Beyond the Hype: AI and the Real Economy

Rakhi Prasad, Board Member, MapmyIndia, was invited to participate in the panel discussion “AI & the Real Economy: Hype vs Deployment” at the Entrepreneur India Investment Forum 2026, organised by Entrepreneur Media India.

Moderated by Dipankar Mukherjee, Co-Founder & CEO, Studio Blo, the discussion brought together leaders from investment, education, financial services and AI to examine an increasingly relevant question: Are Indian companies deploying AI at a scale that is creating meaningful impact?

The conversation moved beyond the excitement surrounding artificial intelligence to focus on what comes next — how organisations can progress from experimentation to implementation, and from automation to intelligence.

The panel explored the opportunities and challenges of deploying AI across sectors such as education, healthcare and governance, while also examining where the technology can create measurable, real-world value.

Joining Rakhi Prasad on the panel were Chetan Mehta, Founding Partner, Aum Ventures; Vikram Tanna, CEO, Eros Universe; and Siddharth Sureka, Chief AI Officer, Motilal Oswal Financial Services.

The discussion reflected a broader shift taking place across the technology landscape. As AI adoption matures, the conversation is increasingly moving away from what the technology could potentially do to how effectively it can be implemented to solve real problems, improve decision-making and create tangible outcomes.

The Entrepreneur India Investment Forum 2026 brings together voices from investment, entrepreneurship, private wealth, technology, policy and enterprise to examine the forces that will shape India’s next decade of growth and wealth creation.

For MapmyIndia, participating in such conversations is an opportunity to engage with the wider ecosystem around how emerging technologies can move from promise to practical impact.

The next phase of AI will not be defined by hype, but by deployment.