According to Rohit Tandon of Deloitte, the traditional players may not lead India’s AI revolution; not because they’re slow, but because they’re built for a different era. Their strength? Cost efficiency. AI’s demand? Innovation. And that’s a mismatch. Instead, the next wave might come from young, agile startups not burdened by legacy systems. Even global giants like Microsoft and Oracle didn’t drive AI change; it was OpenAI and Anthropic. So why would India’s path be any different? Meanwhile, global AI players are now pushing for safeguards; not just for safety, but to protect their billion-dollar investments from cheaper, open-weight models gaining traction. If India moves too slowly, it may miss the boat. But rushing without guardrails? Dangerous. Tandon’s advice: adopt wisely. Use hybrid models; fast for critical decisions, cheaper for routine ones. India’s young talent and open ecosystem are its biggest advantage; if it’s willing to let new players lead. The future isn’t about defending old models. It’s about building smarter ones.