New Delhi: The India Internet Day (iDay), an event for start-up companies in India, was held in Delhi recently. Hosted by TiE Delhi- NCR, the event saw the participation of nearly 1,200 people, apart from 60 investors, as also policymakers and industry leaders. The event focussed on steps to take India towards a $1 trillion digital economy by 2030.
Speaking at the event, Dr Abhijit Phukon, Economic Adviser, Department of Financial Services, Government of India, said, “As innovation evolves rapidly, our regulatory approach must be equally adaptive and predictive. The goal is to ensure that digital and financial ecosystems remain secure while enabling innovation to thrive. A balanced regulatory environment builds trust, protects consumers, and allows startups to grow responsibly. The government remains deeply committed to collaborating with industry to strike that balance and drive inclusive digital growth.”
Pointing out on how the event helped in providing a critical platform for innovators, and policymakers, Upasana Sharma, Executive Director, TiE Delhi-NCR noted, “At a time when India is poised to lead the global AI revolution, iDay provided a critical platform for innovators, policymakers, and technologists to converge. The space tech session led by IN-SPACe was particularly electric—signaling India’s next leap into frontier technologies and deep tech. Events like iDay are no longer just conferences. They are launchpads for India’s tech-powered future.”
Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder and CEO, One97 and Paytm, who participated in a discussion on “Keynote – Dreaming Big, Building Bold: India’s Road to Tech Superpower.”, compared the startup funding in 2014 to crossing flyovers in Delhi’s Outer Ring Road. “The first flyover you cross is angel funding. For the second flyover, there’s no series A funding because all are tourist VCs. At that time, VCs were opening a few bases in India. Now, Outer Ring Road has all the flyovers. I think funding in India is not that big of a problem. Now, investors will value you if you are building for India in India,” he noted.
It also deliberated on the expansion of internet connectivity in India, the country’s digital economy growth, and how Artificial Intelligence is helping in shaping various sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and innovation.
The event saw the participation of event co-chairs Akshay Chaturvedi, Founder and CEO, of Leverage Edu; Apurva Chamaria, Global Head, of VC and Startup Partnerships, Google; and Upasana Taku, CoFounder and CEO, MobiKwik. Apart from them industry leaders like Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President, and CEO, Startup Policy Forum; Kunal Bahl, Co-Founder, Titan Capital and Snapdeal ; Akshat Babbar, Managing Director, ChrysCapital; Shantanu Deshpande, Founder and CEO, Bombay Shaving Company; Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder, One97 and Paytm; and Ankur Warikoo, Founder, WebVeda. The participants shared their experiences through fireside chats, panel discussions, and keynote speeches.
