Vishnu Ramesh, a BITS Pilani (Hyderabad, ‘15), has emerged as a pathfinder in the rapidly evolving realm of artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship. His unshakable focus, innovative mentality, and constant pursuit of greatness have brought him to the top of the industry, inspiring others with his astounding accomplishments.

At the center of Vishnu's success is his innovative firm, Subtl.ai, a pioneering AI-powered platform that is transforming how organizations and individuals engage with data. Vishnu and his team created a cutting-edge system that smoothly bridges the gap between data and actionable insights. Vishnu's business path has been defined by a strong commitment to innovation and a desire to confront hard problems head-on. From gaining a large contract with the State Bank of India (SBI) to swiftly expanding Subtl.ai's user base to over 300,000, Vishnu's leadership has been critical to the startup's amazing development and success.

Can you take us through your journey from BITS to starting Subtl.ai?

I enrolled at BITS in 2015 as part of the Computer Science cohort, and while I enjoyed my classes, to be honest, my grades were not up to pace. It was below average, but I was fine with it. My motivation for attending college was to gain experience, meet new people, and do new things. After my third year, I realized that college was coming to a close, and I needed to figure out what I wanted to do with my future. My father has been involved in the startup sector since the early 2000s, so I was immersed in technology from a young age. I then got an internship at IIT Hyderabad. They established product labs, which take existing lab research and focus solely on making this technology production-ready. Around 2019, my father encouraged me to pursue a master's degree, but I was confident that this was something I wanted to accomplish. I enjoyed the publicity I received. When I decided to follow my interest, I began to notice the banking and insurance sectors working with data, and I believed that I could make their manner of dealing with data more straightforward, so in 2020, I founded Subtl.ai.

What was your motivation for pursuing entrepreneurship?

A few key factors drove my motivation for choosing entrepreneurship over a traditional IT job. Firstly, I was drawn to the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies and innovations at the industry's forefront. The prospect of constantly learning, adapting, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in AI was fascinating to me.

Secondly, the startup environment appealed to my desire for greater ownership, autonomy, and the ability to make a direct impact. While the path of entrepreneurship comes with its own set of risks and uncertainties, I firmly believe that the potential rewards far outweigh the challenges.

The thrill of building something from the ground up, the satisfaction of overcoming obstacles, and the chance to truly shape the future of the industry - are the driving forces that led me to choose the startup route over a more conventional IT career.

Also, as I mentioned before, my father has played a significant role in shaping my thoughts about startups, and the IIIT Hyderabad internship added fuel to the fire inside me.

What is the story behind the intriguing idea of Subtl.ai?

I agree with Einstein when he says, "Why do I have to remember something when I have it written down somewhere?" I believe that the Indian educational system has helped all of us mature, and we are all aware of how important it is to retain information. It isn't true that our problem-solving creativity is evaluated. I always felt that much judgment was based on our memorization skills, and I was always sympathetic to that. And I've always wondered why nobody has worked out how to become the internet equivalent of a private Google and why nobody can become that successful. Transformer received a redesign after Google researchers published a paper titled "Attention is all the Need" in 2017. That technology served as my idea for subtle artificial intelligence. And it came out that people could address their problems with this. Therefore, we aim to be one of the reputable businesses that connects all your confidential data to the system and quietly deploys it anywhere we choose. The fact that we won't make the data public is the finest part.

What difficulties did you encounter when developing subtl.ai?

When it comes to core AI, these things are rarely ready to use on day one when you start. A lot of time and effort goes into building it out if it’s a cutting-edge technology.

Both local and international businesses are leveraging large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT in the increasingly saturated AI applications market. Subtl.ai has had to pinpoint and emphasize its distinct value propositions to differentiate itself in this competitive market. Subtl.ai's emphasis on information retrieval and cognitive search instead of merely content creation is one of its main differentiators.

While many AI businesses are integrating LLMs with tools to automate chores, like creating videos or emails, Subtl.ai has focused on creating a dependable and highly accurate system for collecting pertinent data from various sources.

Since SBI is a government bank, we are interested in learning about the steps taken to protect the privacy of client information. Furthermore, I would like to know if Subtl.ai and RBI might work together in the future.

Protecting the privacy and security of client information, especially in collaboration with a government institution like the State Bank of India (SBI), is of utmost importance to us at Subtl.ai. We have implemented robust data security measures, including encryption protocols, access controls, and regular security audits, to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of all client data processed by our platform. We are open to exploring partnerships that align with our mission of providing innovative and secure AI solutions for the financial sector. Collaborating with regulatory bodies like the RBI could enhance our capabilities and contribute to developing more secure and efficient financial services.

The topic of oversaturation in AI has received a lot of attention. What are your opinions on this matter? I'm curious. Furthermore, I'm curious about subtl.ai's strategies for staying on the cutting edge of this quickly developing industry.

I have some divisive ideas. Every time a new trend emerges globally, generative AI is the one we're seeing right now. Having a home computer was popular in the 1960s and 1980s when large corporations like Apple and Microsoft were starting to emerge. Every time a trend emerges, a particular segment of the populace will follow it, claiming that since it's trendy, they'll follow suit and figure it out later. I don't think there is much lying that takes place. At the same time, it is the other way around, some claim that we have nothing operational. These things teach the industry a lot, in my opinion. Thus, if you can deliver on your promises, you're good, and the startup sector is seeing this correction. I can assure you that Subtl.ai is committed to staying at the cutting edge of the rapidly evolving AI industry. We achieve this through a combination of strategies, including continuous learning and experimentation, the development of our own in-house large language model to enhance our information retrieval capabilities, active collaboration and engagement within the AI ecosystem, a focus on adaptability, and continuous improvement of our systems, and the cultivation of deep industry-specific expertise to deliver highly relevant solutions to our enterprise clients.

How does subtl.ai plan to stay competitive and survive in the future market?

As I indicated before, supplying evidence is essential. We obtain client endorsements and obtain consent before using them as proof. Our system has undergone extensive testing, and the public can now access the data. We know how fiercely competitive the market is, but I have faith in my team's ability to succeed. We are a small team that values excellence over quantity. Having five outstanding individuals working on a project is preferable to having ten good individuals.

Could you tell us more about your experience at the E-summit held in our Institute this year?

The organizing committee and I had a meeting, and I must admit that they understood my hectic schedule. They wanted me to come and demonstrate to people how intriguing and feasible it is to create a career in startups, even though they knew I wasn't necessarily looking for an investment. Since many BITSians are younger than me and run successful firms of their own, I was especially eager to encourage people to get involved in the startup scene. Pitching is similar to batting in cricket, in my perspective. It is very likely that your first pitch will not go well and that you will "duck out." Having said that, I can attest that, having operated my own business for the past three to four years, I know that experience is crucial in this field. It all comes down to being willing to improve and learn from your failures.

What led to subtl.ai becoming a successful company from just a project you worked on in IIIT?

I discovered the professor was interested in creating a private version of Google. Knowing that this opportunity could get me involved in the IIIT ecosystem, I joined the team as one of the founding engineers for Product Labs. The project we were working on eventually became the company. At the time, there were six different projects, and one researcher was assigned to each. I approached one of the researchers and asked to get involved. Every day was a learning experience, and I gained much knowledge. Eventually, I became an entrepreneur and could incubate within the IIIT ecosystem. The early support I received was crucial. Coincidentally, we had a prototype of a generative AI ready when SBI came to IIIT. They agreed to be our first customer when we realized we had something marketable.

What would you like to tell students interested in the start-up sector?

I want to offer some advice for students interested in startups. First, find something that you truly empathize with. It will be a tough journey, so having a deep connection with your idea will keep you motivated even when you face failures. Persistence is key, and those who are willing to accept imperfection and work on it are the ones who succeed in this sector. This is an exciting era for Indian startup culture. While many phenomenal products have been created, nothing yet beats Google. Subtl.ai hopes to change that. Remember, even if you fail, you are not a failure. You only fail if you give up.

As Subtl.ai continues to grow and expand, Vishnu Ramesh's story inspires aspiring entrepreneurs, showcasing the power of perseverance, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of solving real-world problems. With his unwavering dedication and a team of talented individuals, Ramesh is poised to leave an indelible mark on the world of artificial intelligence and document management.