Cracking the Deeptech Commercialization Code in India

For decades, deeptech has been the slow burn of the startup world, full of promise but lacking the attention and capital that drive faster-moving sectors.

- BY ANIRUDH DAMANI MANAGING PARTNER, ARTHA VENTURE FUND

Investors avoided it for a simple reason: the timelines were too long, the risks too opaque, and the returns too distant. In India, those concerns were amplified by a harsh reality: the cost of capital here is high, and the opportunity cost is even higher.

Over the last five years, a significant shift has occurred in the deep-tech landscape in India. Development cycles are shortening and the government is injecting substantial support into IITs, deeptech incubators and initiatives like the National Deep Tech Policy, DLI and iDEX. The AI acceleration is also making a significant impact.

THE CAPITAL EFFICIENCY EDGE