“India’s 2025 Budget is a decisive step toward building an AI-powered economy: Rahul Agarwalla
Ganesh Raju, Founder, Turbostart Global:
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, February 2, 2025: The industry leaders from the venture capital have welcome the union budget for the FY2025-26 presented by Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament on Saturday 1st Feb, 2025.
Mr. Rahul Agarwalla, Managing Partner at SenseAI Partners LLP.
"India’s 2025 Budget is a decisive step toward building an AI-powered economy. The Rs10,000 Cr Fund of Funds and Rs20,000 Cr investment in R&D signal that AI and deep tech are now central to India’s growth strategy. We see this as a transformational moment—where AI-first startups will go beyond proof-of-concept and scale into global enterprises.
The push for AI skilling, research fellowships, and IIT expansion ensures that India isn’t just adopting AI but creating the next generation of AI pioneers. As AI reshapes manufacturing, clean energy, and automation, the intersection of policy and innovation will define India’s leadership in this space.
At SenseAI, we believe the time for AI is now—not just as an enabler, but as a core driver of industrial, economic, and technological change."
(SenseAI is India's AI-first early stage venture capital fund)
Ganesh Raju, Founder, Turbostart Global:
"The 2025 Budget presents a pragmatic approach to startup growth. The new Rs10,000 crore Fund of Funds, combined with streamlined business registration processes, shows that we're moving beyond mere funding to creating an enabling environment for innovation. The emphasis on credit access, particularly the 1% guarantee fee for loans up to Rs20 crore in 27 key sectors, could be transformative for startups working on capital-intensive solutions in manufacturing, deep tech, and other strategic sectors. This is crucial as we see a shift from pure digital plays to more complex, innovation-driven ventures. However, the real test lies in implementation. While compliance reduction is a step in the right direction, startups need a more fundamental ease of doing business - faster fund deployment, clearer regulatory frameworks, and simpler tax structures. These are critical for early-stage ventures where time and resources are always at a premium. As we look ahead, these measures could help India move beyond being just a large startup hub to becoming a global innovation powerhouse.,"
(Turbostart Global is one of the major players in India's startup ecosystem. Turbostart provides venture capital financing to seed and pre-series startups.)
