Sunil Bharti Mittal Says AI Opens New Opportunities For Businesses - indica News
iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
Bharti Enterprises Founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal believes the next phase of India’s economic growth will be shaped by entrepreneurs who can identify technological shifts early and turn them into business opportunities, including through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Speaking with Kevin Sneader, President of Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) at Goldman Sachs, during the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women graduation event, Mittal said tools such as ChatGPT had opened new possibilities even for established companies like Bharti Enterprises.
“We are seeing very different technology shifts happening. I would say that even ChatGPT has exposed a company like ours to new possibilities,” Mittal said.
He stressed that businesses cannot afford to wait for technological changes to become mainstream before adapting. Companies need to identify emerging opportunities and act quickly to stay ahead of competitors.
“You have to pivot, move out and find new areas. At a time when technology was coming through the door, we had to grab those opportunities early, almost at the same time as, if not ahead of, everybody else, and then take the chances necessary to create success,” he said.
Drawing on his own entrepreneurial journey, Mittal recalled how he moved from manufacturing bicycle components in Ludhiana to introducing push-button telephones in India in the early 1980s before entering the mobile telecommunications business.
He said recognizing opportunities at the right time had been central to Bharti’s growth, even when the company did not have the financial resources available to larger competitors.
“The lesson is that opportunities keep coming through the door. You have to identify them at the right moment and then run with them,” Mittal said.
He also highlighted the importance of securing funding and convincing investors of the potential of a business idea. According to Mittal, entrepreneurs need to communicate their vision clearly to attract the capital required to develop new products and services.
“You need to be convincing enough about your story, your product, service or idea that you can get people to put money on the table,” he said.
His remarks come as AI tools are creating new possibilities across industries, including telecommunications, while pushing businesses to rethink their strategies and operations. For established companies, adapting to these changes could be as important as identifying the next major business opportunity.
Looking ahead, Mittal expressed confidence in India’s economic prospects, pointing to its young population and entrepreneurial energy as key drivers of future growth.
“We will probably see India rise to become the second- or third-largest economy in the world,” he said, adding to the optimism surrounding the country’s economic potential over the next two decades. He indicated that young entrepreneurs would have an important role in driving that growth.
Photo courtesy: ANI Photo/Rahul Singh