We recently hosted a closed-door conversation with some of India's top consumer tech founders. This post continues the learnings we shared a few days back. Shekhar Kirani (@skirani), Partner at Accel, walked the room through the four stages every company moves through on the path to AI transformation. Most Indian companies are stuck somewhere between stage one and stage two. The four stages are in the carousel. A few patterns stood out across the companies furthest along: → One co-founder fully dedicated to the transformation, leading a team of 5 to 10 enthusiasts. The rest of the founding team runs the business. → Individual productivity and company-level automation in parallel. Pick one slice of the business, automate it end-to-end, use it as proof, then expand. → Hiring freezes unless the team can show AI is being used. @prashanthp • @binnybansal • @ankitnagori27 • @phanikishan

#RegistrationsOpen 📢 Registrations for the 2nd edition of the Longevity India - RISE for Healthy Aging Conference are now open! 📅 6–7 August 2026 📍 IISc, Bengaluru 🔗👇Conference details and registration link: longevity.iisc.ac.in/rise @iiscbangalore (1/4)

Bengaluru has everything. But most people still don’t know where to go. Because everything is scattered. Communities. Events. Spaces. So we built HangOut. 202 communities 49 volunteer orgs 25 city guides 104 events All in one place. Go find your people → Hangout.in

It was great to bring Accel in India's consumer-tech founders to host an AI roundtable with @skirani and @binnybansal . If you are a founder keen to advance on AI in your organisation, the best place to start is by building yourself. We discussed solutions deployed enterprise wide and beyond engineering - across marketing, finance, HR, organisational reviews. I am excited to continue the conversations with CTOs next and then functional leaders. @ankitnagori27 @phanikishan @hellovaibhava @srikanthiy @Pulkit_Learn @YABAJI @AnnuTalreja @ShardulSheth | Ashish goel | Shezan | @byvidhya

A city shaped by many hands, many languages, many dreams. Jaume Plensa's "Bengaluru's Soul" says it all. Congratulations on a beautiful unveiling. @PriyankKharge @kiranshaw @HariMarar @NandanNilekani @BLRAirport

India has long been a creator of deep cultural narratives, but we have underbuilt their global expression as a scalable IP. Indiverse is a thoughtful attempt to change that. Do have a look~ youtu.be/iGtVTNZKn78?si=0MR1… @amoghavarshajs | @Ashwini_PRK | @rajeevgowda | @Sowmyareddyr | @naganandd | @AmbAckermann | @rickykej @PRK_production | @AusCGBengaluru | @AusHCIndia

The AI Impact Summit has been remarkable. The density of talent, ideas, and ambition in one place is something to witness. Proud to see India at the centre of a global AI conversation, surrounded by some of the best minds in the world. Our dinner brought many of them together. Founders, policymakers, global tech leaders, all in one room. The conversations were rich, the intent was clear, and India's seat at the table has never felt more earned. @AccelIndia @ShwetaRKohli Ashutosh Sharma @Prosus_Ventures

I was at the Pitchfest as part of the Global AI Impact Summit in Delhi yesterday. After watching 20 startups pitch across sectors ranging from education to defense one thing became very clear to me: The move to AI is inevitable. The real question has always been: where will India play? There are two key themes that stand out: 1.⁠ ⁠Context is the moat (not cost) India is not the US and our context is unique - Our regulatory environment, legal systems, government programs, and social realities are different. Startups that deeply understand this context and design for it will have a durable advantage. While the world solves for Western geographies, India’s context creates opportunities only we can capture. 2.⁠ ⁠Physical meets digital. AI is moving beyond software into Robotics, defense systems, and other hardware-enabled AI solutions. These are taking shape today, solving problems that weren’t possible a decade ago. It was inspiring to see startups showcased on a stage orchestrated by the Government of India, with strong participation from institutional capital. When founders build supported by inflow of strong private capital and policy - momentum becomes exponential. The AI moment in India isn’t ahead of us. It’s happening now. If you’re thinking about starting up or making a career shift, this is the space to be in. We at Accel are committed to supporting startup’s who are building in AI from India. @AshwiniVaishnaw Abhishek Singh @rajattandy @AmitabhShah @byvidhya @AccelIndia @IndianVCA @YUVAunstopable

🚨 Accel India, Prosus and Startup Policy Forum proudly host AI x Delhi, an exclusive evening amid Delhi’s historic monuments in partnership with IndiaAI Mission to kick off the AI Impact Summit. India's top policymakers and founders join us to welcome global delegates from leading AI and tech firms, alongwith the AI leadership from the United Nations Office of Digital and Emerging Technologies for inspiring conversations. Guests of Honour ➡️ Abhishek Singh, CEO, IndiaAI Mission; Additional Secretary, MeitY ➡️ Amandeep Gill, Under Secretary General and Technology Envoy, United Nations ➡️ Amitabh Kant, Former G20 Sherpa & Former CEO, NITI Aayog ➡️ Mati Staniszewksi, Co-founder, ElevenLabs Let’s celebrate the AI Impact Summit together! 🎉 @AccelIndia @Prosusgroup @amitabhk87 @abhish18 @matiii @gioasempre @UN @ODET_UN @OfficialINDIAai @IndiaAiExpo @prashanthp @prayanks @Ashutosh_Blr @SPF_India @elevenlabs

Airaa academy is doing what Indian education desperately needs - refusing to accept mediocre tradeoffs. At Airaa Academy in Bangalore, Amitha has built a seamless K-12 experience where: -Montessori principles meet CBSE preparation -Students learn from CEOs, not just textbooks -AI and Ethics sit alongside traditional academics -Mental health matters as much as marks Founded by a Montessorian and psychologist who believes children should be curious, confident, and rooted in Indian values while being future-ready. Proud of what Amitha and the Airraa team have built airaa.com/

When countries align, businesses grow. Hon'ble @narendramodi and President @realDonaldTrump engaging directly signals India’s long-term intent for global businesses. With sustained efforts by Hon'ble @PiyushGoyal this will further open access to global markets for Indian startups

We're excited to partner with Ashish Goel, Pranav Chopra, and the team at Optimist (@optimist_AC), who are building accessible, affordable cooling solutions designed for Indian realities @prashanthp • @manasishah25 • #AccelFamily

Dear @AmagiCorp, you've been the quiet force behind the shows we've binged, games we've watched, and movies we've streamed. We’re celebrating this milestone with deep pride in what you’ve built. @accel • @skirani • @rachit_parekh • @niparko • @kasvasan • @baskarip

Big congratulations to Baskar, Vidhya, Srini, and everyone at @AmagiCorp. The company started in 2008, the same year Accel began its journey in India, and little did we know we would go on to become partners along the way. Over the past 18 years, Amagi has built software that now sits at the core of how broadcasters around the world transition to streaming. Now, as AI reshapes the media industry, Amagi is well prepared for what lies ahead, and we’re proud to continue partnering with the team.