The Spontaneous Genesis of Something Extraordinary
Sometimes the most important conversations happen in the most unexpected ways. Ashwin from Moative and I were talking a few weeks ago about India’s AI moment when we realized something profound: we’re sitting on a $100 billion opportunity that could reshape how the world thinks about enterprise software.
The domestic software market sits at $20 billion today. Our research partners at 1Lattice project it will explode to $100 billion by 2035. AI-powered automation will drive this growth across small businesses, enterprises, and government. The cumulative economic impact could cross $1 trillion while creating over 1 million jobs and nearly two dozen AI-first SaaS unicorns.
But here’s the thing about opportunities this massive – they don’t realize themselves. They need the right people in the right room having the right conversations at the right moment.
That’s how the SaaSBoomi Sangam was born.
The Meeting That Changed Everything
I’ve known Prasanna from Upekkha for over a decade. When Ashwin pointed me toward him, I expected a standard partnership discussion. Instead, within 10 minutes, we discovered something remarkable: Upekkha was already hosting VIBE 2025, the world’s first conference dedicated exclusively to vertical AI, bringing together 500+ founders, CXOs, and investors.
Our visions aligned perfectly. Both platforms wanted to enable Indian founders to maximize their potential. But we needed something more tangible than typical conference networking.
That’s when I remembered Intech50 from my iSPIRT days in 2003. We brought global CXOs and decision-makers into a room with Indian enterprise SaaS founders. The magic happened when theory met practice, when solutions found their problems, when partnerships formed that would reshape entire industries.
Back then, India’s software ecosystem was still maturing. Today, Indian founders are creating sector-defining products in healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services. As Rajan Anandan told me recently, we should be building for the India opportunity in AI with the same intensity we brought to the global SaaS market.
“This will work,” said Gowri from Antler when I shared the vision.
And within minutes of pitching it to Upekkha, we had our partnership.
What You’ll Actually Experience
July 11th. The Leela Palace, Bengaluru. Day 2 of VIBE 2025.
Imagine walking into a room where the CIO who reduced loan processing time from 3 days to 3 minutes is explaining exactly how they did it. The startup founder who figured out how to make AI models work with messy Indian data is sharing their breakthrough. The CISO who convinced their board that AI security isn’t an oxymoron is revealing their playbook.
This is what happens when you stop talking about AI transformation and start learning from people who’ve actually done it.
You’ll hear stories that haven’t been told in public before. The manufacturing executive who used AI to predict equipment failures and saved ₹50 crores in the first year. The healthcare startup that cracked the code on making diagnostic AI work in tier-2 cities. The banking leader who figured out how to measure AI ROI when traditional metrics don’t apply.
These aren’t case studies polished by consultants. They’re battle stories from executives who’ve risked their careers on AI bets and won. You’ll learn about the failures that taught them more than the successes. The unexpected challenges that nearly derailed everything. The moments when breakthrough felt impossible until it wasn’t.
You’ll witness something unprecedented: enterprise challenges being solved in real-time. CXOs will share the problems that have been sitting on their roadmaps for months. Startup founders will build working solutions. You’ll watch as theoretical possibilities become practical realities, as good ideas collide with real constraints and emerge as viable solutions.
You’ll leave with more than inspiration. You’ll have the contact details of the CIO who solved the exact problem you’re facing. The startup founder whose approach could work in your industry. The CISO who can help you navigate the security concerns that have been blocking your AI initiatives.
Most importantly, you’ll understand how India’s unique advantages – our technical talent, cost efficiency, and market complexity – position us to lead specific categories of AI innovation rather than follow someone else’s playbook.
Why Sangam? Why Now?
In Sanskrit, the word Sangam signifies the sacred space where separate streams create something more powerful than their individual flows. Transformation through union, strength through diversity, innovation through collision.
The SaaSBoomi Sangam brings together three distinct but complementary forces:
Startups with Breakthrough AI Solutions: Founders pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with artificial intelligence, creating domain-specific solutions that solve real enterprise problems rather than chasing theoretical possibilities.
Enterprises Ready for Transformation: CIOs, CTOs, and business leaders with actual budgets, real challenges, and the authority to make decisions that can transform entire industries. They bring the wisdom of scale, the knowledge of what works in practice, and the market validation that turns promising concepts into billion-dollar realities.
The Bold Vision of SaaSBoomi & Upekkha: Two platforms that have spent years building India’s software ecosystem, now combining their networks, expertise, and conviction that India can lead the global AI revolution. They’re together architecting the moment when India’s AI potential converts to AI leadership.
When these three forces combine, they create something entirely new – solutions that are both technically sophisticated and commercially viable, innovations that solve real problems rather than theoretical ones.
What’s Really at Stake
The global economic headwinds make this moment even more critical. Traditional funding is tighter. Market validation is more important than ever. The startups that thrive in this environment will be those that can demonstrate clear value to real customers solving real problems.
Similarly, enterprises can’t afford to make AI bets based on hype or hope. They need solutions that work, partners they can trust, and strategies that deliver measurable returns.
The SaaSBoomi Sangam creates the environment where these needs intersect with the solutions.
The Conversations That Matter
For CIOs: This is your opportunity to share your challenges with founders who can actually solve them. Learn from peers who’ve successfully navigated similar transformations. Leave with concrete partnerships and actionable strategies rather than abstract inspiration.
For Startups: Access decision-makers who control budgets and understand pain points. Get real feedback on your solutions from the people who would actually use them. Build relationships that can transform your startup’s trajectory.
For the Ecosystem: Witness the formation of partnerships that will define India’s AI landscape. See how vertical AI applications get refined through real enterprise feedback. Experience the energy that emerges when innovation meets implementation.
The Deeper Story
We won’t be copying Silicon Valley patterns or chasing global trends. We will create something uniquely Indian – solutions that leverage our technical talent, market understanding, and cost advantages to solve problems that matter.
The startups at the SaaSBoomi Sangam embody a new generation of Indian entrepreneurs who understand that sustainable AI businesses require deep domain expertise, not shallow pattern matching.
The CIOs attending would be leaders with real transformation mandates, actual budgets, and the authority to make decisions that impact thousands of employees and millions of customers.
When these groups come together in the right environment, they will create the foundation for India’s AI-powered future.
Your Role in the Story
The $100 billion opportunity will materialize whether you participate or not. AI will transform industries with or without your input. Indian startups will build unicorns regardless of your involvement.
But the specific shape of that transformation – which problems get solved first, which partnerships emerge, which standards get established – depends entirely on who shows up and what they contribute.
The SaaSBoomi Sangam isn’t a conference you attend. It’s a community you join, a conversation you shape, and a future you help create.
VIBE Summit 2025 | July 10-11 | The Leela Palace, Bengaluru
Where Vertical AI Delivers Real Business Outcomes
Day 2: The SaaSBoomi Sangam
A joint initiative by SaaSBoomi and Upekkha
To register please click here : https://thevibesummit.com/
The conversation starts now.
