At Inc42’s inaugural CTO Summit 2026 in Bengaluru, executives from ShareChat, Moj, Meesho, Rapido, and Shadowfax discussed the challenges of building AI products for millions of Indian users. These challenges include adapting AI to budget smartphones, multiple languages, and inconsistent network connectivity while keeping costs manageable, according to inc42.com.
During the session titled “Building AI Systems For Indian Scale,” Nitin Jain, CTO at ShareChat and Moj, emphasized the importance of flexible infrastructure that allows companies to switch AI models without rebuilding applications. He explained that tying to a single model or approach is not viable. ShareChat has invested in systems that enable model replacement, reuse of contextual data, and performance assessment across providers, tailored to India’s unique constraints such as mid-range devices and low bandwidth.
The need to serve a large, diverse user base with limited monetization potential drives innovation in data processing and recommendation systems. This approach contrasts with AI product strategies in markets with higher spending power. The executives’ insights highlight how Indian startups are adapting global AI advances to local realities, a critical step for wider adoption and scalability in the country’s vast digital ecosystem.
The CTO Summit 2026 marked the first event of its kind by Inc42, bringing together technology leaders to address India-specific AI challenges. The discussions underscored the ongoing efforts to optimize AI infrastructure and user experience for millions across India’s varied digital landscape.