The AI Vanguard: Indian Startups Leading the Next Wave of Intelligent Innovation

Creative image representing logos of STARTUPS with AI Revolution.
5 min read

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s here, transforming industries and reshaping how businesses operate. From personalized diagnostics to conversational commerce, startups across India are building cutting-edge AI tools that serve real-world needs. However, these advancements also bring ethical considerations and concerns around workforce disruption. Still, the AI revolution in India is accelerating, driven by entrepreneurs who are embedding intelligence into every layer of their business.

Here are 8 standout Indian startups that are pushing the boundaries of AI, one algorithm at a time:

1. Healthians

AI-Powered Diagnostics & Patient Engagement

  • Founded by: Deepak Sahni (Serial Entrepreneur)
  • Headquarters: Gurgaon, India
  • Presence: Operating in over 250 cities with 22+ certified labs

Key AI Innovations:

  • Video Analysis Feature: An industry-first innovation that helps users understand test reports through dynamic visual explanations. It breaks down medical jargon and highlights key parameters with personalized context.
  • WelliO – AI Chatbot: A smart, AI-powered health assistant that answers users' questions in real time. It enhances accessibility and offers reliable, instant guidance, strengthening Healthians’ digital-first diagnostics model.

Why it matters:
Healthians is setting a new standard in AI-integrated diagnostics, with an eye toward proactive health management and wider access to information.

2. Ikonz Studios

Hyper-Realistic AI Avatars & Holographic Technology

What they do:
Ikonz Studios specializes in generative AI and holographic experiences to create hyper-realistic, multilingual digital avatars. They aim to redefine how consumers engage with celebrities, brands, and content.

Key Projects:

  • Amitabh Bachchan’s AI Avatar: In partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank, Ikonz launched an AI-powered holographic version of Bachchan that can interact with fans.
  • Cross-industry applications: Expanding into banking, healthcare, education, and entertainment with scalable AI avatars and assistants.

Why it matters:
Ikonz is unlocking new immersive experiences and enabling global scalability of human-like digital interfaces.

3. Ola Krutrim

India-Specific Large Language Models (LLMs)

  • Founded by: Bhavish Aggarwal (Co-founder of Ola)
  • Valuation: Became India’s first AI unicorn in Jan 2024 after a $50M funding round
  • Total Funding: $74 million

Mission:
To build India-specific LLMs that reflect the country’s linguistic and cultural nuances, with the motto “AI for India.”

Key Highlights:

  • Language Coverage: Currently developing LLMs for 10 major Indian languages
  • Partnerships: Collaborating with Lenovo to build the ‘Ola Krutrim 3’ model—featuring 700 billion parameters

Why it matters:
While global LLMs dominate headlines, Krutrim is focusing on building contextual intelligence for India’s unique needs—across governance, commerce, and education.

4. Razorpay

AI in Fintech & Intelligent Automation

  • Industry: Fintech unicorn based in India
  • Serving: Millions of merchants across sectors

AI-Driven Products:

  • RAY: Multilingual AI chatbot for payments and payroll, operating through voice and text
  • Engage: AI-powered marketing growth suite for customer acquisition and retention
  • FraudShield: Real-time AI system to detect fraud and reduce chargebacks
  • RTO Suite: Helps eCommerce platforms minimize Return-To-Origin losses through predictive analysis

Why it matters:
Razorpay is building intelligent financial tools that remove friction, detect fraud in real-time, and support businesses with actionable insights.

5. MakeMyTrip

Personalized Travel Experiences with AI

  • Industry: TravelTech giant in India
  • Reach: 86,000+ hotels across 2,000+ cities

Key Innovation – Collections:
AI-powered hotel discovery engine that categorizes stays based on themes (e.g., romantic, pet-friendly, family vacations). The algorithm uses user behavior, bookings, and travel history to refine suggestions.

Other Highlights:

  • Live in: 30+ destinations (leisure & pilgrimage), and expanding
  • Continuous learning: The algorithm improves with each interaction for hyper-personalized travel planning

Why it matters:
MakeMyTrip is redefining the hotel search experience, making it intuitive and tailored to individual travelers’ needs.

6. Fenado AI

No-Code App & Website Development with AI

  • Founded by: Azhar Iqubal (Shark Tank India Judge, Founder of Inshorts)
  • Founded in: 2024
  • Customer Base: 200+ paying users globally

What it does:
Fenado AI allows users—especially those in non-metro cities—to build full-fledged apps and websites without coding. It’s a SaaS solution built for scalability, offering everything from design to deployment.

Mission:
To empower small businesses and individuals across tier-2 and tier-3 India to digitize quickly and affordably.

Goal:
Reach 10,000 customers by 2025 with 24/7 AI-driven support

Why it matters:
Fenado AI is democratising tech by allowing anyone to build and scale digital products without a developer background.

7. LimeChat

Conversational Commerce for D2C Brands

Core Offering:
LimeChat powers conversational experiences via WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. Its AI mimics in-store experiences through real-time, contextual chat that increases conversion rates by up to 10x.

Competitive Landscape: Competing with Noogata, TUNGEE, and Slang Labs

Why it matters:
As D2C brands scale, LimeChat offers a low-touch, high-conversion solution through AI-led customer support and marketing automation.

8. Beatoven.ai

Royalty-Free, AI-Generated Music for Creators

  • Founded by:
    • Mansoor Rahimat Khan: 7th-generation sitar player
    • Siddharth Bhardwaj
  • Funding Raised: $2.4 million (Investors include Info Edge’s Capital2B, IvyCap Ventures, Upsparks Capital)
  • User Base: Nearly 1 million globally

What it does:
Beatoven uses generative AI and open-source LLMs to produce original, mood-based, royalty-free music tailored for content creators.

How it works:
Creators input parameters like mood, genre, duration, and the AI produces fully customizable background tracks.

Goals:

  • Reach 5 million users
  • 10x ARR growth in 2 years

Why it matters:
Beatoven is empowering creators by removing music licensing complexities and offering studio-quality sound at scale—using AI.

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