Funding riddle for desi AI
The dual shock (Claude Cowork and Citrini report) to the Indian IT sector on either side of the ides of February highlights the existential necessity — India should gear up to an IP-driven tech ecosystem. This transition requires massive financing. The government should provide strategic funding, not corporate charity. It should provide anchor capital to fund innovation and risk-taking. The temptation to dictate the technology arc should be resisted, as empirical evidence suggests government funding of start-ups leads to a weak and mediocre start-up ecosystem. The private sector has to pick up the mantle, but for the scale at which it is needed, the two questions are — can and will it?
