Can Mumbai unseat Bengaluru as a tech and startup capital?

Mumbai is India's financial capital, but can it also emerge as its most significant tech city? In Part 1 of this ET Digital roundtable at Mumbai Tech Week, the founders of the city's Tech Entrepreneurs Association present their case.In a discussion led by Deepak Ajwani (Editor, The Economic Times Digital), participants include:•⁠ ⁠Naiyya Saggi — Governing Council Member, TEAM; Founder of Good Glamm Group and EDT•⁠ ⁠Aakrit Vaish — Co-chair, TEAM; Co-founder and CEO of Haptik; Founder of Activate•⁠ ⁠Mayank Kumar — Governing Council Member, TEAM; Co-founder of upGrad and BorderPlusThey recount how the association started as a conversation among a "Five Families" group after the Covid pandemic. The founders argue that Mumbai possesses all the essential elements required for a tech hub: one of India's largest and most profitable startup ecosystems, easy access to capital, a vast consumer base, enterprise customers, half of the country’s incoming AI data center capacity, and five of its ten largest AI companies. They directly address the counterargument: does Mumbai have the necessary talent density and entrepreneurial culture to genuinely compete with Bengaluru? What aspects still need improvement?This candid conversation covers topics such as talent, profitability, infrastructure, and why the next great Indian tech company could very well be established in Mumbai. Part 2, focusing on AI and jobs, will follow.

Raccontata daeconomictimes.indiatimes.com