WITT Summit 2026: In the Values vs Valuation seminar at TV9 Network’s WITT Summit 2026, there was a detailed discussion on the startup ecosystem, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and changing methods of investment. In this session, four big founders and industry leaders from different fields shared their views on the current business environment and future direction. At the WITT Summit 2026, experts unanimously said that value is the foundation of any company and for long-term success, it is necessary for both value and valuation to go together.
value vs valuation
In the debate on value vs valuation in startups, new challenges and changing expectations faced by startups were discussed. The session titled “Value vs Valuation: Building the Business Case” featured Upasana Sharma (Executive Director, TiE Delhi-NCR), Arpana Shahi (Co-Founder, Gabit), Ankit Kumar (Founder and CEO, Skye Air Mobility) and Ashish Kumar (Co-Founder, Fundamentum Investment Advisors).
Uncertainty is the new reality
Upasana Sharma said that whether there is war or not, uncertainty has now become a big part of the global environment and anyone who wants to start a new business will have to work in this environment. He further said that the second big factor is technology change. Ankit Kumar, Founder and CEO of Skye Air Mobility, said that when it comes to stability, two things are important from a startup’s perspective. First, is what you’re making self-sustainable? Is capital being utilized properly? Because in today’s time money has become very expensive. He further said that the situation is changing almost every month.
AI is necessary
Describing AI as a disruptive technology, Ankit Kumar said that either adopt AI, otherwise you will be out of the system. This time is very critical and transition phase. He told that nowadays companies are using such tools which can predict what the customer can order tomorrow. He said that we cannot move forward by ignoring AI. I am personally working on bringing physical AI i.e. robot like technology into the delivery system.
Arpana Shahi, co-founder of health-tech platform Gabit, emphasized on customer-centric approach in the changing economic environment. He said that we work completely on customer-centric model. We do not rely on the subscription model. Despite global tension, we are not increasing prices for our customers. Trust is the most important factor in creating long-term value.
What do investors pay attention to?
Regarding investment, Ashish Kumar, co-founder of Fundamentum Investment Advisors, said that every investor wants his money to grow, but for this it is most important that the company first creates its real value. Only when value and valuation are aligned with each other, real benefits are achieved. He said that growth is important, but what is even more important is building capacity of the company. It should not happen that you get good returns in the beginning and later the growth stops.
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