🤖 India’s Agentic AI Leap

Good morning. It’s mid week through the work week and a lot has happened already. Keep up to date but also please keep taking care of yourselves.

Let’s get this bread 🍞 

- Ruchirr Sharma & Shatakshi Sharmaa  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 🤖 India’s Agentic AI Leap

• 🍎 Apple’s India shift: A silver lining in Trump’s tariff cloud?

• 🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

  • 🌬️ Samsung is on the rise

  • 🚌 Hydrogen buses

• 🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

• 🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

AGENTIC AI

🤖 India’s Agentic AI Leap

India is charging ahead in the global AI race — and not just any AI. According to Deloitte’s latest State of GenAI (Fourth Wave) report, India is fast becoming a world leader in Agentic AI adoption, with over 80% of Indian businesses actively exploring autonomous agents. These aren’t just chatbots — they’re AI systems that act independently to achieve goals, think task automation with minimal human nudging.

What’s better? Half of Indian companies are prioritizing multi-agent workflows, where AI sub-agents collaborate like an autonomous pit crew under a master agent. It’s not sci-fi — it’s strategy.

The momentum is real:

• 70% of firms want to use GenAI for automation

• 50% are running 10+ GenAI experiments

• Most prefer off-the-shelf tools for speed (but with some side-eye about future-proofing)

But India’s AI sprint comes with caution flags. Concerns about AI errors, hallucinations, and data bias are still high. About 28% worry that their current tools could be obsolete in two years. The “buy over build” trend offers agility, but raises questions around long-term adaptability.

So, what does this mean for India?

India is positioning itself not just as an AI user, but as a global innovator — especially in the high-potential, enterprise-grade automation space. As the West debates regulation and China doubles down on state-led AI, India’s private sector is carving out a unique “move fast, govern smart” model.

But the next big challenge? Trust. To stay on top, India must address accuracy, data integrity, and governance head-on. That means building scalable ecosystems, investing in agile innovation, and yes — preparing for when AI doesn’t just assist, but decides.

Read more: Economic Times

MANUFACTURING

🍎 Apple’s India shift: A silver lining in Trump’s tariff cloud?

As the U.S. slaps steep tariffs on global imports, Apple finds itself at a crossroads — and India is emerging as the most promising path forward.

President Trump’s new “reciprocal tariffs” have upended global trade. China faces a whopping 54% tariff, Vietnam 46%, and even India — Apple’s rising star in iPhone assembly — isn’t spared, now hit with a 26-27% tariff on exports to the U.S. While not as punishing as China’s, it’s a sharp pivot from the previously duty-free setup Apple enjoyed.

But Apple’s got a game plan: shift more iPhone production to India — and fast. In March alone, Apple shipped five planeloads of iPhones from India to the U.S., rushing to get ahead of the April 5 tariff trigger. With nearly 15% of iPhone output already coming from India, the company is aiming for 25% by 2025.

This isn’t just about short-term logistics. Apple’s India push dovetails with New Delhi’s Make-in-India ambitions and ongoing efforts to clinch a bilateral trade deal with Washington. If successful, India could leapfrog into the role China once held — as Apple’s manufacturing nerve center.

For India, this means opportunity. India is being handed a rare chance to cement itself as a trusted, high-scale manufacturing hub — not just for Apple, but for the broader global tech supply chain.

But there’s a catch: tariffs on Indian goods are still steep compared to U.S. allies like Japan or South Korea. To truly capitalize, India will need to negotiate better trade terms, scale up infrastructure, and ensure seamless export operations.

Meanwhile, consumers — brace yourselves. If Apple passes on the tariff costs, an iPhone 16 Pro Max might touch ₹1.9 lakh ($2,300) in the U.S. — making “premium” feel like an understatement.

Read more: Economic Times

GENERAL OVERVIEW

🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

🌬️ Samsung is on the rise - Samsung India has doubled its room air conditioner sales in Q1 2025, reaching a 10% market share, thanks to its new AI-powered BESPOKE WindFree series. The company expects the market to grow 20–25% this year and plans to lead this growth. It has expanded distribution by 40% and partnered with banks to offer easy EMIs. Samsung’s ACs range from ₹32,990 to ₹60,900, making AI cooling more affordable. The company is also eyeing the commercial AC segment due to rising construction of malls and offices. Samsung aims to challenge major players like Voltas, LG, Daikin, and Panasonic in the Indian market.

🚌 Hydrogen buses - The Indian government has launched five pilot projects to test hydrogen-powered buses and trucks under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The initiative includes 37 vehicles and nine hydrogen refueling stations across ten routes, such as Delhi–Agra and Pune–Mumbai. Companies like TATA Motors, Reliance, Ashok Leyland, and NTPC are participating. Backed by ₹208 crore, the project aims to be completed in 18–24 months. The goal is to test hydrogen vehicles in real-world conditions, build refueling infrastructure, and assess their performance and economic viability—laying the groundwork for wider adoption of clean energy transport in India.

HEADLINES

🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

What’s happening in India (and around the world 🌍️)

• Wall Street titans push back on Trump’s trade war.

• President Trump threatens additional 50% tariff on imports from China.

• Shopify CEO tells teams to consider using AI before growing headcount.

• Mira Murati’s AI startup gains prominent ex-OpenAI advisers.

CULTURE

🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

• Odela 2 trailer: Tamannaah, as Saadhavi Shiva Shakthi, will fight evil forces.

• Robert Pattinson eyed for villain role in Dune: Messiah.

• IPL 2025: PBKS beat CSK by 18 runs. Leaderboard here.