“Reducing Friction, Not Just Costs, Will Drive AI Adoption in India, and Understanding India’s Diverse Micro-Markets Will Define Its Growth”: Pragya Misra, OpenAI, at TiE Delhi-NCR’s iDay 2026
National Capital Region, 15 May 2026: TiE Delhi-NCR successfully concluded India Innovation Day (iDay) 2026 at The Leela Ambience, Gurugram, bringing together over 1200 founders, investors, corporate leaders, policymakers, technologists, and ecosystem enablers for a full-day summit focused on India’s evolving innovation economy.
As India continues its rapid startup expansion, with over 55,200 startups recognised in FY 2025–26, marking more than 50% year-on-year growth, and DeepTech funding rising 37% to $2.3 billion, the 15th edition of iDay reinforced the country’s transition from an internet-first to an innovation-first economy. Themed “Audacity of Now”, the platform, formerly known as India Internet Day, underscored India’s growing ambition across AI, DeepTech, D2C, biotech, space, quantum computing, and Bharat-led innovation, sectors central to its $10 trillion economic vision.
The summit featured keynotes and sessions from leading voices across India’s innovation landscape, including Pragya Misra (Head of Strategy & Global Affairs, India, OpenAI); Ankur Warikoo (Founder, WebVeda); Sunil Kant Munjal (Chairman, Hero Enterprise); Dr. Vivek Raghavan (Founder, Sarvam AI); Dr. Aseem Chauhan (Chancellor, Amity Education Group); Sudhir Sethi (Founder & Chairman, Chiratae Ventures); Deep Kalra (Founder & Chairman, MakeMyTrip); Vinay Singhal (Co-Founder, Stage); Vipul Singh (Co-Founder & CEO, Aereo); Mohit Malik (CTO, Chaayos); Dr. Rahul Purwar (Founder, ImmunoACT); Arjun Vaidya (Co-Founder, V3 Ventures), among others.
Speaking on India’s evolving AI landscape, Pragya Misra, Head of Strategy & Global Affairs, India, OpenAI, said, “India cannot be viewed as a single homogeneous market, particularly in the AI era, where consumer behaviour, digital maturity, trust, and accessibility vary significantly across regions and user groups. Building for scale in India requires founders to move beyond simply lowering costs and focus instead on reducing friction, simplifying onboarding, and creating intuitive, guidance-led product experiences that resonate with local users. Companies that invest in understanding India’s diverse micro-markets and evolving consumer expectations will be far better positioned to drive meaningful adoption and build scalable, AI-first businesses for the next phase of growth.”
Across the day, discussions highlighted India’s accelerating leadership in artificial intelligence, including the development of indigenous AI infrastructure, foundation and language models, and globally competitive AI-native companies. DeepTech emerged as a key pillar, with conversations around strategic technology missions, sovereign capabilities, and public-private collaboration driving frontier innovation. The agenda also explored AI-led decision-making, scaling resilient consumer and D2C businesses, and breakthroughs in biotechnology and healthcare.
Speaking on the occasion, Geetika Dayal, Director General, TiE Delhi-NCR, said, “Over the last 25 years, TiE Delhi-NCR has worked closely with founders at every stage of India’s startup journey, and iDay 2026 reflected how far the ecosystem has evolved in both ambition and execution. iDay 2026, themed ‘The Audacity of Now,’ reflected this by bringing together founders, investors, policymakers, scientists, and industry leaders to shape conversations around AI, DeepTech, Bharat-led innovation, and breakthrough technologies defining India’s next growth chapter. The platform was not just about discussing ideas, but about accelerating scalable, globally relevant innovation and empowering bold builders creating the future in real time. The depth of participation and quality of dialogue at this year’s edition reinforced iDay’s position as a meaningful platform driving India’s innovation momentum and strengthening the country’s role in the global technology and startup landscape. ”
A signature feature of the platform, TiE The Knot, returned for its 14th season as an investment arena where founders pitched live to active investors with real-time investment intent. Over 13 previous seasons, the format has seen 69 startups pitch, 31 funded, and over ₹110 crores committed. Season 14 focused on startups raising between ₹3–8 crore.
The event also hosted curated closed-door networking formats, including an invite-only investor breakfast and a growth-stage networking lunch, enabling focused engagement between founders and leading venture capital firms for capital and scaling discussions.
iDay 2026 also introduced Future Frames, an AI film festival showcasing emerging storytelling formats powered by AI tools. The initiative invited filmmakers, students, and technologists to explore the intersection of creativity and AI-driven innovation.
Speaking on India’s AI ambitions, Vivek Raghavan, Co-founder, Sarvam AI, said, “India’s AI journey must go beyond consumption to building foundational capabilities across models, compute, and applications. As AI becomes a strategic technology, sovereign innovation will be critical for countries with global ambitions. With India’s strong talent base and growing deep-tech ecosystem, we have a significant opportunity to build scalable, globally relevant AI solutions and play a defining role in the future of AI innovation.”
With participation from across the startup, investment, and policy ecosystem, India Innovation Day 2026 reaffirmed its position as a key platform shaping conversations around India’s next phase of innovation. As the ecosystem continues to mature, forums such as iDay play a critical role in connecting capital, capability, and conviction across stakeholders.
India Innovation Day 2026 was supported by a strong partner ecosystem, including Aivar Tech, Shadowfax, STPI, Kalaari Capital, BIRAC, Redington, Godrej Properties, MG Motor, STAGE, Neolook, Client Associates, Intellemo and Tally Solutions, alongside a wider network of ecosystem collaborators spanning venture capital, innovation, and technology.
More info @ iday.in
About TiE Delhi-NCR: Fostering entrepreneurship for over two decades, TiE Delhi-NCR stands as one of the most dynamic and impactful chapters of the global TiE Network. Renowned for its marquee events, high-impact mentoring programs, prestigious entrepreneurial awards, and powerful investor pitch platforms, TiE Delhi-NCR plays a pivotal role in shaping India’s startup landscape.
