on jobs. Mohit Joshi, CEO of Havas Media Network India, stated that it is more about job recreation. 'There would be reskilling and upskilling; a person who used to actually create the content today needs to give inputs to create it,' he fact, India's workforce is at the heart of its digital revolution. The country is adding one Global Capability Center (GCC) every week, reinforcing its status as a preferred destination for global R&D and technological development. Such efforts are contributing towards positioning the country as a global AI powerhouse.
