The Rise of India's Deep Science Ecosystem

Structural shifts in policy, capital and talent are transforming India's deep-science ecosystem, enabling faster validation, lower capital intensity and globally ambitious companies

- By Resham Suhail

After a decade of backing science-led founders, Ankur Capital's report describes an ecosystem that has moved from promise to capability in India. The evidence is concrete: ten deep-science investments across synthetic biology, advanced materials and semiconductors; more than 150 patents across portfolio companies; assessments of over 2,500 ventures; and founders now raising Series A and B rounds after achieving critical technology milestones.

Homegrown IP, Global Ambition

The India thesis is rooted in structural change, reflecting a shift in who is creating intellectual property. Domestic patents accounted for more than 50 per cent of filings in FY24, crossing 100,000 filings and placing India sixth globally in 2024. Crucially, these filings are coming from Indian institutions and startups.

At the same time, many founders are returning to India from global research labs and startups, bringing back intellectual property, networks and operational experience. India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs) have also evolved from back-office functions to running core global processes. In pharmaceuticals alone, GCC capacity has grown 2.5 times over the past five years, with 23 of the world’s top 50 pharmacompanies now driving discovery work from India. Skills that once sat at the periphery are increasingly translating into techno-commercial capability for Indian deep-science companies.