Building Trusted AI at Scale Cities Startups & Digital Sovereignty – Keynote Vijay Shekar Sharma Paytm

20 Feb 2026 13:00h - 14:00h

Session at a glance

Summary

Vijay Shekhar Sharma delivered a speech celebrating India’s emergence as a global center for artificial intelligence, praising the Prime Minister’s role in bringing leading AI figures to the country. He drew parallels between the current AI revolution and India’s previous success with the Startup India initiative, emphasizing how technology adoption follows a pattern from individual use to widespread acceptance. Sharma shared his experience with QR code payments during demonetization, illustrating how common people quickly adapted to new technology, suggesting AI will follow a similar trajectory.

He argued that 2025 marked AI as primarily an individual experiential tool, but predicted that 2026 would see AI’s integration into business and industry solutions. In financial services, Sharma believes AI will revolutionize credit access by better assessing risk and reaching underserved populations, ultimately creating wealth and financial inclusion. He extended this vision to agriculture and animal husbandry, citing discussions between Nandan Nilekani and the Prime Minister about AI applications in cattle management.

Sharma emphasized that India should build both foundation models and specialized applications, comparing this to the automotive industry where countries develop both engines and various vehicle types. He predicted India would become both the use case capital and create numerous sector-specific AI models. Addressing concerns about job displacement, particularly in call centers, he reframed the discussion as an opportunity for evolution rather than elimination, suggesting call centers could transform into healthcare providers for global markets. Sharma concluded by positioning this as a transformative moment where India can lead the global AI revolution and demonstrate its technological capabilities to the world.

Keypoints

Major Discussion Points:

– India as the Global AI Hub: Sharma emphasizes that India has become the center of the AI universe, with all major AI leaders gathering in the country, crediting the Prime Minister’s leadership in transitioning from “Startup India” to “AI India”

– AI’s Evolution from Personal to Business Applications: He discusses how AI will transition from individual experiential use (2025) to solving complex business and industrial problems (2026 and beyond), particularly in financial services, agriculture, and healthcare

– Financial Inclusion Through AI: AI will revolutionize access to credit by better assessing risk and serving underbanked populations, making financial systems more inclusive and creating wealth for previously excluded segments

– India’s Competitive Advantage in AI Development: The country’s demographic dividend, young population, and proven technology capabilities position India to build both foundation models (LLMs) and specialized AI applications that solve global problems

– Embracing AI as Opportunity, Not Threat: Using the analogy of his experience transitioning from feature phones to smartphones, Sharma argues that AI represents abundance and opportunity rather than job displacement, urging people to “ride the wave” rather than become victims of technological change

Overall Purpose:

The discussion serves as a motivational keynote speech aimed at positioning India as a global AI leader and encouraging Indians to embrace AI technology as a transformative opportunity for economic growth and global influence.

Overall Tone:

The tone is consistently enthusiastic, patriotic, and inspirational throughout. Sharma maintains an optimistic and confident demeanor, using personal anecdotes and analogies to make his points accessible. The speech has a rallying quality, ending with calls to “join the revolution” and make India proud on the global AI stage.

Speakers

– Speaker 1: Role/Title: Not mentioned, Area of expertise: Not mentioned (appears to be an event host or moderator introducing the main speaker)

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma: Role/Title: Not explicitly mentioned but referenced as “Mr.” suggesting a formal business title, Area of expertise: Financial services industry, technology entrepreneurship, digital payments (mentions coming from financial service industry and references to Paytm and QR code implementation)

Additional speakers:

– Prime Minister (referenced multiple times as “our Honorable Prime Minister” and “Prime Minister Sir”): Role/Title: Prime Minister of India, Area of expertise: Government leadership, policy implementation for Startup India and AI India initiatives

– Nandan Sir (referenced in passing): Role/Title: Not specified, Area of expertise: Not specified (mentioned in context of a conversation with the Prime Minister about AI applications in cattle/agriculture)

– Sarvam (referenced as “my fellow entrepreneur”): Role/Title: Entrepreneur, Area of expertise: AI/foundation model development (credited with building foundation models in India)

Full session report

Vijay Shekhar Sharma delivered an enthusiastic keynote address celebrating India’s emergence as a global AI hub, drawing on his experience as Paytm’s founder to illustrate technology adoption patterns and India’s potential for AI leadership.

India as the Global AI Center of Gravity

Sharma opened by emphasizing the historic significance of having major AI personalities gathered in India, crediting Prime Minister Modi’s leadership for this convergence. He drew parallels between the current AI momentum and the successful Startup India initiative, suggesting a strategic transition from “Startup India” to “AI India.” His excitement was evident as he repeatedly noted that “everybody who is somebody in AI is right now in this country,” positioning this gathering as symbolic of India’s arrival as a serious player in the global AI landscape.

Technology Adoption Lessons from Digital Payments

Sharma’s most compelling evidence for AI’s mass adoption potential came from his experience with QR code payments during demonetization. He recounted how government officials questioned whether common people would understand the technology, and his response about his house help in Aligarh independently figuring out how to use Paytm became a powerful example of technology’s democratizing potential. This experience, he argued, demonstrates that technological complexity need not barrier widespread adoption when the underlying need is compelling.

AI’s Transition from Individual to Industrial Use

Sharma characterized the current period as AI being “more of an individual experiential play” but predicted a coming transition where AI would demonstrate “commitment and confidence” in solving complex business and industrial problems. He noted the addictive nature of current AI tools while emphasizing that the real transformation lies in AI’s ability to address systemic challenges across industries.

Financial Inclusion Through AI

Sharma identified AI’s transformative potential in financial services, arguing that “access to credit creates wealth.” He highlighted lending’s fundamental challenge—determining repayment likelihood—as precisely where AI excels. Traditional institutions struggle with “corner cases” where standard risk models fail, often excluding potentially creditworthy borrowers. AI’s pattern recognition capabilities could revolutionize this assessment process, making financial systems more inclusive and integrating previously excluded populations into the formal economy.

Sectoral Applications Beyond Finance

Sharma referenced discussions about AI applications in agriculture and animal husbandry, mentioning conversations about using AI for cattle management. These examples illustrate AI’s potential across India’s diverse economic sectors, from agricultural optimization to livestock management, representing significant opportunities given these sectors’ importance to India’s economy.

Foundation Models and Applications Strategy

Addressing debates about whether India should focus on building large language models or developing applications, Sharma used an automotive analogy, comparing foundation models to engines. He argued that just as countries develop both engines and vehicles, India should pursue both foundation models and diverse applications. He praised companies like Sarvam for their foundation model work while predicting India would become both a “use case capital” and a major developer of specialized AI models.

Job Evolution Rather Than Displacement

Rather than accepting narratives of AI-driven job losses, Sharma positioned AI as creating “abundance” and emphasized that people must choose to “ride the wave” of technological change. He cited India’s call center industry as an example, envisioning its evolution into healthcare services, leveraging communication skills for higher-value opportunities. This perspective drew from his own experience transitioning from feature phone services around 2010, when he recognized smartphones would fundamentally change his business model.

Cultural Advantages and Philosophy of Change

Sharma referenced India’s cultural understanding of change, noting the Bhagavad Gita’s teaching that “change is the only constant in the world.” He positioned this philosophical grounding as an advantage in navigating technological disruption, suggesting India’s success would depend on cultural attitudes toward change and innovation, not merely technical capabilities.

Vision for Leadership Through Problem-Solving

Sharma concluded with a vision of India leading the AI revolution by solving problems “in India for India” that would become relevant globally. He emphasized India’s demographic and technical advantages, including its young, tech-comfortable population and proven capability to build world-class technology at scale. His repeated calls to “join the revolution” and “change the way India is perceived in the world” reflected his belief that this moment represents a historic opportunity for India to establish itself as a global technology leader and innovator.

Note: This summary is based on a transcript with some quality issues including repetition and unclear sections. The content focuses on clearly discernible points from Sharma’s speech.

Session transcript

Speaker 1

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Vijay Shekhar Sharma.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Wow. First of all, I do believe that everybody who is an Indian must be very proud that all the AI people in the world are in one city and one country. For that, we need to clap for this event’s host. And I think this is the power of India, my friend. I don’t have to say this. Everybody who is somebody in AI is right now in this country. Our Prime Minister has been able to bring the excitement of AI. Just like 10 years back, he was able to do it for Startup India. So from the Startup India to the AI India, once again for our Honorable Prime Minister this time, guys. I don’t have to tell you how the powerful capability of AI all of us have experienced.

Many of you must be using a personal agent in every other day. And if not agent, you must be using a co -pilot. You must be asking questions to him. And the beauty is that… But the more you use it, the more it becomes addictive. It is where the technology is. When we launched the QR code, I still remember, I went to the government and I had a discussion with them that this is a matter of demonetization, that this can be paid in this way. So the person with whom I was talking, he asked me, do you think the common man will understand what to do? So I said, sir, I went to Aligarh and my house help said, brother, we also do Paytm.

So I asked, how do you do it? He said, you have to take a photo of it from Paytm. And when I told him, I said, sir, when a common man understood how to do Paytm, then this publicity has now become confirmed in the world. And now today, in every nook and corner of the country, we can see the payments reaching and completing itself. And now this takes us to the next milestone, where every one of us who uses it. Every smartphone can now use power of AI. Now, I don’t have to tell this once again. The capabilities that we will harness over the period will not be just limited by the. chat or let’s say the photo you are making or editing something or picking up a message from WhatsApp, it will go towards the industry.

So till 2025, AI was more of an individual experiential play, if you will. You know, you were trying to find out use case and the problem answers that you fundamentally believe that it will be. But 2026 begins with a commitment and confidence that AI will bring the capability in the business and the work and the problem that we typically would not have assumed that would be solved. And let me say this. Typically, I come from financial service industry and I fundamentally believe access to credit creates the wealth. But access to credit requires a lot of insights and abilities to confirm whether this money will come back or not. Many rules and regulations are allowing us to expand the reach of credit.

But by the capability of AI, we will be able to take care of corner cases where it should not go or it should go. So people will become more financially inclusive than ever before. as you are knowing the smartphone gave access to the financial system to the every nook and corner of the country now this time financial institutions will serve those customers so from access to the rich ability of financial system will reach financial systems bring wealth to the country bring access bringing access to the credit to the last person brings wealth to the person there and that is what i believe ai will be able to do let’s say in financial system you could talk about agriculture you could talk about husbandry i remember the conversation between nandan sir and prime minister sir yesterday was happening about let’s say how could you use the power of ability of cattle to use in ai and then a mull case was talked about now imagine the same thing could be done even for machines even for plants even for agriculture the capability of ai that we want to use will make it possible for us to build it in india for the problem and solution that we build for india and this time we while we are solving the problems here we will not solve a local problem we will solve a global problem because the capability of indians have been proven that we can make world -class technology the technology that falls at an order of magnitude scale and abilities that are globally renowned and capable once again i’m going to say that that this is not about foundation model only important a foundation model is a horizontal capable model i don’t mind saying that we must must and for sure have a foundation model in india all because we have a capability and resources to do it and i’m very proud that my fellow entrepreneur sarvam has done the job and i do believe that is an acknowledgement that we can build it it’s not something rocket science it’s not something that we cannot build it but the point is not about just building a foundation model point is about building the models that solve for us solve for global south solve for global problems and those models and the requirement of those models to bring in everyday life can only happen in a country where the demographic difference between the two countries is very important and i think that is the key to evidence belongs to us young people, if I tell them to use it, with whom you will be able to do it, your capability will increase, they will experience it.

So the first time our demographic dividend will also become the demographic technology dividend, if you will. The capability of our young, capability and ability and intent of our young will aid to the propagation of AI unlike ever before. It is not about just using, let’s say, a messaging platform or a payment platform. It is about adding the capability in your everyday life. And that is rare and possible only in this country. Again, there is a question of, for me, that will you build LLM models or will you build agents on top of it? I’m sure all of us have understood that models are the foundation and the, let’s say, on the top of it an agent.

It’s like asking, will you build vehicles or will you build engines? It’s not like when Daimler Benz made an engine, India didn’t make it and no other country made it. We will also make our engines. Our engines will be small, big, different, different, what will be the use? Our engines will be small, big, different, different, what will be the use? Our engines will be small, big, different, different, different, what will be the use? Our engines will be small, big, different, different, what will be the use? Our engines will be small, big, different, different, what will be the use? Our engines will be small, big, different, different, what will be the use? Our engines will different, what will be the use?

Our engines will be small, big, different, different, what will be the use? Our engines will be small, big, different, different, what will be the use? Our engines will be small, big, different, different, what will be the use? Our engines will be small, big, different, what will be the use? Our engines will be small, big, different, different, what will be the use? Our engines will be and many more fold than ever before imagine so right now what has happened in the world is that someone has made an engine which is called ICE and you are saying that can you make an engine, yes we can make an engine because we know the nuances of it but what is more important than that is the use case of that engine using it to make a passenger vehicle, using it to make a bus using it to make a truck, using it to make a trailer that is the use case the world wants to see, India not only will be the use case capital of the world but India will also be the capital of number of LLMs that India will build India will build more number of LLMs for the section of usage and ability of usage than ever before the fight is not about just the foundation model, fight is about AI that works for a sector, works for a segment and solves the problem of an agent for example like call center, call center, call center is a talked about thing that we will let’s say what will happen to the jobs of call centers I don’t mind saying that call center as a literally job may or may not be challenged yes but the capability is immense if we can solve the call of someone else’s country why can’t we solve the healthcare problem of someone else’s country if imagine a European there is there is a old age in Europe and you need to solve for their health care tracking and conditioning and requirements so a call center can evolve to become a healthcare provider because they can track the local knowledge of that country in the newest of that country and remotely somebody can humanly look at it and confirm yes you should take that action and that capability can only happen in a country that is embracing the change and embracing the technology it is not a question of whether there will be AI led job reduction it is rather a question of there will be AI led abundance and are you on the riding the wave or are you getting victimized on the wave I remember 2010 when this country had feature force I remember the business model that I used to run was feature phone led value added services business ringtone ringback tone many of you might have been the customer and you remember that and I want to tell you one thing I was going for IPO in 2010 and the challenge was that what will happen to the future forward because the smartphone I had seen in US and I was uncomfortable that we should do an IPO at that point of time because I was like the business model is going to change and the power of capability of smartphone was not about that they will be PCOS CDA and that is the power of AI that you should look at it and that is the power of AI that you should look at it and that is the power of AI that you should look at it and that is the power of AI that you should look at it and that is the capability that Indians will look at it some of us will embrace it as a ability and capability that we can extend and deliver even further set of services capabilities that are not yet seen and reached within ourselves and some of us will feel that we are victim of the capability this machine gives and that is the change my friend always continuous in the world and I think the India and the land of Gita, which has told that change is the only constant in the world, will not only embrace it and lead it, but it will lead it from the front and show the world the ability and capabilities of AI that will show up.

So ladies and gentlemen, I’m very proud to be in the country where we today are talking and the center of universe of AI gravity is. And from here onwards, we will, instead of looking at AI as a challenger to any problem that we see or any opportunity that we today yield, but to a larger opportunity and larger capability that India will make and all Indian will make India proud. So with this, I again and again say the ability of India can only be underestimated when we all together join our hands and join in the revolution. So I would say this once again, join the revolution and change the way India is perceived in the world.

And today, our Honorable Prime Minister has shown that the center of gravity of AI is India. We are here. We are here. We are here. We are here. We are here. We are here. Thank you so much, guys.

Speaker 1

Speech speed

119 words per minute

Speech length

9 words

Speech time

4 seconds

Formal welcome to the speaker, highlighting the event’s significance

Explanation

The host officially introduces Vijay Shekhar Sharma, signalling the importance of the gathering and setting the tone for a discussion on AI leadership in India.

Evidence

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Vijay Shekhar Sharma” [17].

Major discussion point

India’s emergence as a global AI hub – Formal welcome

Topics

The enabling environment for digital development | Artificial intelligence

Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Speech speed

207 words per minute

Speech length

AI‑driven economic transformation and the future of work

Topics

The digital economy | Social and economic development | Artificial intelligence

Agreements

Agreement points

India’s emergence as a global AI hub and center of gravity

Speakers

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Arguments

India has become the global center of AI with all major AI leaders present in the country – India’s AI Leadership

Summary

There is strong assertion that India has successfully positioned itself as the global center of AI by bringing together all major AI personalities and leaders, demonstrating India’s power and capability in the AI domain

Topics

Artificial intelligence | The enabling environment for digital development

Government leadership in driving AI adoption and innovation

Speakers

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Arguments

Prime Minister’s role in bringing AI excitement to India, similar to Startup India initiative 10 years ago – Government AI Initiative

Summary

Recognition of the Prime Minister’s strategic role in generating excitement and momentum around AI in India, drawing parallels to successful government-led technology initiatives

Topics

Artificial intelligence | The enabling environment for digital development

Democratization of AI through mobile technology

Speakers

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Arguments

Every smartphone can now harness the power of AI, making it accessible to common people – Smartphone AI Access

Drawing parallels to QR code adoption where even house help understood Paytm usage – Technology Adoption Pattern

Summary

Strong belief that AI capabilities are now democratized through smartphones, making advanced AI functionality available to ordinary users across all segments of society, supported by evidence from previous technology adoption patterns

Topics

Artificial intelligence | Closing all digital divides | Information and communication technologies for development

AI’s potential to solve real-world problems across multiple sectors

Speakers

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Arguments

AI will enable better credit access and financial inclusion by handling complex corner cases – Financial Services AI

AI applications will extend to agriculture, animal husbandry, and machine management – Sectoral AI Applications

Focus should be on building AI that solves problems for India, Global South, and global challenges – Problem-Solving Focus

Summary

Comprehensive vision that AI will revolutionize multiple sectors including financial services, agriculture, and healthcare, with emphasis on solving problems relevant to India and the Global South

Topics

Artificial intelligence | Social and economic development | Information and communication technologies for development

India’s capability to develop indigenous AI technology

Speakers

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Arguments

India must build foundation models and has the capability to do so, with acknowledgment of companies like Sarvam – Foundation Model Development

India will build multiple LLMs for specific sectors and use cases, not just general foundation models – Specialized AI Models

Summary

Strong confidence in India’s technical capability to develop both foundation AI models and specialized AI solutions, with evidence from existing Indian companies like Sarvam

Topics

Artificial intelligence | The enabling environment for digital development | Capacity development

AI as an opportunity creator rather than job destroyer

Speakers

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Arguments

AI will create abundance rather than job reduction, with call centers potentially evolving into healthcare providers – Job Evolution Opportunity

People must choose to ride the AI wave rather than become victims of technological change – Embracing Change

Summary

Optimistic perspective that AI will create new opportunities and abundance rather than simply eliminating jobs, with emphasis on the importance of embracing technological change

Topics

Artificial intelligence | The digital economy | Social and economic development | Capacity development

Similar viewpoints

India’s young population represents a unique advantage for AI adoption and technological advancement, requiring proactive engagement with change

Speakers

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Arguments

India’s young demographic will become a demographic technology dividend in AI adoption – Demographic Dividend

People must choose to ride the AI wave rather than become victims of technological change – Embracing Change

Topics

Artificial intelligence | Capacity development | Social and economic development

AI is transitioning from consumer applications to serious business and industrial use cases, creating new economic opportunities

Speakers

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Arguments

2025 was about individual AI experiences, but 2026 will focus on business and industrial AI applications – AI Evolution Timeline

AI will create abundance rather than job reduction, with call centers potentially evolving into healthcare providers – Job Evolution Opportunity

Topics

Artificial intelligence | The digital economy | Social and economic development

Unexpected consensus

Technology adoption by common people

Speakers

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Arguments

Drawing parallels to QR code adoption where even house help understood Paytm usage – Technology Adoption Pattern

Explanation

The unexpected consensus lies in the confidence that complex AI technology will be adopted by common people, based on evidence from previous technology adoption patterns. This is significant because it challenges assumptions about AI being too complex for mass adoption

Topics

Closing all digital divides | Information and communication technologies for development

Call centers evolving into healthcare providers

Speakers

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Arguments

AI will create abundance rather than job reduction, with call centers potentially evolving into healthcare providers – Job Evolution Opportunity

Explanation

The unexpected consensus is the specific vision of call centers transforming into healthcare service providers rather than being eliminated by AI. This represents an innovative perspective on job evolution rather than job displacement

Topics

Artificial intelligence | The digital economy | Social and economic development

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion shows strong consensus around India’s potential to lead in AI development, the democratization of AI through mobile technology, AI’s role in solving real-world problems across sectors, and the optimistic view of AI creating opportunities rather than destroying jobs

Consensus level

Very high level of consensus with a single speaker presenting a comprehensive and optimistic vision for India’s AI future. The implications are significant for positioning India as a global AI leader with focus on inclusive development, sectoral applications, and leveraging demographic advantages for technological advancement

Differences

Different viewpoints

Unexpected differences

Overall assessment

Summary

No disagreements identified in the transcript

Disagreement level

This transcript contains only one substantive speaker (Vijay Shekhar Sharma) presenting his views on AI development in India, with Speaker 1 serving only as an introducer. Since there is no dialogue or debate between multiple speakers with differing viewpoints, there are no disagreements, partial agreements, or unexpected disagreements to analyze. The content represents a monologue or keynote presentation rather than a discussion or debate format.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

India’s young population represents a unique advantage for AI adoption and technological advancement, requiring proactive engagement with change

Speakers

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Arguments

India’s young demographic will become a demographic technology dividend in AI adoption – Demographic Dividend

People must choose to ride the AI wave rather than become victims of technological change – Embracing Change

Topics

Artificial intelligence | Capacity development | Social and economic development

AI is transitioning from consumer applications to serious business and industrial use cases, creating new economic opportunities

Speakers

– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Arguments

2025 was about individual AI experiences, but 2026 will focus on business and industrial AI applications – AI Evolution Timeline

AI will create abundance rather than job reduction, with call centers potentially evolving into healthcare providers – Job Evolution Opportunity

Topics

Artificial intelligence | The digital economy | Social and economic development

Takeaways

Key takeaways

India has positioned itself as the global center of AI with government support driving this transformation, similar to the Startup India initiative

AI adoption will transition from individual experiential use (2025) to business and industrial applications (2026 onwards)

India must develop both foundation models and specialized sector-specific AI solutions to solve problems for India, Global South, and global markets

AI will enable greater financial inclusion through better credit access and risk assessment capabilities

India’s young demographic represents a unique advantage that will become a ‘demographic technology dividend’ in AI adoption

AI represents an opportunity for job evolution and abundance rather than job displacement, requiring people to embrace change rather than resist it

India has the capability to build world-class AI technology and should focus on creating solutions that address both local and global problems

The smartphone revolution parallel shows how technology can reach every corner of India, and AI will follow a similar adoption pattern

Resolutions and action items

India should build foundation models and has companies like Sarvam already working on this capability

Focus on developing multiple specialized LLMs for different sectors and use cases rather than just general models

Embrace AI as a capability enhancer rather than viewing it as a threat to existing jobs

Join the AI revolution to change how India is perceived globally in technology leadership

Unresolved issues

Specific implementation strategies for transitioning from individual AI use to business applications

Detailed roadmap for how call centers and other service industries will practically evolve into new service models like healthcare providers

Concrete measures for ensuring AI benefits reach the ‘last person’ for financial inclusion

Specific regulatory or policy frameworks needed to support AI-driven financial services expansion

How to balance building foundation models versus focusing on specialized applications given resource constraints

Suggested compromises

Impact

This philosophical shift changes the tone of the discussion from defensive (protecting against AI threats) to proactive (leveraging AI opportunities). It emphasizes human agency and strategic positioning in determining AI outcomes.

Overall assessment

Explanation

This is important for understanding how India can differentiate itself in the global AI landscape by focusing on practical applications rather than just foundational technology

Disclaimer: This is not an official session record. DiploAI generates these resources from audiovisual recordings, and they are presented as-is, including potential errors. Due to logistical challenges, such as discrepancies in audio/video or transcripts, names may be misspelled. We strive for accuracy to the best of our ability.