The Neon Show

Cybercrime is predicted to drain the world of $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, making it one of the greatest threats to modern business.
Shikhil Sharma, co-founder & CEO of Astra Security, is building one of today’s most trusted pentesting platforms. Just last year, Astra uncovered over 2 million vulnerabilities across customer systems, preventing more than $69 million in potential losses

Shikhil shares why Astra was built as a product- and marketing-first company, how storytelling helped the brand connect with people by clearly showing its purpose and expertise and how founder–investor relationships are built on conviction and trust. 

He breaks down why pricing transparency is no longer optional for B2B companies and how trust is emerging as the true currency of go-to-market. We discuss what it takes to build a SaaS company in today’s AI-first world, from raising leaner rounds and running with smaller teams to creating products that customers love from day zero. 

Beyond the playbooks, this is a conversation about building durable companies and the mindset that drives Shikhil as a founder: success isn’t bought, it’s rented, and the rent is due every day.

0:00 — Trailer
0:56 — Early college days that led to a startup
5:00 — AI could cut startup costs and team size by 80%
8:43 — Why seed rounds should be under $500K
11:45 — Marketing can beat sales in early-stage SaaS
16:07 — Is Google search under threat from consumer AI?
20:23 — Why B2B startups must display pricing transparently
25:41 — What VCs lend founders beyond capital?
28:36 — How 42 CIOs backed Atomicwork
30:58 — Replace GTM with COT- currency of trust
33:34 — Why 20-year SaaS playbooks no longer works
35:37 — How AI is changing cybersecurity
41:38 — How the founders first met in college
46:33 — Are “hard startups” actually easier to build?
51:50 — Neon X Astra Security

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India’s talent has built the world’s tech—now it’s time to lead it.
This mission goes beyond startups. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
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This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

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“Push something a millimetre in the private sector, you make an inch of progress. In the public sector, it’s a mile of progress.”

Subroto Bagchi started his career as a clerk in the Odisha government in 1976, leaving postgraduate studies. Today, eight years after serving at the rank of cabinet minister in the same government, he has certainly changed countless lives, not nameless faces. In this conversation, he passionately shares stories of young men and women from Odisha who overcame generational challenges by getting skilled, gaining not just jobs but identity.

While this conversation could have focused on his remarkable journey building Mindtree in 1999 with 9 Co-founders and taking it to IPO, it goes beyond entrepreneurship. It’s about stories from hinterland India, seen through the eyes of a founder who spent 16 years in the private sector before serving his home state. Subroto also reflects on India’s big picture: instead of just chasing the trillion-dollar goal, we should also focus on improving quality of life for the 94% in the unorganized sector. 

This episode shares stories beyond metros, it highlights how building scalable solutions in business can translate into meaningful social impact. 

0:00  – Trailer
1:47 – 10-6-4-2 Method to evaluate ITIs
6:15 – Muni Tigga: Locomotive Pilot story
9:12 – Basanti Pradhan: Story of 50% of garment workers in Tiruppur from Orissa
15:49 – Sumati Nayak: How skills give us identity
19:16 – Joy of building Mindtree vs. joy of working in govt
20:35 – The difficult stories of people moving away for Jobs
23:32 – How Mr.Subroto accepted the Job?
31:13 – The story behind “The Day the Chariot Moved”
33:26 – How 8 years in hinterland India changed Mr. Subroto
37:14 – India vs. Bharat
42:04 – India’s priorities beyond the $5 trillion economy
43:43 – Quality of life for a gig worker in India vs. a developed country
45:29 – Reality of 94% India that is unorganised
47:50 – What India gives its vocationally trained students?
49:09 – Stereotypes about govt, that maybe not true anymore
52:03 – The highly efficient & incorrupt politicians
54:00 – Where the government has succeeded in delivery?
-------------
India’s talent has built the world’s tech—now it’s time to lead it.
This mission goes beyond startups. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

Find Mr.Subroto Bagchi's latest book here: The day the Chariot Moved

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Ashu Garg has backed companies like Databricks, Turing, Cohesity, Jasper, and Eightfold.ai as General Partner at Foundation Capital. Over the years, he’s seen multiple waves of innovation but in his words, nothing in the last 45 years comes close to the transformation AI is bringing right now.

Ashu discusses how the next wave of AI products will be driven by combining reasoning with reinforcement learning, and cautions every startup building on top of foundation models: that their vendors will also be their competitors.

He also talks about how agents are moving from simple copilots to autonomous workers, how the internet itself will have to be reinvented for an agentic world, and what happens when your agent can not only draft emails but also buy plane tickets or make payments on your behalf.

We also get into the realities of building AI companies today: why your competitor isn’t GPT-5 but GPT-7, where startups can actually outcompete big tech, whether geography still matters, and how relationships and access still shape outcomes in an age that feels completely digital.

This is one of the most insightful conversations you’ll hear on what it takes to build durable AI companies in this era and where the next generation of billion-dollar startups will come from.

0:00- Trailer
0:42 – Foundation models as biggest competitor of AI startups
4:19 – Agents are visible; reasoning is underneath
6:20 – The leap of AI from autonomous to automation
9:27 – Why the internet must be reinvented for AI
10:49 – What if agents act (and do payments) on your behalf? 
13:06 – Is Ashu using agents for himself?
13:54 – No tech shift in 45 years compares to today
15:38 – Who is accountable for what your agent does?
17:57 – Who has advantage: first-time or repeat founders?
19:27 – Does geography matter for founders anymore?
21:19 – Whose AI will become the user’s default?
25:44 – Where do startups have an edge in AI?
28:25 – How can startups outdo their model providers
31:21 – Does distribution still matter in the Agentic era?
33:29 – Why experience and access will always matter
35:36 – Startups today must compete with GPT-7, not GPT-5
37:09 – Why Dollars on talent poaching in AI makes sense
42:20 – Are only 1,000 people at AI’s cutting edge?
43:32 – What does Ashu garg look for in a founder?
45:15 – How to build more billion-dollar companies?

-------------
India’s talent has built the world’s tech—now it’s time to lead it.
This mission goes beyond startups. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

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A full founder’s arc: starting small, building global SaaS companies from Hyderabad, taking one to IPO, another to a billion-dollar exit, and then choosing to begin again (and again).

Kiran Darisi began at Zoho, founding team member of Freshworks at 25, and stayed twelve years till the company went public. Today he is building Atomicwork, reinventing service management in the AI era.

 Sreedhar Peddineni started with Host Analytics back when SaaS was still called application service provider, went on to create the customer success category with Gainsight, and is now on his third venture with GTM Buddy.

In this episode, we talk about what it takes to build companies that last for decades. We discuss how startups can find the “Goldilocks zone”,why smaller teams are creating more value than ever, and the mistakes founders often make when moving from SMB to enterprise.

Both founders share how AI is reshaping every layer of SaaS, why it’s both eating the pie and expanding it and what’s left for entrepreneurs when the biggest AI companies are chasing every vertical.

This conversation looks back at some of India’s iconic SaaS companies, shares lessons from two decades of building, and looks ahead to the future of SaaS from India.

0:00 — Atomicwork x GTM Buddy
1:17 — Why They Chose to Be Founders Again
8:27 — How to generate pipeline predictability at a startup?
16:46 — Becoming Freshworks’ Co-Founder at 25
19:43 — How Atomicwork Co-Founders Connected & Chose Their Problem
23:25 — Building Companies That Last for Decades
27:18 — Why Smaller, High-Quality Teams Win
30:21 — 1st vs 2nd Founders: What They Get Wrong
31:56 — Scaling: SMB → Mid-Market → Enterprise
33:36 — Category Creation at Gainsight
40:03 — Disrupting vs Expanding Large Categories
44:08 — How to Choose the Right Market
49:08 — Why Atomicwork Chose This Category
53:11 — The 'Goldilocks Zone' for a Startup Category
57:11 — Can Salesforce Be Replaced?
58:26 — Neon Fund x Atomicwork
1:01:27 — Neon Fund x GTM Buddy
1:03:44 — If Big AI Goes Everywhere, What’s Left for B2B SaaS?
1:07:36 — What to Build in the AI Era?
1:10:35 — Is AI Expanding the Pie While Eating It?
1:17:03 — How Useful Are Custom GPTs for Companies?
1:20:34 — Workflows vs AI Workforce
-------------
India’s talent has built the world’s tech—now it’s time to lead it.
This mission goes beyond startups. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

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A 14-year journey from bootstrap to scale.

Exotel’s story is one of India’s most remarkable SaaS journeys. Shivakumar Ganesan, started Exotel in 2011, bootstrapping it from the ground up. In 2012, he raised a seed round of ₹2.5 crore, but for the next eight years, the company grew without any external funding. Then came COVID and revenue went from $10M to $5M and what followed were bold strategic moves.

3 funding rounds, 2 major acquisitions, and the decision to stay focused on the Indian market despite advice to go global first. Today, Exotel powers calls for delivery executives, cab drivers, and banking relationship managers across the country.

In this conversation, Shivku shares what it’s like to tackle India’s unique AI challenge of building voicebots in 30+ languages, and how automation could reduce contact center jobs by as much as 80%. He talks about the tough transition from serving SMBs to enterprise customers and how he has built a ₹2500 crore+ business without leaving India.

If you’re interested in B2B companies built from India, this episode is full of insights on timing, reading the market, and creating deep moats in overlooked opportunities.

0:00 – Trailer
0:42 – Exotel enabling 2 Billion Calls Monthly
5:04 – 4 Fundraises & 2 M&A’s in 18 Months
12:06 – How Acquisitions Affect Company Finances
18:11 – Why 90% of M&As Fail
22:02 – Why Acquisitions Are Extremely Hard
22:59 – How AI Will Change Customer Relations
26:46 – How Customer Spending Will Shift with AI
29:10 – AI Could Reduce 80% of Jobs
30:27 – Where AI Offers Hope
31:47 – India’s Unique AI Challenges
34:60 → Actually 35:00 – Building in India for the US Market
38:17 – Why Exotel Didn’t Enter the US Market
39:49 – Indian SaaS Co’s Should Go Public
42:50 – The Mega Cycles of Tech Transformation
45:37 – Customer Segments: SMBs to Startups to Enterprise
56:45 – Find Large Uniquely Indian Markets to Solve
59:44 – India’s Shift from Price to Quality Is 20 Years Away
-------------
India’s talent has built the world’s tech—now it’s time to lead it.
This mission goes beyond startups. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

Send us Fan Mail

The software that powers 25% of India’s e-commerce transactions, processes a billion orders each year, and in 2025 alone fulfilled 20 million quick-commerce orders: Unicommerce sits at the core of India’s digital retail ecosystem. 

It is one of the few SaaS companies from India to go public, doing so after nearly a decade of steady growth without fresh primary capital until its IPO in 2024.

In this episode of The Neon Show, we sit down with Kapil Makhija, CEO of Unicommerce, the company quietly running India's $60B E-retail market (set to hit $2 Trillion in the next two decades). 

The conversation goes beyond the company’s journey to unpack how perceptions of Indian SaaS customers are changing: from the old belief that they “don’t pay” to a more nuanced reality where they value communication, support expectations, and long-term relationships define success.

We also look ahead to the future of SaaS in India: from the impact of AI, to the challenges of scaling from zero to $100M, to the balance between pricing and value, and identifying the sectors most ready for building large SaaS companies.

This episode is for anyone curious about the story of SaaS in India, from how it is being built, scaled & the opportunities ahead.

00:00 – Trailer
01:15 – India makes you product-ready & pressure-tested
03:45 – GTM: India doesn’t reward size, it rewards focus
05:00 – Joining Unicommerce the week Snapdeal acquired it
10:10 – Digital-first brands vs. traditional brands
12:36 – Why Excel and manual ops were the real competition?
14:25 – The acquisition of Shipway
17:02 – How will the company achieve 1000 Cr Revenue?
19:40 – How the decision to go public was made
23:40 – Success in SaaS isn’t sign-ups, it’s retention
29:31 – The myth that Indian customers don’t pay
33:30 – Do Indian customers want Enterprise support but SMB pricing?
36:40 – The impact of AI on SaaS
39:10 – Founder vs. CEO: Is there a difference?
47:29 – White spaces in e-commerce waiting to be built
50:35 – Q-commerce vs. E-commerce: where are brands betting?
52:07 – How SaaS companies decide if they’re IPO-ready?
55:10 – Can India build billion-dollar SaaS companies at home?
58:15 – How long does the 0 → $100M journey really take?
01:01:15 – How to build a ₹100 Cr SaaS company today?
01:09:53 – Are pricing advantages in SaaS sustainable?
01:12:22 – How much do brands actually spend on tech?
-------------
India’s talent has built the world’s tech—now it’s time to lead it.
This mission goes beyond startups. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

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The 21st century has shattered old assumptions about diplomacy.

Relationships between nations are no longer guided by ideology or morality, but driven by pragmatism and national interest.

This week, former diplomat Rajiv Sikri who served 36 years in the Indian Foreign Service, offers a deep dive into how global power dynamics are shifting. 

We discuss why the United States still remains the only true great power, yet its tariff policies are reshaping global trade and forcing countries like India to rethink their strategies. 

And explores how the Russia–Ukraine conflict has reshaped security and political choices. For India, Russia remains a vital partner, while Europe has chosen to cut ties despite its heavy dependence on Russian energy and Britain continues to commit billions to Ukraine even with its own economy struggling. Rajiv also examines China’s growing alignment with Pakistan and what this means for India’s long-term security and economic positioning. 

Rajiv also argues that a future global conflict may not involve every country, but rather regional conflicts with worldwide consequences.
This episode provides a clear-eyed analysis of global diplomacy; its complexities, evolving alignments, and the choices India faces in navigating an increasingly multipolar world.

0:00 – Why US remains the world’s true great power
3:35 – Has the WTO collapsed?
5:23 – How US Tariffs have destabilised the world
7:12 – Can India become an Agri-exporter?
11:32 – Why Trump puts the MAGA base first
13:21 – The Russia-Ukraine war explained
22:24 – Diplomatic relationships are no longer based on ideology
25:22 – Why Europe cutting ties with Russia may backfire
27:52 – Why Britain funds Ukraine despite its weak economy
29:57 – Did Operation Sindhoor reveal open Chinese support to Pakistan?
33:32 – What China risks from India’s rise?
37:24 – Why morality doesn’t exist in global politics
38:30 – Will China’s attitude towards India change?
39:28 – How China dominates global manufacturing
44:40 – Why global investors should bet on India
49:20 – Israel’s War Acts
53:17 – How will WW3 actually be?
56:07 – Can the world create an organisation not dominated by the West?
59:29 – Why India must act cold-blooded in its national interest
1:01:13 – Are India’s global moves headed in the right direction?
1:03:43 – Lessons from 36 years as a diplomat
-------------
India’s talent has built the world’s tech—now it’s time to lead it.
This mission goes beyond startups. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

Send us Fan Mail

Ashok Atluri founded Zen Technologies in 1993, bootstrapping from Hyderabad at a time when India was importing 70% of its defence equipment and private players contributed just 5% of procurements. It took Zen five years to win its first contract from the Indian Army in 1998.

Today, the company builds simulators and anti-drone systems, and has grown its market cap from ₹40 crore to over ₹13,000 crore.

Ashok shares that India needs to make it easier for private, self-funded R&D companies to succeed in defense tech and why the focus should be in building technology with India’s own IP. We also discuss the policy shifts he has seen in India’s defense tech over the last 32 years, and how policies like IDDM and Make-II have reshaped India’s defense manufacturing.

This is an episode with a founder who has spent over three decades turning India’s defence technology from an import-dependent sector into one that can build defense tech with its own IP.

0:00  – Trailer  
1:18  – Why entering defense tech must be easier  
8:48  – Building simulators for the army  
10:53 – Zen’s entry into anti-drone systems  
12:26 – 400x growth in 12 years  
13:41 – Policy shifts in defense tech  
15:42 – How Indian-owned IP can transform defense?  
19:24 – How big is India’s defense simulations market?  
22:06 – From ₹60 Cr to ₹930 Cr in 4 years  
25:27 – How are simulations built for future weapons?  
29:15 – India’s defense budget (foreign tech vs. local tech)  
30:23 – The entry barriers in the 1990s and even today  
31:43 – Is doing business with the government harder for some sectors?  
36:06 – Surviving 32 years being financially conservative  
37:29 – How Indian government is pushing exports in defense tech  
40:35 – Zen’s anti-drone systems used in Operation Sindhoor  
42:31 – Will there be an India–China conflict?  
43:15 – Where does China stand in defense tech?  
44:08 – How India should back its wealth creators  
49:12 – Policies that are enabling Indian defence companies today  
49:37 – Parrikar’s influence on private sector role in defense tech
-------------
India’s talent has built the world’s tech—now it’s time to lead it.
This mission goes beyond startups. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

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From idea to IPO and beyond. 

What does it take to back a company for nearly two decades?
There are no written rules to navigate one of the most important relationships in a startup. One between a founder and an investor.

This episode is an inside look at how one of India’s longest founder-investor relationships was built and tested, between Yashish Dahiya (Policybazaar) and Sanjeev Bikhchandani (Info Edge).

In 2008, a ₹20 crore cheque was signed for 49 percent of the company, based solely on a powerpoint idea.
What followed were regulatory challenges, shifting business models, new investors on-board, and moments of disagreement. But through 17 years, six funding rounds, and an IPO, they stayed aligned.
These are two entrepreneurs who built their first ventures a decade apart; Sanjeev in 1997, Yashish in 2008 and have seen the Indian startup ecosystem evolve from the ground up.

If you are building or funding startups this conversation will resonate with you for its honesty and give takeaways for your own journey.

0:00 – Infoedge Ventures X Policybazaar
1:08 – Sanjeev’s first memories of Yashish before Policybazaar
5:33 – Pitching of the Policybazaar idea 
11:08 – How Info Edge almost didn’t invest in Policybazaar
15:56 – What shaped Yashish as Founder & Sanjeev as Investor
25:14 – How the founder–investor bond evolved 
27:08 – The Boardroom Dynamics at Policybazaar
31:08 – Moments of Disagreement: ₹840 Cr raised, ₹700 Cr still in the bank
34:38 – What makes an investor-founder relationship work?
46:02 – What We’ve Learned after 17 years of building together
49:03 – How India can build Long-term founder-investor bonds
-------------
India’s talent has built the world’s tech—now it’s time to lead it.
This mission goes beyond startups. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

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The global strategy consulting market stands at $39.5 billion, with Asia commanding $9.1 billion. India contributes just $1.09 billion. This is despite having the talent; Indians run global back-offices for McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, and other consultancies. Yet, India continues to outsource strategy to the Big 4.

Sanjeev Sanyal, PM Modi’s Economic Advisor joins us to break this down.

We discuss the factors helping and hindering India’s growth opportunities. Sanjeev has long worked on improving the process reforms with the belief that this country needs small reforms that will bring huge impact.

We also discuss AI, with a policymaker who strongly believes unregulated AI will be catastrophic. Sanjeev shares his opinions on what could be the government’s approach to regulation, with acceptance of the limited predictability of future with AI.

If you want to understand India from a policymaker’s eye this episode is for you.

0:00- Trailer
0:55 – Why India Needs Many Small Reforms
2:50 – Was WFH Technically Illegal Until 2000?
3:57 – India as the GCC Capital for the world
7:02 – How did India go from filing 6,000 to 1 Lakh Patents?
13:45 – Why India Can’t build Its Own Big 4+3
17:40 – When professional bodies in India don't work together
21:05 – What happens when branding is banned?
24:08 – Restrictions That need to stay
27:11 – How India’s IT Sector Grew Without a Governing Body
30:06 – Are we risking catastrophic failure with Unregulated AI?
36:10 – Can We Regulate AI Like the Stock Market?
41:39 – Why India Must Shut down Population Control
47:10 – Will AI Replace Lawyers and Accountants?
49:14 – What India Isn’t Ready For?
51:31 – India as a historically risk taking nation
54:31 – Why are professional bodies holding onto protection?
56:55 – The Business Culture Problem in Kolkata
58:32 – Sanjeev’s Work in Agroforestry
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This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

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