Coding automation has become an essential part of the startup ecosystem, with companies aiming to integrate AI tools to streamline development workflows, enhance productivity, and free up engineering teams to focus on higher-value innovation.
Advancements in Automation
- According to recent reports, 15% to 50% of companies are already using coding automation, with targets ranging from 40% to 85% by 2025.
- Startups in various sectors, including e-commerce, fintech, and SaaS, are leading the charge in automation, with companies like InMobi, Udaan, and LeadSquared already making significant strides.
- The use of generative AI tools is becoming increasingly prevalent, with companies such as InMobi, Udaan, and LeadSquared integrating tools like GitHub Copilot and Claude Code to automate routine coding tasks.
- Conversational messaging platform Gupshup has automated 35% of its coding workflows and plans to scale that to 70-75% in the coming months, while conversational AI startup CoRover has reached 40% automation.
Success Stories and Strategies
- Udaan, a B2B e-commerce platform, has automated 90% of its front-end development and 30% to 50% of its back-end systems for non-critical codebases, empowering its developers with AI-driven tools to increase productivity ten-fold.
- LeadSquared, a SaaS unicorn, has integrated AI tools like GitHub Copilot and Claude Code to automate 20% to 30% of routine coding tasks, with a target of 75% automation of undifferentiated code and 50% automation of core production code by the end of the year.
- Gupshup, a conversational messaging platform, is focusing on early-stage testing, reusable code components, and expanding its use of AI-assisted development tools, with plans to scale its automation to 70-75% in the coming months.
- CoRover, a conversational AI startup, is using its AI-powered framework to enable code synthesis, bug detection, and parts of the re-factoring process, with a target of pushing automation to 65% by year-end.
The Future of Automation
| Company | Automation Level | Target Automation Level |
|---|---|---|
| InMobi | 50% | 80% |
| Udaan | 90% | N/A |
| LeadSquared | 20-30% | 75% and 50% |
| Gupshup | 35% | 70-75% |
| CoRover | 40% | 65% |
“AI, still lacks the nuanced understanding and contextual judgment needed for high-stakes or complex decision-making in software design,” said Vikas Boggaram Setty, vice president of engineering at LeadSquared. “Our goal is not to replace human developers, but to eliminate repetitive, low-value tasks so engineers can focus on critical thinking, user experience, and system optimisation.”
Reskilling and Upskilling
Startups are investing in reskilling programmes to transition developers into roles requiring deeper technical expertise, such as AI/ML engineering and solution architecture.
“We’re not replacing human developers, but empowering them to focus on higher-value tasks,” said Ankush Sabharwal, founder and CEO of CoRover. “Our goal is to integrate automation in a way that enhances rather than displaces human talent.”
Emerging Opportunities
Startups are creating opportunities in emerging areas like AI ethics, model training, and collaborative workflows, with the broader goal of integrating automation in a way that enhances rather than displaces human talent.
PhysicsWallah, an education platform, has made significant strides in automation, and InvestorAi, an investment platform, is running experiments with AI agents to automate large-scale updates, with a target of scaling to 75% automation by the end of 2025.
The Road Ahead
Despite the aggressive automation targets, startups acknowledge that automation still has its limitations.
