India AI Impact Summit: India must shift from AI consumers to creators; literacy levels remain low, says Kore.ai’s Raj Koneru

At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Raj Koneru, the Founder and CEO of Kore.ai, emphasized that India's aspiration to emerge as a global leader in artificial intelligence hinges more on creating AI technologies than merely adopting them. He highlighted that a significant shift in educational frameworks and skill development is essential for this transition. In an interview with Business Today, Koneru pointed out that the majority of individuals engage with AI as passive consumers rather than active creators. He stated, "Most people use it as a consumer, not as a creator. Education and enablement programs must be adopted at all levels, starting from schools to professional education." Koneru raised concerns about the current state of AI literacy in India, which he deemed inadequate for the extensive changes needed. He urged that the government invest in educating more engineers, doctors, and other professionals on a large scale, arguing that AI should be integrated into the education system as a core discipline, akin to mathematics and science. He asserted, "Everybody needs to know not just how to consume AI, but how to create with AI." Addressing worries about job displacement in the IT sector, particularly in entry-level positions, Koneru noted that while automation will alter job functions, it won’t necessarily lead to job loss. He explained, "A large part of coding as we know it today will change, but the skill set will evolve from coding to instructing AI on what to code, followed by testing the outputs." Koneru also challenged the notion that India should focus solely on AI service delivery. He argued that the nation’s true strength lies in its ability to develop scalable applications. "India's biggest asset is its human capital. AI needs to be created; it doesn’t create itself," he explained. He characterized the opportunity not merely as a service sector but as a vast landscape for AI-driven products and solutions, stating, "I believe it is an AI application mountain that India can excel in." Founded in 2014, Kore.ai has established itself as a pioneering AI platform in India, integrating with over 70 model providers, including OpenAI and Anthropic. Koneru stated, "We are the earliest and only AI platform fully developed in India, leveraging our human capital." Rather than developing large language models, Kore.ai focuses on orchestrating them to enhance enterprise workflows and autonomous agents. Koneru concluded that India’s role in the global AI market is not limited to providing services but also includes leading the development of innovative AI applications.