Data is not a moat: What India’s CTOs say will define the next tech edge

India's technology sector has traditionally relied on talent, affordability, and scale. However, the emergence of artificial intelligence could level the playing field, rendering these advantages insufficient to differentiate companies. At the 17th edition of YourStory's TechSparks, a panel of CTOs discussed the next competitive edge for Indian tech firms.

Nitin Jain, CTO of ShareChat and Moj, highlighted India's linguistic and cultural diversity as an opportunity to develop products for various audiences. The challenge lies in delivering comparable global experiences while managing costs. Despite the value of proprietary data, Ankit Maheshwari, founder and CTO of Innovaccer, cautioned that it alone does not create a competitive moat.

Healthcare data is often fragmented, and the real challenge is using it effectively to inform actionable insights. For financial services, trust can be a differentiator, as Narayanan pointed out, emphasizing the importance of building trust into AI systems through accuracy, safeguards, and accountability. Srividhya Srinivasan, CTO of Amagi, noted that India's complex media environment offers opportunities to develop products for global markets, including real-time dubbing and subtitling.

However, expansion should be contingent on market readiness rather than a fixed India-first approach. The panel concluded that while access to AI is crucial, it is not the sole determinant of success. Indian tech companies must leverage their strengths—talent, cost efficiency, and scale—to develop products that address complex problems and deliver tangible value.