At the 17th edition of YourStory's flagship tech startup event, named TechSparks 2026, Sridhar Vembu, Chief Scientist and Co-founder of Zoho Corp, presented the Tech30 list. These companies reflect the growing aspirations of Indian startups to develop their own technologies and apply them to solve practical problems.
During the event, the main topic of discussion was the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on software development. Vembu stated that AI is capable of writing higher-quality code than at least 60–70% of developers, and that in three to six months, with accelerated processes, AI will be able to create better software than 90% of engineers.
Nevertheless, Vembu presented a counter-intuitive macro perspective, noting that a significant portion of India's population will remain unaffected by this change, as approximately 97% of the population does not write software code but acts as a consumer of technology.
Karnataka Government's Approach to Using AI
Priyank Hardge, Minister for Home Affairs, Information Technology, BT, and E-Governance of the state of Karnataka, announced at the event that the Karnataka government is cautious in using AI in governance. First and foremost, it is necessary to understand how this technology can be applied responsibly. However, he emphasized that the state plans to use AI to solve basic issues such as citizen grievances, healthcare, and mobility. Furthermore, a committee has been formed to study the responsible implementation of AI in public administration.
Hardge also stated that the state aims to define the future of global technologies, and at Techsparks 2026, he announced that the next era of technological innovation will begin in this state. In a conversation with Shraddha Sharma, Founder and CEO of YourStory and The Bharat Project, the minister highlighted the government's continuous work to upskill local personnel to meet the changing demands of the global economy.
Challenges in the Space Industry
The discussion on space technologies revealed that establishing companies in this field requires immense courage. Such enterprises face the need to endure hundreds of investor rejections, acute supply chain issues, and the constant threat of orbital failure. Srinath Ravichandran, Co-founder and CEO of AgniKul Cosmos, and Suyash Singh, Co-founder and CEO of GalaxEye, shared practical insights into the complex task of building aerospace ventures in an emerging market during the 17th edition of TechSparks.