Thank You, Partners, For Making Inc42 AI Summit 2026 A Grand Success

SUMMARY

• Inc42 hosted the third edition of the Inc42 AI Summit 2026 at Sheraton Grand Bengaluru on May 28, bringing together the who's who of India's AI ecosystem under one roof
• With over 600 founders, 60+ speakers and a packed agenda featuring 20+ sessions, the Summit decoded the realities of building and scaling AI businesses
• Across sessions, discussions explored what investors are looking for in the next wave of AI startups and the common pitfalls that prevent companies from scaling

• FOLLOW US
• FOLLOW US

• Added to Saved Stories in Login

On May 28, Inc42 hosted the third edition of the Inc42 AI Summit 2026 at Sheraton Grand, Bengaluru, bringing together more than 600 founders, AI builders, enterprise leaders, and investors under one roof. 

The strong turnout marked the overwhelming interest in the Summit, which received over 7,000 pre-registrations and 1,500 paid applications, with only around one-third of applicants ultimately making the cut. With over 60 speakers and a packed agenda across 20+ sessions, roundtables and workshops, the Inc42 AI Summit 2026 brought together some of the leading voices in India’s AI ecosystem for candid conversations on the opportunities, challenges and real-world applications of AI. 

The discussions went beyond the hype to explore a simple but critical question — what does it take to move AI from experimentation to large-scale deployment in India? 

Across sessions, speakers unpacked the realities of building and scaling AI businesses, covering everything from agentic AI systems and enterprise adoption to AI-powered fintech infrastructure, ecommerce transformation and the challenges of turning AI interest into paying customers. 

Discussions also explored what investors are looking for in the next wave of AI startups and the common pitfalls that prevent companies from scaling. Beyond the tech, the conversations also revolved around the operational and commercial playbooks shaping India’s AI ecosystem. 

Industry leaders like V Vaidyanathan, MD and CEO, IDFC First Bank; Rahul Chari, cofounder and CTO, PhonePe; Rishikesh SR, cofounder, Rapido; Mohit Saxena, cofounder and CTO, InMobi; Ish Babbar, cofounder and CTO, InsuranceDekho; Vaibhav Khandelwal, cofounder and CTO, Shadowfax, and Anish Achuthan, cofounder and CEO, Open Financial Technologies among others, shared their playbooks for building sustainable competitive advantages in an increasingly crowded market.

For Vaidyanathan, technology remains the cornerstone of long-term growth. Reflecting on IDFC First Bank’s journey, he said that combining a customer-first mindset with technology is the only way to achieve scale. 

“Our magic carpet is technology. If we had gone the traditional way, we would not be anywhere close to the growth we have seen in the past seven years,” he added. 

Meanwhile, the investors panel underscored the need to look beyond the AI buzzword and assess whether startups are creating genuine value. Beyond discussions on execution and funding strategies, speakers and attendees also grappled with difficult questions. 

In one such discussion, InMobi and Glance cofounder and CTO Mohit Saxena pointed to the structural challenges facing the country’s AI ambitions. 

“We are competing with the US on one side and China on the other. The US has trillions in funding and access to chipsets, while China is a manufacturing powerhouse,” Saxena said, arguing that India still has significant ground to cover in the AI race.

At the end, all the exchanges brought up a common theme — India has to produce globally competitive AI solutions, and that is only possible when the country can pair innovation and execution with strong infrastructure, talent pipelines and long-term ecosystem support. 

But none of these dialogues would’ve been possible without the support of our sponsors and partners, who helped make the Inc42 AI Summit 2026 a significant milestone in India’s AI-first journey. Thank you for powering this movement.

Our Presenting Partner 

IDFC FIRST Bank

The private sector bank, formed through the merger of IDFC Bank and Capital First in 2018 under the leadership of V Vaidyanathan, offers a suite of financial products and services across retail, MSME and corporate segments. 

With a strong focus on technology-driven banking, customer-first products and ethical practices, IDFC FIRST Bank has built a differentiated franchise centred around transparency and accessibility. The bank continues to support India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by enabling businesses with tailored financial solutions and long-term partnerships.

IDFC FIRST Bank MD and CEO V Vaidyanathan also joined Vaibhav Vardhan, cofounder and CEO, Inc42 for a fireside chat on ‘The Transformative Role Of AI In Banking’. During the chat, Vaidhyanathan talked about a future where banks proactively solve customer problems instead of waiting for support calls. He also talked about the possibility of AI expanding banking access and inclusion in India, especially for customers without formal credit histories.

Co-Presenting Partners

Skyflow

Skyflow is a data privacy and security company that helps businesses store and manage sensitive customer information safely. Instead of keeping personal data such as names, phone numbers, banking details or health records across multiple systems, companies can store it in Skyflow’s secure data vault.

The platform allows businesses to use customer data when needed while limiting unnecessary exposure. This helps organisations meet privacy regulations, reduce security risks and build greater trust with customers. 

At the Inc42 AI Summit 2026, Amruta Moktali, CPO at Skyflow, also participated in a panel discussion titled ‘The Operator Playbook for Building and Scaling Agentic AI Systems That Deliver Real Business ROI.’

Loti AI

Loti AI helps individuals, creators, celebrities and brands protect their digital identity from misuse online. The company specialises in detecting and removing unauthorised content, including AI-generated deepfakes, fake advertisements and impersonation attempts.

Loti AI continuously scans the internet for content that misuses a person’s likeness, voice or brand assets. When harmful or fraudulent content is identified, Loti AI helps clients take action to remove it.

RECOMMENDED FOR yOU