Manish Maheshwari says speed now defines what Indian startups can achieve on the world stage. Speaking at TechSparks 2026, Stripe India’s Managing Director described how artificial intelligence lets companies reach foreign customers faster and at a fraction of the old cost.
That shift explains why global ambitions no longer wait for years of domestic scaling. Founders can incorporate, open payment rails, and sell internationally from day one. Maheshwari calls the model the “minimum viable company,” a lean structure built for cross-border revenue from launch.
The evidence backs him up. Emergent hit $100 million in annual recurring revenue within eight months. Pocket FM recently crossed half a billion in ARR. Two years ago, Maheshwari admitted, no one could have predicted such trajectories.
Stripe’s own data tells a similar story. Companies using Stripe Atlas to collect money from more than 100 countries have quadrupled over the past five years. For most, over a quarter of revenue now flows from beyond their top 10 markets.
As a result, localization generates serious money. Stripe research shows 76% of customers prefer paying in their own currency. Offering local payment methods beyond credit cards lifts revenue by roughly 12%. “You are leaving 12% of the money on the table by not offering them,” Maheshwari said.
Meanwhile, Stripe confirmed its agreement to acquire OpenRouter, the AI model routing platform. Token costs now rival payroll expenses at some new-age companies. OpenRouter would help businesses control AI spending while Stripe handles revenue collection through subscriptions, usage billing, and invoicing.
Maheshwari also addressed agentic commerce during audience questions. He called it “becoming more and more mainstream,” particularly in the United States. Stripe’s Link product allows users to authorize agents to spend within set limits. The company is helping shape payment protocols for agent-led shopping.
Retailers have already begun redesigning websites to work for both humans and machines. That dual compatibility may determine which brands win the next wave of automated purchasing.
