The recent Citrini Research thought exercise on the “2028 Global Intelligence Crisis” should serve as a stark wake-up call for Indian mid-market enterprises. The scenario outlines a rapid, devastating collapse of traditional business models predicated on human cognitive friction, specifically highlighting how India’s IT services export engine faces an existential threat as the marginal cost of AI agents plummets to the price of electricity.

The recent DDI Global Leadership Forecast 2025 paints a sobering picture of a leadership ecosystem under immense strain, a reality we at VentureBean see daily among scaling Indian enterprises. The data reveals a staggering collapse in workplace confidence, with trust in immediate managers plummeting to a mere 29%, all while 71% of leaders report severe increases in stress and burnout. For mid-market Indian companies in the ₹10Cr-100Cr revenue band

The "Formalization" hustle is a one-way street. The latest SIDBI report is out, and it’s a masterclass in bureaucratic optimism. The headline? We have 6.2 crore registered MSMEs—up from 2.5 crore just a year ago. But look closer at the data. While 90% of you are "digital" enough to take a UPI payment , only 18% can actually get a digital loan.