India's scale, ambition and fast-growing culture of innovation position it to play a bigger role on the global stage, and artificial intelligence will only amplify that leadership, said PwC global chairman Mohamed Kande.
"AI makes this leadership even more powerful. It will democratise access to knowledge and create opportunities for breakthrough ideas from anywhere," he told the audience during a session titled 'Technology, Trust, and Transformation: The New Business Playbook' on day two of the event.
Kande, who has been to India often in the past 20 years, said each visit reminds him how fast things change. "As AI capabilities advance, we're living through a turning point in history. We call it the intelligence age. We had the industrial revolution, the digital revolution. It is now the intelligence age."
He observed that information is the foundation of everything, from how our bodies work to how supply chains and businesses run.
"AI makes it cheaper and faster to turn information into value. That changes the game. It means we will be able to design, discover, and solve problems in ways that once felt impossible," Kande said, adding, "AI may look virtual, but it runs on very real foundations - chips, rare minerals, data centres, and large amounts of energy. One AI query can use 10 times more energy than a traditional web search."
Some data centres now consume as much electricity as entire cities. To meet that demand, technology companies are investing in nuclear power, energy providers are expanding into digital infrastructure, real estate developers are building around data centres, and manufacturers are retooling for chips and equipment.
"This shows that the AI era depends on both the digital and the physical. That reliance is pulling industries together in new ways. We call it value in motion - because value is moving from one sector into another, creating new ways for companies to solve problems and create value," Kande noted.
Automotive, technology, energy, and telecom companies are working together to reinvent mobility. Healthcare and technology players are combining to rethink patient care. Food and agriculture businesses are linking with data and logistics to reimagine how the world is fed.
Kande said industry convergence is only part of the story. Public and private roles are converging, and leaders need to reinvent how they navigate both the public and private sectors simultaneously.
"The line between the public and private sectors is also shifting. Governments are making direct investments in ships, energy, and digital infrastructure like never before. They are setting new rules on data, trade, and security. Companies need to adapt to those rules, but they also have to help shape them."
Partnerships with governments, Kande stressed, will become as important as partnerships with industry peers. He outlined four principles to guide companies.
First, connect data points. "In times of uncertainty, you cannot rely on instinct alone, and assumptions cannot be facts. Leaders need enough signals to make informed choices. That means connecting data points that others see as separate," Kande said.
By linking information across science, business, and technology, leaders can uncover new opportunities and business models. Reinvention starts this way.
Second, fail fast and learn even faster. "In fast-changing times, no leader has perfect certainty. Acting only when every variable is clear means acting too late. Some efforts will succeed, some will fail. Both outcomes are useful-success shows what works, failure shows what to change," he said.
The faster you learn, the faster you find direction. "When the pace of change is this fast-and I would submit we haven't seen change this rapid in 15 years-the ability to keep learning and adapting is one of the most important qualities a leader can have," the PwC global chairman added.
Third, don't just refine, reinvent. "We've already seen industries converge and business models reinvented-from mobility to healthcare to food. The lesson is clear, especially about AI: it's not just an efficiency play. Reinventing your business with AI is not about asking 'how do we do this faster or better,' but 'how do we do this differently?'" he told the gathering.
Fourth, Kande said, build on trust. "Our study shows AI has the potential to lift global GDP by up to 15% over the next decade. But that outcome depends on trust. Without it, growth will be closer to 1%."
He urged business leaders to ensure AI is implemented responsibly, with strong governance and clear accountability. Reinvention, he said, will succeed only when it builds on trusted technology, trusted people, and trusted relationships.
"The business playbook is changing. Industries are coming together in new ways. Reinvention-not small improvements-will decide who wins, and trust will determine whether AI delivers value. These are the things leaders need to focus on," Kande said.
"AI makes this leadership even more powerful. It will democratise access to knowledge and create opportunities for breakthrough ideas from anywhere," he told the audience during a session titled 'Technology, Trust, and Transformation: The New Business Playbook' on day two of the event.
Kande, who has been to India often in the past 20 years, said each visit reminds him how fast things change. "As AI capabilities advance, we're living through a turning point in history. We call it the intelligence age. We had the industrial revolution, the digital revolution. It is now the intelligence age."
He observed that information is the foundation of everything, from how our bodies work to how supply chains and businesses run.
"AI makes it cheaper and faster to turn information into value. That changes the game. It means we will be able to design, discover, and solve problems in ways that once felt impossible," Kande said, adding, "AI may look virtual, but it runs on very real foundations - chips, rare minerals, data centres, and large amounts of energy. One AI query can use 10 times more energy than a traditional web search."
Some data centres now consume as much electricity as entire cities. To meet that demand, technology companies are investing in nuclear power, energy providers are expanding into digital infrastructure, real estate developers are building around data centres, and manufacturers are retooling for chips and equipment.
"This shows that the AI era depends on both the digital and the physical. That reliance is pulling industries together in new ways. We call it value in motion - because value is moving from one sector into another, creating new ways for companies to solve problems and create value," Kande noted.
Automotive, technology, energy, and telecom companies are working together to reinvent mobility. Healthcare and technology players are combining to rethink patient care. Food and agriculture businesses are linking with data and logistics to reimagine how the world is fed.
Kande said industry convergence is only part of the story. Public and private roles are converging, and leaders need to reinvent how they navigate both the public and private sectors simultaneously.
"The line between the public and private sectors is also shifting. Governments are making direct investments in ships, energy, and digital infrastructure like never before. They are setting new rules on data, trade, and security. Companies need to adapt to those rules, but they also have to help shape them."
Partnerships with governments, Kande stressed, will become as important as partnerships with industry peers. He outlined four principles to guide companies.
First, connect data points. "In times of uncertainty, you cannot rely on instinct alone, and assumptions cannot be facts. Leaders need enough signals to make informed choices. That means connecting data points that others see as separate," Kande said.
By linking information across science, business, and technology, leaders can uncover new opportunities and business models. Reinvention starts this way.
Second, fail fast and learn even faster. "In fast-changing times, no leader has perfect certainty. Acting only when every variable is clear means acting too late. Some efforts will succeed, some will fail. Both outcomes are useful-success shows what works, failure shows what to change," he said.
The faster you learn, the faster you find direction. "When the pace of change is this fast-and I would submit we haven't seen change this rapid in 15 years-the ability to keep learning and adapting is one of the most important qualities a leader can have," the PwC global chairman added.
Third, don't just refine, reinvent. "We've already seen industries converge and business models reinvented-from mobility to healthcare to food. The lesson is clear, especially about AI: it's not just an efficiency play. Reinventing your business with AI is not about asking 'how do we do this faster or better,' but 'how do we do this differently?'" he told the gathering.
Fourth, Kande said, build on trust. "Our study shows AI has the potential to lift global GDP by up to 15% over the next decade. But that outcome depends on trust. Without it, growth will be closer to 1%."
He urged business leaders to ensure AI is implemented responsibly, with strong governance and clear accountability. Reinvention, he said, will succeed only when it builds on trusted technology, trusted people, and trusted relationships.
"The business playbook is changing. Industries are coming together in new ways. Reinvention-not small improvements-will decide who wins, and trust will determine whether AI delivers value. These are the things leaders need to focus on," Kande said.
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