Accel Tells Indian Founders: Build on Foundation Models, Don't Compete With Them

Accel partner Prayank Swaroop said Indian startups should build AI applications and enterprise software on top of existing models rather than competing with OpenAI or Anthropic. The guidance concentrates Accel's $550 million India fund on the application layer, where capital intensity is lower but founders carry platform risk from external API providers they cannot hedge.