Nvidia on Wednesday became one of several major backers joining Indian and U.S. investors in strengthening support for India’s deep-tech startups.
The India Deep Tech Alliance, which aims to bridge a significant funding gap in the sector, has now expanded its membership and secured more than $850 million in capital commitments.
New investors in the alliance include Qualcomm Ventures, Activate AI, InfoEdge Ventures, Chirate Ventures, and Kalaari Capital.
The group, launched in September with an initial $1 billion commitment, focuses on advancing companies in high-tech industries such as semiconductors, space exploration, artificial intelligence, and robotics.
Nvidia, serving as both a founding member and strategic advisor, will contribute by offering technical expertise, training resources, and policy guidance to help Indian startups integrate its computing and AI technologies.
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Addressing India’s Deep-Tech Funding Challenges
The initiative marks another significant step to address what many founders and analysts view as chronic underinvestment in India’s research-intensive startup space.
Such ventures typically face difficulties attracting venture capital due to long development cycles and uncertain profitability prospects.
The move also follows closely after the Indian government unveiled a $12 billion program to enhance research and development, underscoring its desire to move beyond service-based strengths toward manufacturing and innovation.
According to data from industry group Nasscom, India’s deep-tech startups attracted $1.6 billion in funding last year—a 78% increase—but that still represented only about 20% of the total $7.4 billion invested across all startups.
In April, an Indian minister urged startups to emulate China’s focus on advanced technology instead of sectors like grocery delivery.
The comment sparked criticism from entrepreneurs, who argued that the government itself needed to create stronger frameworks to encourage innovation.
Industry experts widely agree that investment in deep-tech is crucial for developing strategic technologies—such as chips and AI—that underpin a nation’s economic resilience and technological sovereignty.
Sriram Viswanathan, founding managing partner at Celesta Capital, told Reuters that with expanding state involvement, “there’s no better time for India to look at deep tech.”
Celesta, which has backed ventures such as space-tech company Agnikul Cosmos and drone manufacturer IdeaForge, was among the initial investors in the alliance alongside Accel, Blume Ventures, Gaja Capital, and Premji Invest.
Over the next five to ten years, alliance members intend to invest their own capital into India’s deep-tech ecosystem while offering mentorship and access to global networks. “There’s no real pooling of capital. It’s voluntary,” Viswanathan explained, comparing the setup to Nasscom.
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