India’s deeptech movement just received one of its strongest signals yet. After an eight-month nationwide curation process, the Startup Policy Forum (SPF) has unveiled the founders selected for its flagship #100DesiDeepTechs cohort, built in partnership with MeitY Startup Hub, Startup India (DPIIT), and IIT Madras.
The initiative brings together 100 founders across 10 strategic sectors and aims to place India’s frontier-tech entrepreneurs directly into policy conversations shaping the country’s innovation future.
The programme was first launched at TiECON Delhi in October 2025, with applications opening in July. Since then, SPF has curated a group that represents some of the country’s most ambitious work in semiconductors, aerospace, robotics, biotechnology, quantum computing, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
The founders are building India’s hardtech future
The newly announced cohort reflects a major shift in India’s startup landscape. For years, software dominated the conversation around Indian innovation. Now, founders are increasingly building hardware, industrial systems, energy infrastructure and scientific technologies.
Biotech and healthtech emerged as the largest category with 24 startups, including names such as Dozee, Eka Care, String Bio, SigTuple and CrisprBits. Clean tech and energy featured 12 startups, including AmpereHour Energy and Kazam EV Tech, while semiconductors included companies such as Mindgrove, Bharat Semi and AGNIT.
The list also includes startups working in drones and aerospace, electric vehicles, robotics, defence technology, advanced manufacturing and quantum computing. Companies such as Ather Energy, Ultraviolette, CynLr, Kalam Labs, QNu Labs and General Autonomy reflect the growing diversity of India’s deeptech ambitions.
What stands out most is the nature of these businesses. Many are building physical products and foundational technologies ranging from chips and batteries to autonomous robots, aerospace systems and quantum communication infrastructure.
Bringing deeptech founders into policy conversations
Unlike traditional startup showcases, SPF’s initiative is designed to directly connect founders with policymakers and ecosystem leaders.
The selected founders will participate in sector-focused consultations, closed-door roundtables and SPF’s upcoming DeepTech BaatCheet series. Their feedback will contribute to a policy whitepaper being prepared alongside Ikigai Law, focusing on challenges such as regulation, capital access, talent shortages and global scaling.
Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President and CEO of SPF, said the future of Indian deeptech will depend not only on technology itself, but also on the ecosystems and institutions supporting innovation. According to her, the initiative aims to bring together founders shaping India’s technological ambitions at a national level.
The timing is especially important. India is currently operationalising the Rs 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Scheme, along with a dedicated DeepTech Fund of Funds. SPF intends to use the cohort as a direct industry feedback channel into these national programmes.
A powerful mix of founders, investors and policymakers
Supporting the initiative is a 14-member DeepTech Advisory Board featuring some of the most influential names in India’s startup and investment ecosystem.
The board includes investors such as Prashanth Prakash from Accel India, Anjali Bansal from Avaana Capital, and Pranav Pai from 3one4 Capital, alongside founders like Tarun Mehta of Ather Energy and Anirudh Sharma of Digantara. Policymakers, academic leaders and ecosystem voices are also part of the group.
Among them is Shradha Sharma, Founder and CEO of YourStory, whose inclusion reflects the growing role of storytelling and ecosystem visibility in shaping India’s deeptech narrative.
Why the cohort matters beyond recognition
The cohort highlights India’s growing focus on deep infrastructure, scientific innovation and frontier technologies beyond consumer internet startups. More importantly, it gives founders direct access to policy conversations shaping the country’s deeptech future while signalling that India’s next wave of innovation is already underway.
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