Why are Indian companies issuing dividends instead of investing in AI
Paras Chopra, co-founder of Wingify, is calling out big Indian companies for handing out dividends instead of backing serious AI research.
Speaking at a panel, he urged more investment in science to help India catch up globally in AI.
As he put it: "I have no idea why large companies in India are issuing dividends instead of conducting the kind of [foundational] research we used to see."
Level 0 work
Chopra believes India needs to focus on "Level Zero" work—basically, the deep research that powers advanced AI.
He pointed out that India lags behind countries like the US in computing power and encouraged founders who've exited their startups to reinvest in this space.
Investment in deep science needed
Despite his critique, Chopra is optimistic about India's potential if resources are channeled into real innovation.
He said he was "very optimistic about the talent we have" and urged investment in deep science.
Wingify co-founder
Chopra started Wingify—a SaaS company known for VWO (A/B testing), with most revenue coming from the US and Europe.
In early 2025, Everstone bought a majority stake for $200 million; Chopra still holds a minority stake and board seat.
He's also launched Lossfunk AI Lab after the sale, and had launched Turing's Dream residency earlier.