Rahul Attuluri, CEO and Co-Founder of NxtWave, a fast-growing edtech startup from Hyderabad, represented the city as a booming technology hub at the World Economic Forum (WEF), Davos, making him the only edtech founder from Hyderabad invited this year.
As an international thinktank voice on AI, education, and workforce transformation, Rahul engaged with senior political leaders, policymakers, and global business executives, sharing insights on the urgent need for skilled talent as AI adoption accelerates globally.
Key trends noted at Davos also pointed to a shift that is accelerating faster than many realize, the rise of Small Language Models (SLMs) and task-specific AI agents. Several industry leaders highlighted how Indian businesses are increasingly adopting these smaller, multimodal models because they are faster, more targeted, and significantly more efficient than large, generic systems. He observed that Global CEOs have moved beyond the hype of AI just ‘chatting’ with us to a new reality where AI does large, complex tasks.
The real opportunity for Bharat lies in how these models work on basic mobile phones and in areas with patchy internet. This shift positions India to leapfrog traditional constraints and drive inclusive, last-mile AI adoption at scale.
Emphasising AI’s growing role in education, Rahul highlighted how AI-driven learning models are creating industry-ready talent, particularly from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, where students are overcoming language and access barriers to build advanced AI solutions for global companies.
Sharing outcomes from Davos, Rahul Attuluri, CEO and Co-Founder of NxtWave said, “Partnering with Bharat is no longer just an option; it is a necessity for anyone who wants to succeed in the new age of AI. We initiated high-level discussions with multiple governments and leading tech corporations and are now moving towards detailed conversations to co-create new-age upskilling solutions. Our focus is on aligning Bharat’s youth with the world’s most innovative ecosystems.”
During the forum, Rahul met with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana Chief Minister Shri A. Revanth Reddy, Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with CEOs and senior executives from leading global companies across technology, infrastructure, and education.
