Accel’s Case for the Application Layer in India

With the IndiaAI mission gaining traction, investing in AI across different layers, particularly the foundational layer, has come under a tighter spotlight. As the debate around foundational models becoming commoditised increase, many contend that the edge shifts to those who can execute quickly, integrate deeply, and build for real-world use cases.  In a recent conversation with AIM, Prayank Swaroop, a partner at Accel, spoke about the VC fund’s investment thesis in India. He believes that India’s most promising opportunities in AI lie elsewhere.  “While we’re closely monitoring developments in foundational models, the highest upside right now is clearly in applied AI,” he said. Recently, IndiaAI Mission announced the selection of three more startups—Soket AI, G