Deep-tech investors aim for synergies

As India bets on deep tech, investors are seeing collective intelligence — not competition — as the smartest strategy

- UDISHA SRIVASTAV

Last week, the corridors of the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi echoed with one buzzword — deep-tech. Itwas arguably the country's first deep-tech-only summit, TiEcon Delhi-NCR 2025, where policymakers, investors, founders, and enthusiasts gathered under one roof to discuss how India can lead in this emerging frontier. Amid the excitement, one theme resonated strongly — collaboration.

‘The summit underscored that deep-tech innovation cannot thrive in silos: It demands collective effort across government, industry, investors, and academia. The sentiment was echoed by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who noted that deep-tech is not just another sector in the startup ecosystem but a niche that can help reduce dependence on foreign tech capabilities.

He, too, signalled that the key to making India a global technology hub is collaboration within the ecosystem.

Deep-tech companies are those that are developing early-stage innovations based on scientific or technical breakthroughs that must still be designed for commercial use. In India, investment in the deep-tech sector grew from $1.3 billion (436 rounds) in 2023 to $1.52 billion (456 rounds) in 2024, according to market intelligence platform Tracxn. The year-to-date investment stands at $1.44 billion (248 rounds).

Deep-tech landscape

As India’s deep-tech push finds its rhythm, the momentum is largely being driven by the informal and formal collaborations that investors are already forging.