From petri dish to payload: India's next Big Bang

Bengaluru-based Xovian Aerospace plans to deploy a constellation of satellites that will provide signal intelligence to track assets, including ships and aircraft.

- SHELLEY SINGH

At Digantara, the mission is to make space safe by creating, among other things, a space debris detector. In Chennai, The ePlane Co. is piecing together an electric aircraft designed to make urban air taxis a reality.

In the Delhi-National Capital Region, Dharaksha Ecosolutions is growing mycelium-based biodegradable packaging to replace Styrofoam. Meanwhile, technology veteran and former Tech Mahindra chief executive officer (CEO) C.P. Gurnani is helping "define how artificial intelligence (AI) and humans work together for the next 50 years" via AlonOS, a venture he cofounded with Rahul Bhatia, group managing director of InterGlobe Enterprises.

These are not your average startups. They are the flagbearers of a growing deeptech revolution—a shift from consumer-facing apps and marketplaces to startups solving hard, science-driven problems.

Over the past decade, India's startup narrative has been dominated by quick commerce, ride-hailing, financial technology (fintech) unicorns, and the like. Now, deeptech founders are building ventures that require years of research and development, deep capital, and patient execution—but promise to deliver transformative global solutions.

From labs to launchpads Take Digantara, cofounded in 2018 by then 19-year-old Anirudh Sharma. His team is building space situational awareness (SSA) systems that will make space safer and navigable. "The current systems for SSA and space domain awareness are outdated. We're building the invisible infrastructure—space-based sensors, orbital payloads, etc.—to make sure satellites, rockets, and spacecraft can operate safely," says Sharma.

Digantara has raised $15 million so far from investors including Peak XV Partners, Kalaari Capital, Global Brain (Japan), the Aditya Birla group, and the Small Industries Development Bank of India.