Google India Executive Highlights AI as an Economic Equaliser for Small Businesses

Google India views artificial intelligence as an economic equaliser designed to provide small businesses with the same intelligence, speed, capability, and security as large global enterprises. Preeti Lobana, Vice President and country manager of Google India, shared this perspective during her address at the Google Cloud Day event.

Addressing over 600 business owners, managing directors, and technology executives, Lobana noted that while business leaders are excited about AI's potential, they also experience apprehension regarding complexities and costs. Many growing businesses worry that implementing AI requires massive IT teams, complex integrations, and deep financial resources.

Addressing these concerns, Lobana emphasized that technology is at its best when it remains inclusive and democratic, enabling even the leanest teams to operate efficiently. She pointed out that small and medium-sized businesses account for nearly one-third of India's GDP and over 35 percent of manufacturing output, serving as a core engine for Viksit Bharat 2047. Their adoption of digital platforms creates a ripple effect across supply chains, tier two and tier three cities, and rural areas.

According to Lobana, Indian industries have moved past initial proofs of concept into actual business transformation. The current opportunity lies in building a continuous intelligence engine where AI removes daily operational friction, allowing personnel to focus on innovation, market scaling, and relationship building.

Highlighting Google's long-term commitment to the region, Lobana noted that the company has invested USD 15 billion to scale India’s digital and artificial intelligence infrastructure. This investment includes an AI hub in Visakhapatnam and new subsea cables designed to provide connectivity and low-latency compute.

Google stated that this physical infrastructure is intended to support the IndiaAI Mission and reinforce the country's digital backbone. The initiative aims to ensure that developers and enterprises of all sizes—ranging from single-person setups to organizations with 200,000 employees—can access world-class computing resources to build for India and the global market.

"Google's focus on positioning artificial intelligence as an economic equaliser highlights a critical shift for India's small and medium enterprises. As infrastructure investments like the Visakhapatnam AI hub and subsea cables develop, SMBs will find it increasingly feasible to leverage advanced technology without heavy upfront IT investments. For entrepreneurs, integrating AI into daily operations to remove friction will be key to scaling effectively and competing globally." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes