Gurugram, 2 May 2025: The 14th edition of India Internet Day (iDay), hosted by TiE Delhi-NCR at The Leela Ambience, concluded on a high note today, spotlighting India’s emergence as a global digital superpower. With more than 1,200 attendees, over 60 investors, 50+ speakers, and 40+ partners, the event served as a vibrant platform for collaboration across the startup, investment, and policy ecosystems.
This year’s theme revolved around India’s digital acceleration and the transformative potential of technology-led entrepreneurship, with a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence, deeptech, space tech, and scalable innovation from Bharat.
A key highlight of iDay 2025 was the release of the Indicorns List 2025, an initiative by Titan Capital that celebrates India’s 202 startups that have crossed ₹100 crore in annual revenue. These “Indicorns” collectively recorded ₹1.51 lakh crore in revenue and ₹7,393 crore in profits in FY24, while generating employment for over 1.46 lakh people. Leading the charge is Delhi-NCR with 51 Indicorns, followed by Bengaluru (42) and Mumbai (35), reaffirming NCR’s position as the epicenter of India’s profit-first entrepreneurial wave.
“India’s startup engine is thriving,” said Kunal Bahl, Co-Founder of Titan Capital and Snapdeal. “These 202 Indicorns prove that building large-scale, profitable businesses in India is not just a possibility—it’s already happening. Delhi-NCR’s lead in this movement underscores its strategic importance in driving jobs, innovation, and economic sustainability.”
Delivering the keynote session, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder and CEO of One97 and Paytm, reflected on India’s funding landscape and the evolution of its entrepreneurial journey. Comparing startup growth to crossing Delhi’s Outer Ring Road flyovers, he said, “Earlier, series A funding was like a missing flyover—investors were just tourists. Now, all the flyovers are connected. India’s funding ecosystem is robust, but today, investors are looking for startups building for India in India.”
On artificial intelligence, Sharma remarked, “We currently see AI as our assistant. But soon, we’ll become agents of AI. It’s not just a support tool anymore—it’s a transformative force redefining our roles.”
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Abhijit Phukon, Economic Adviser, Department of Financial Services, Government of India, who emphasized the need for agile and predictive regulation. “A balanced regulatory approach ensures both innovation and trust. Our commitment is to enable startups to thrive while safeguarding digital and financial ecosystems,” he noted.
Upasana Sharma, Executive Director of TiE Delhi-NCR, called iDay 2025 a “launchpad for India’s tech-powered future,” adding, “This platform is no longer just a discussion hub—it’s where India’s digital doctrine is being actively redefined. Sessions on space tech, led by IN-SPACe, and deeptech innovation electrified the conversation.”
With the digital economy expanding at twice the pace of GDP, iDay 2025 put a spotlight on India’s projected path to a $1 trillion digital economy by 2030. Experts pointed out that by the end of 2025, India will have over 900 million internet users—driven significantly by rural internet adoption.
Breakout sessions explored topics including 5G, fintech, e-commerce, startup policy, digital public infrastructure, and AI in agriculture and healthcare. Col Sanjeev Yadav, Director at UIDAI, showcased how Aadhaar authentication can spur innovation among startups. Meanwhile, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Dhananjay V. Khot, Director of Strategy and Planning at IN-SPACe, highlighted India’s ambitious leap into spacetech.
Among the distinguished lineup of speakers were Akshay Chaturvedi, Founder & CEO of Leverage Edu; Apurva Chamaria, Global Head of VC & Startup Partnerships, Google; Upasana Taku, Co-Founder & CEO, MobiKwik; Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President & CEO, Startup Policy Forum; Shantanu Deshpande, Founder & CEO, Bombay Shaving Company; and Ankur Warikoo, Founder, WebVeda. Their fireside chats and panels fueled powerful discussions on scaling with purpose and building for Bharat.
Mohit Joshi, CEO of Havas Media Network India—the Silver Partner of iDay 2025—commented, “TiE and iDay bring together India’s boldest entrepreneurial minds. At Havas, we’re proud to support platforms that champion innovation and purpose-driven digital growth.”
With an eye on the future, the event closed with strong calls for policy frameworks that better support capital access and founder-led innovation. The consensus among attendees was clear: India’s next tech chapter must be inclusive, profitable, and global in ambition.
TiE Delhi-NCR reaffirmed its commitment to fostering India’s next generation of entrepreneurs by offering mentorship, access to investors, and impactful platforms like India Internet Day.
About TiE Delhi-NCR
TiE Delhi-NCR is one of the most active and vibrant chapters of TiE Global, focused on empowering entrepreneurs. Through mentoring, networking, education, funding, and incubation, it plays a pivotal role in driving the growth of India’s startup ecosystem. With an expansive network of industry leaders and experts, TiE Delhi-NCR provides strategic support to help entrepreneurs achieve business excellence.
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