India Holds More Consumer AI Startups Than US: Rajan Anandan

30 Oct 2026, 8:24 am · 4h ago · 1 min read · DT Next

India currently hosts more consumer artificial intelligence startups than the United States, according to Rajan Anandan, managing director at Peak XV Partners. Speaking at a Chennai fireside chat, Anandan emphasized that while India's consumer AI startup ecosystem is flourishing rapidly, the country must urgently boost research and development (R&D) investments to build globally competitive enterprises. India allocates only about 0.65% of its gross domestic product to public and private R&D, lagging significantly behind China at 2.5% and the US at 3.5%. Anandan called for easing regulatory hurdles and scaling R&D spending to translate early innovation into massive businesses.