Dear Reader,
TechSparks 2026 continued to enthral and inspire.
Day 2 of YourStory’s flagship tech-startup summit saw key conversations around deeptech, venture capital, and technology in governance.
Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Greater Bengaluru Development, Government of Karnataka, highlighted technology’s role in improving governance, enhancing transparency, and reducing corruption. He also said technology can help bridge the trust gap between people and the government.
Highlighting Bengaluru’s economic weight in GCC investments and IT service exports, he urged entrepreneurs and builders to apply their innovation beyond commercial software to real socio-economic challenges.
“Bengaluru continues to be the centre for dynamism that nurtures talent and is able to be the home for a lot of people who contribute productively to their own lives, the economy, and the services of the country as well as the larger global space,” said Gowda.
In a panel discussion on deeptech capital, venture capitalists said the deeptech ecosystem is giving rise to new kinds of founders and bold ideas. VCs focused on the deeptech segment believe Indian founders have several differentiated capabilities that can lead to the creation of self-reliant technologies.
The panellists emphasised that deeptech founders must identify niche areas and build solutions around them, as the traditional manner of creating products will no longer work.
In a fireside chat with Shradha Sharma, Founder & CEO, YourStory and The Bharat Project, Tally’s Managing Director Tejas Goenka and Executive Director Nupur Goenka spoke about how the company has stayed relevant for 40 years.
Here’s what’s in store for Day 3, the final day of TechSparks 2026.
In today’s newsletter, we will talk about
- Why Indian startups should build for the world from day one
- Govern like a bank, build like Big Tech: PhonePe’s Sameer Nigam
Here’s your trivia for today: What is the name of the Japanese optical giant, founded in 1919 as Takachiho Seisakusho, famous for pioneering medical endoscopes and cameras? (Scroll down for the answer)
TechSparks
Why Indian startups should build for the world from day one
Indian startups no longer need to wait until they establish themselves at home to expand internationally. Manish Maheshwari, Managing Director of Stripe India, says founders can think global and build for international markets from day one. At TechSparks 2026, he highlighted the role of payments infrastructure, localisation and AI in helping Indian businesses scale across borders.
Key takeaways
- AI is making it faster and cheaper for Indian founders to build businesses for international markets, without waiting to establish a strong domestic presence.
- Stripe data shows 76% of customers prefer paying in their own currency, while offering local payment methods beyond cards can increase revenue by around 12%.
- As AI adoption increases spending on tokens and computing, Stripe’s planned OpenRouter acquisition aims to help businesses manage AI costs while building sustainable business models.
TechSparks
Govern like a bank, build like Big Tech: PhonePe’s Sameer Nigam
PhonePe is balancing the demands of regulatory compliance with the need to innovate and scale, CEO Sameer Nigam said at YourStory’s TechSparks 2026. The fintech company is preparing to revive its IPO plans when global markets stabilise, while expanding its payments business internationally. Nigam also spoke about taking UPI to feature phones and making financial services accessible to more Indians.
Key takeaways
- Nigam stressed that trust, strong governance and non-negotiable ethics must go hand in hand with technology-led innovation. PhonePe undergoes around 130–140 external audits annually.
- PhonePe hopes to resume its listing plans once global markets stabilise, after completing much of the groundwork before pausing the process in March 2026.
- PhonePe’s feature-phone UPI offering is gaining traction, while the company is preparing to expand its full-stack payments business into the UAE, subject to final regulatory approvals.
News & updates
- AI for MSMEs: The/Nudge, an Indian action institute focused on livelihoods and economic inclusion, is receiving a $15 million commitment from Google.org to develop AI tools for India’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
- Jio IPO: Jio Platforms, the digital arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, will launch what is expected to be India's largest initial public offering on October 21, a company filing showed.
What is the name of the Japanese optical giant, founded in 1919 as Takachiho Seisakusho, famous for pioneering medical endoscopes and cameras?
Answer: Olympus
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