IGIC 2026 Experts Urge Frugal, Vertical AI Focus

The 5th India Global Innovation Connect (IGIC 2026), organized by Smadja & Smadja Strategic Advisory, opened June 10 in New Delhi under the theme "India in the Age of AI." The two-day summit brought together policymakers, technologists, and investors. The dominant message on Day 1, per ANI reporting, was that India should skip the foundation model sprint in favor of frugal innovation and vertical AI.

Claude Smadja, Co-founder of IGIC: "India's strength has always been its ability to achieve more with less. Just as frugal innovation enabled remarkable achievements in sectors like space technology, the AI era presents a similar opportunity. Through strategic partnerships, leveraging open innovation platforms and focusing on strategic sectors, India can accelerate innovation while overcoming resource constraints."

Will Poole, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Capria Ventures: "The opportunity is not to chase foundation models, but to build vertically focused AI solutions that solve real-world problems at scale and can be exported globally."

Padmaja Ruparel, Founding Partner of Indian Angel Network, called for "patient capital and stronger funding mechanisms for deep-tech ventures."

Sanjeev Sanyal, member of PM Modi's Economic Advisory Council, argued for regulating AI the way financial markets treat non-deterministic systems: "AI is a non-deterministic complex system -- and we need to regulate it like one. What works is skin in the game: clear accountability, identifiable actors who bear the consequences of failure... Ultimately, we will need a global governance architecture for AI -- not unlike what SWIFT or the IMF represent for finance." V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, stressed that AI development must be guided by "ethics, accountability and sustainability."

India has committed over $20 billion to AI and operates roughly 2,200 Global Capability Centres employing 2.5 million professionals, per the summit. Speakers identified procurement, financing, and deep-tech commercialisation as the main bottlenecks. Ruchir Dixit, VP and Country Manager at Siemens EDA, said India can "not only participate in the global technology ecosystem but help shape it," citing engineering talent and closer industry-academia-government collaboration.

IGIC 2026 continues June 11, covering startup funding, digital sovereignty, defence innovation, and sustainability tech. Track sector-specific AI funding announcements, government procurement programs favouring domain-adapted models, and whether deep-tech commercialisation pathways formalize out of the summit.