Simonsson: India has innovation conditions, needs fewer barriers

He highlighted India's encouraging conditions for innovation and its pool of talent, noting that more support for students and entrepreneurs could unlock even greater impact in high-tech sectors.

"India has a strong knowledge base. It is very much providing the right conditions for the people to innovate," Simonsson said, adding that while China benefits from a culture of developing new ideas, India shares this potential. "They need to make it easier for students and entrepreneurs to go this way and do things," he noted.

Financing, he added, remains key. "Some capital is needed as financing is also an important tool, but as more than 100 unicorns are based in India... startups can invest in these areas and do exactly how DeepSeek is doing."

His remarks aligned closely with domestic reflections on India's tech ecosystem. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Raj Shukla, Member of the Union Public Service Commission, underscored that India's success in high-impact innovation, such as seen with DeepSeek, depends on removing regulatory obstacles. "At the heart of DeepSeek is algorithmic innovation which comes from talent... We need innovation, but innovations and regulations don't go together," Shukla said during the summit.

He added that while India has immense talent, it must be allowed to "take off," stressing that for innovation to thrive, the country "has to deregulate hugely." His remarks reflect a growing consensus among Indian policymakers and experts that regulatory streamlining is essential to fully harness the nation's deep reserves of tech talent and entrepreneurial ambition.

Throughout the summit, delegates focused on how India could emerge as a leader in deep learning and AI by not only leveraging its strong academic foundations and growing startup ecosystem, but also by building a freer, more adaptive innovation environment--one that encourages experimentation, investment, and sustained technological leadership.