‘Should partner more with India’: US based founder hails fast evolving tech ecosystem

A US-based entrepreneur’s reflections after spending three months in India have gone viral on X (formally twitter), offering an outsider’s view of how the country’s digital infrastructure, startup energy, and technology adoption are evolving faster than many in the West realise. 

In the post, Vivek Ravisankar, Co-founder and CEO of HackerRank, said that “daily life here is ahead of the US in ways I didn’t expect,” pointing to seamless digital payments, rapid grocery delivery, and a pragmatic embrace of artificial intelligence as key differentiators shaping India’s current tech landscape. 

UPI as default, not disruption 

At the top of the list was India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), described as a system that “just works” across contexts — from street vendors to auto rides — without the friction of cards, app fragmentation, or settlement delays common in other markets. 

The observation underscores how India has leapfrogged legacy payment infrastructure, turning instant bank-to-bank transfers into an everyday utility rather than a fintech novelty. 

Quick commerce reshaping urban convenience 

The post also highlighted India’s quick-commerce model, where groceries routinely arrive in about 10 minutes. The experience, the author noted, recalibrates expectations — making 30-45 minute delivery windows in the US feel slow by comparison. 

India’s dense urban clusters and hyperlocal fulfilment networks have enabled this model to scale rapidly, positioning the country as a real-world laboratory for last-mile logistics innovation. 

AI adoption driven by use cases 

Contrasting attitudes toward artificial intelligence formed another key theme. While conversations in Silicon Valley often centre on long-term risks and regulation, the author observed that in India, students, creators, and businesses are already integrating AI tools into everyday workflows. 

“The conversation is ‘how to embrace it’ vs ‘should I be worried,’” the post noted, framing India’s AI story as one of applied utility rather than philosophical debate. 

Building a domestic AI stack 

The writer also pointed to the emergence of a homegrown AI ecosystem, citing startups developing foundational models tailored to Indian languages and use cases, alongside early-stage investors backing AI-native companies. 

Rather than merely adopting global technologies, the post argued, India is assembling its own technology stack aligned with local scale and complexity. 

From local champions to global ambitions 

Another shift identified was psychological as much as economic. Where Indian startups once focused on domestic success, many now aim to build global companies headquartered in India — reflecting growing confidence in talent, capital, and market readiness. 

Rise of global capability centres 

The proliferation of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) further illustrates this transition. Once viewed primarily as offshore support hubs, these centres are increasingly handling core engineering and R&D functions for multinational firms, embedding India deeper into global innovation pipelines. 

Growth trajectory outweighs structural gaps 

The post acknowledged persistent challenges — uneven infrastructure and regulatory complexity — but argued that India’s direction of travel matters more than its current state. 

Expressing a “very bullish” outlook, the author suggested stronger US-India collaboration could be mutually beneficial as supply chains, talent networks, and emerging technologies become more interconnected.