“We can’t release something every six months”: Canva’s Cameron Adams on its AI-led product shift
India has become Canva’s fourth-largest market, with more than 1 billion designs and 250 million videos created by users in the past year.
Canva is changing the pace at which it develops and launches products as artificial intelligence rapidly expands what its platform can do.
“We can’t release something every six months anymore,” Canva co-founder Cameron Adams said in an interview with Moneycontrol, explaining how the company is adapting its product strategy to the faster evolution of AI models.
Instead, Canva is increasingly working in shorter development cycles, with teams assessing new capabilities and pushing products and updates out within weeks rather than following longer traditional software-development timelines.
India becomes a key market for Canva
The shift comes as India takes on a larger role in Canva’s global business. India is now the company’s fourth-largest market, with users creating more than 1 billion designs over the past year.
Indian users have also created more than 250 million videos on the platform. Globally, Canva has more than 265 million users, including over 31 million paying subscribers.
Adams said usage patterns in India are also influencing the company’s product roadmap, particularly around AI.
Canva Offline and Canva Code gain traction
One example is Canva Offline, launched in April after long-standing requests from Indian users. The feature enables users to work on Canva without an internet connection and has seen strong adoption among students and teachers in India.
Another is Canva Code 2.0, an AI-powered tool that allows users to generate websites, interactive widgets and other experiences from prompts.
Indian users are among the strongest adopters of the product, according to Adams. The company has seen applications ranging from educational activities and calculators to interactive menus and property listings.
Enterprise becomes another India focus
Canva is also expanding its enterprise business in India. Adams said the company’s enterprise segment has grown 100% over the past few years, making it an important area for further expansion.
Canva’s India team has tripled in size over the last two years, reflecting the company’s growing focus on the market.
AI changes Canva’s economics and pricing
The rapid adoption of AI is also forcing Canva to rethink how it monetises its products.
While the company continues to offer its subscription plans, it has added an option for users with significantly higher AI usage. Customers who exceed the AI limits included in their plans can purchase additional capacity through the Canva AI Pass.
Adams said enterprises are also becoming more careful about AI spending as companies assess the cost of high-volume usage against the value generated.