Dr. Anshu Jalora of Sciative Solutions on AI-Driven Pricing, Customer Behaviour Shifts, and the Future of Revenue Optimisation

StartupTalky presents Recap'25, a series of exclusive interviews where we connect with founders and industry leaders to reflect on their journey in 2025 and discuss their vision for the future.

As businesses across sectors faced rising competitiveness, pricing volatility, and increasingly informed customers in 2025, AI-driven pricing moved from experimentation to a core business capability. Companies began responding to micro-shifts in demand with real-time agility, making dynamic pricing not just a defensive tool against inflation, but a powerful engine for revenue growth and customer value.

In this edition of Recap’25, StartupTalky speaks with Dr. Anshu Jalora, Founder & MD of Sciative Solutions, who reflects on how organisations shifted from “trying AI” to fully trusting automated pricing systems. Jalora discusses major tech breakthroughs, the evolving role of pricing teams, common transformation gaps, and the sectors most ready for advanced dynamic pricing in 2026—sharing a roadmap for leaders preparing for a future where every decision is powered by intelligence, speed, and transparency.

StartupTalky: Looking back at 2025, what patterns did you observe in customer behaviour, competition intensity, or pricing volatility across the industries you serve?

Dr Anshu Jalora: 2025 was an exciting year for pricing. Customers became more informed and confident in comparing options, which pushed brands to stay sharp. Demand started responding to micro-events almost instantly - a great opportunity for businesses that could move fast. Competition intensified, but it also encouraged innovation. While inflation created volatility, it also accelerated digital pricing maturity. The biggest positive shift was that organisations realised the opportunity: dynamic pricing is not just defence against volatility - it’s a powerful driver of growth when done right.

StartupTalky: AI-led pricing moved from “good to have” to “business critical” this year. What shifts did you see in how organisations adopted automated pricing or revenue optimisation tools?

Dr Anshu Jalora: This year, AI pricing truly came of age. Companies moved from trying AI to trusting AI. Instead of isolated pilots, we saw full-scale deployments because teams experienced real revenue impact. Pricing professionals embraced AI assistants not to replace them, but to make them faster and more strategic. Organisations that once hesitated are now leading adoption - especially in fast-moving and competitive markets. The momentum is strong, and the confidence in automation is higher than ever.

StartupTalky: As pricing engines now influence millions of daily decisions, what were the biggest technological or operational challenges your team solved in 2025?

Dr Anshu Jalora: 2025 pushed us to innovate at a pace we are proud of. We built pricing engines capable of supporting millions of decisions every day without slowing down. We also strengthened agentic AI with firm ethical guardrails so teams never lose control. Most importantly, we focused on making AI transparent - helping pricing teams understand the ‘why’ behind every recommendation. Once trust was built, adoption accelerated naturally. Seeing people feel empowered rather than threatened by AI has been one of the most rewarding outcomes of the year.

StartupTalky: With AI accelerating scenario planning and decision velocity, how do you see the role of pricing teams evolving inside organisations over the next 2-3 years?

Dr Anshu Jalora: The future looks bright for pricing teams. AI will take away the heavy lifting so professionals can do more meaningful work - shaping revenue strategy, experimenting with models, and influencing customer value. Humans will guide fairness, governance and creativity, while AI handles routine calculations. We’ll also see new forward-thinking roles like AI pricing strategists and optimisation specialists. Pricing will shift from a support function to a true business growth function, and the profession will become more strategic and exciting than ever.

StartupTalky: Many businesses still struggle between in-house builds and specialised pricing tech. From your vantage point, what misconceptions or gaps did you see in how companies approached pricing transformation in 2025?

Dr Anshu Jalora: Many companies start with in-house systems because the intent is right: they want control. But pricing science is deeper than rule writing, and the most successful transformations come from combining domain expertise, behavioural science and AI. Pricing is not a one-time project - it needs ongoing learning and adaptation. The positive news is that once organisations recognise this, the performance leap is dramatic. With specialised tech, they experience faster revenue impact, more accuracy, and most importantly - happier customers.

StartupTalky: As you look at 2026, which sectors or business models appear most ready for advanced dynamic pricing, whether due to market complexity, customer expectations, or margin pressure?

Dr Anshu Jalora: Travel and hospitality are already setting the benchmark for dynamic pricing and will stay ahead. Logistics and mobility will follow as they shift from cost-driven to value-driven pricing. Healthcare is emerging as a fast learner with rising digital adoption. And now we’re seeing dynamic pricing spread beyond a few industries - any business that faces competition or margin pressure has the opportunity to win with it. The enthusiasm across sectors makes 2026 a very promising year.

StartupTalky: What is your long-term outlook on AI-driven pricing in India and globally? How should leaders prepare for a world where every product, customer, and transaction is priced in real time?

Dr Anshu Jalora: We are moving toward a world where pricing becomes real-time, personalised, and deeply aligned with customer value. Every SKU, journey or service will find its optimal price in the moment - and that will lead to better customer fairness and better business outcomes. India is uniquely positioned to lead globally because of its digital adoption and appetite for innovation. The future belongs to leaders who treat pricing as a growth engine, not a back-office task - and that future is already unfolding.

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