Panellists at the AI Alliance expressed that Pune possesses all the necessary elements to emerge as the nation's hub for AI and startups.

Panellists at the AI Alliance Pune event, organized by CNBC-TV18 and Money control on March 28, highlighted Pune's potential, specifically citing its automotive industry and educational institutions as key assets. During the discussion titled "Pune: A future AI hub: What will it take?," speakers emphasized Pune's pivotal advantages, particularly its robust automotive industry and rich educational landscape.

Shailesh Saraph, EVP & Global Head (ERD) at Tata Technologies, highlighted Pune's innovative culture and its leading engineering colleges, as well as its thriving automotive sector, as primary contributing factors to its potential as the country's AI and startup hub.

Amit Paranjpe, co-founder of Rescore, drew parallels between Pune and global startup hubs like San Francisco, stressing Pune's possession of crucial catalysts for fostering entrepreneurial growth. He noted Pune's excellent educational institutions, hub of established companies, robust research centres, and comparable quality of life to larger metros as essential factors for its potential growth.

Paranjpe also highlighted Pune's strengths in B2B, particularly in software associated with manufacturing and fintech, thanks to the thriving Mumbai-Pune ecosystem. He emphasized significant strides in biology, chemistry, and materials, positioning Pune for substantial growth in the next decade.

Dr. V Premnath, director of Venture Center, stressed the need for policy interventions to bolster Pune's startup ecosystem, particularly in domains like AI applications in healthcare and environmental solutions. He emphasized the importance of government support in nurturing fledgling enterprises.

Sayali Karanjkar, a venture capitalist, pointed out the growing number of startups in sectors like fintech and data analytics in Pune. However, she highlighted the need for more cohesion and investment in the ecosystem, including addressing the shortage of VCs and fostering collaborations between universities and companies.

Karanjkar emphasized the importance of facilitating dialogues between startups and investors while fostering synergistic partnerships between academia, industry, and research institutes.

Saraph stressed the significance of cohesive collaboration among governmental bodies, academic institutions, industries, and research centers, emphasizing the importance of everyone working together to realize Pune's collective potential.

Paranjpe also acknowledged infrastructure challenges such as traffic congestion and the absence of a proper international airport, which hinder Pune's attractiveness to multinational corporations. Nonetheless, he highlighted Pune's exceptional strengths in automotive and manufacturing, fintech, deep tech, and defence research and development, positioning the city for substantial growth in the coming decades.