Madurai : Artificial Intelligence has the potential to be either an equaliser or an amplifier for organisations, depending on how effectively it is adopted. AI can serve as an equaliser by making sophisticated analytical and predictive capabilities, once accessible only to large organisations, available to businesses of all sizes. At the same time, AI can become an amplifier when combined with highly skilled teams that can unlock its full potential said Mr. B. Santhanam, former Chief Executive Officer – Asia Pacific & India Region & Former Chairman, Saint Gobain India.
Addressing a session on ‘AI will Change Business Forever: Are You Ready?’ held on the second day of YiFI 2026, the two-day national financial entrepreneurship summit organised by Young Indians (Yi), which concluded today, Mr. Santhanam said that AI adoption is inevitable, particularly for MSMEs. An organisation’s ability to integrate AI effectively would determine whether it scales successfully or risks being outpaced by larger, more agile competitors.
Illustrating AI’s transformative potential, Mr Santhanam cited examples of how the technology is helping organisations identify operational inefficiencies, improve communication across multilingual teams, optimise production scheduling, accelerate innovation, and strengthen customer acquisition through intelligent networking and customer matching.
Mr Santhanam observed that most businesses currently fall into the ‘Shadow AI’ stage, where employees independently use AI tools such as ChatGPT without an organisation-wide strategy, while others remain ‘Resistant SMEs’, continuing to depend entirely on legacy systems. A growing number, he noted, are emerging as ‘Synchronous SMEs’, integrating AI across functions by connecting customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and shopfloor operations. However, only a small number of organisations have evolved into ‘Augmented Enterprises’, where AI is embedded at the core of business operations and decision-making.
Highlighting the barriers to AI adoption among MSMEs, Mr Santhanam said that the biggest challenges are often rooted in perception rather than technology. Many businesses remain sceptical about whether AI can deliver tangible value, view it as an overhyped and capital-intensive investment, or doubt its effectiveness because their data is fragmented across spreadsheets, ERP systems, and institutional knowledge held by employees. He added that the shortage of AI-skilled talent further hinders organisations from adopting and leveraging the technology at scale.
The second day of the summit commenced with a keynote address by Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Government of India. The occasion also marked the launch of the logo and theme for Yi Take Pride 2026, the annual flagship session of Young Indians, which is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru in December 2026.
The event featured a session on ‘Building Startups’ by Mr Paras Jitendra Adani, Director, Adani Food Products Pvt Ltd, who shared his entrepreneurial journey and offered insights into building resilient businesses, identifying growth opportunities, and navigating the challenges of scaling ventures in a dynamic business environment.
The summit had a panel discussion on ‘Where Smart Money is Moving: The Future of Wealth Creation’, featuring Mr Arun Kumar Krishnan, Chief Executive Officer, Sinhoi Advisory Service; Mr Ravneet Gill, Founder, New Horizons Alliance; and Ms Priyanka Anand, Vice President – Corporate Access, Motilal Oswal Group.
YiFI 2026 also featured three masterclass breakout sessions. In ‘From Made in India to Loved Worldwide: Building a Global Brand with Purpose’, Mr Mohit Jain, Chief Executive Officer, Kimirica, shared insights on building globally admired, purpose-driven brands. Mr Rajiv Gupta, Chairperson, School of Family Business, Masters’ Union, led ‘Scale without Chaos: Building a Business that Runs without You’, focusing on scalable systems and leadership. In ‘The Founder’s Body – Entrepreneurial Success with Preventive and Sustainable Lifestyle Habits’, Dr. Pal Manickam, Health Expert and Social Media Influencer, highlighted the importance of preventive healthcare and sustainable lifestyle practices for long-term entrepreneurial success.
The summit concluded with a panel discussion on ‘What It Takes to Build an Enduring Enterprise’, featuring Mr Shankar Vanavarayar, Mr Srikant Suryanarayan, Mr Raghu Kailas, and Mr Dilip Krishna, all Past National Chairmen of Young Indians.