Written by Nakul Jain CEO & MD ,Wadhwani AI Global

Over the past six months, building Wadhwani AI Global has felt like stepping into a journey where excitement and uncertainty constantly coexist. Our experience in India gave us confidence, years of learning alongside government, building solutions, and understanding public systems, but the world beyond India was still largely uncharted for us.

A simple question guided our early steps: would countries really want us here? Would we be relevant to their priorities, or would we arrive too early or too late?

Our first visits to Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya changed that conversation in important ways. Across governments, multilaterals, donors, partners, and civil society, we met leaders who were thoughtful, grounded, and curious. The conversations were not skeptical or dismissive. They were open, constructive, and future-focused. These conversations gave us quiet confidence that we had something meaningful to contribute.

They also reminded us to stay humble. These countries are not starting from zero. Many already have strategies, institutions, and capable teams in place. Our role is not to arrive with ready answers, but to understand context, strengthen what exists, and add value where it truly matters. Our experience in India taught us that AI is not something you “deploy” immediately. You build ecosystems first, strengthen systems, and move with patience.

The hardest part so far has not been partnerships or positioning. It has been translating rich conversations into concrete projects that solve real problems and have long-term ownership. That requires trust, clarity, and discipline.

What gives us confidence is the approach we bring. We stay with the problem end-to-end, from discovery and design to deployment, evaluation, and adoption, often working as an extended arm of government.

Internally, moments like our first town hall have reinforced this belief. Listening to teams step up, take responsibility beyond roles, and stay deeply mission-driven reassures us that we are building the right kind of organization.

As we look ahead, 2026 feels like the year where exploration turns into partnerships and partnerships turn into thoughtful, concrete projects that can demonstrate real value.

The journey remains complex, but it feels purposeful. And with the right partners and the humility to learn, we believe Wadhwani AI Global can build something meaningful in the years ahead.