Indian AI startups are commanding seed rounds of $3 million to $5 million and Series A cheques above $10 million, investors told The Economic Times, versus about $2 million to $4 million and $5 million to $8 million for non-AI peers. That premium is forcing smaller and micro funds to change playbooks if they still want meaningful ownership rather than token stakes. Why it matters: early-stage AI in India is repricing into capital-heavy bets. Caveat: interview averages can overstate the market, and thin wrappers will still struggle to raise.