Google CEO Sundar Pichai said India is already witnessing a transformation capable of producing world-leading AI companies. Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit, he praised India’s developer energy and thriving startup ecosystem, citing firms like Flipkart and Oyo. He added that local AI innovation, including work by companies like Sarvam, shows strong global potential.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday said India is already witnessing the kind of transformation that can produce the next world-leading AI major from within, asserting that the ecosystem has evolved significantly and the country is producing “extraordinary” homegrown companies.
Pichai lauded high developer energy and thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem in India.
Responding to a question on what needs to change for the “next Sundar” to stay back (in India) and build a world-leading company from here, Pichai, currently in India to attend the India AI Impact Summit, said the shift is already underway.
He pointed to the rise of homegrown startups such as Flipkart and Oyo as evidence that “India has been producing extraordinary companies” that are scaling successfully.
“I mean, it’s already changed. India is producing extraordinary companies, right? You know, when you look at companies like Flipkart, Oyo, etc, these are all companies homegrown here, and they’re doing really well,” Pichai said.
He added that the developer energy in the country, particularly in hubs like Bengaluru, is second to none, and described the entrepreneurship ecosystem as “thriving”.
Pichai also highlighted recent progress in artificial intelligence, noting that companies like Sarvam have begun developing local AI models, signalling that advanced innovation is taking root domestically.