India’s deeptech startup ecosystem is witnessing growing investor interest, with themes such as technological sovereignty, import substitution, AI infrastructure and advanced manufacturing emerging as key investment opportunities. After years of limited access to early-stage capital, deeptech ventures are increasingly attracting funds willing to back them from the pre-seed stage, signalling a shift in the country’s venture capital landscape.

During a panel discussion at TechSparks 2026, an incubator, early stage venture capital firm and a late stage investor provided interesting perspectives on the evolving investment landscape in India, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence and deeptech.

Priyanka Agarwal Chopra, Managing Partner and CEO of IIMA Ventures, said deeptech had traditionally been a challenging investment segment because of its high risks and longer gestation periods, which often did not align with conventional venture capital timelines.

“When we started, our founding vision was to address gaps in India's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, particularly in markets and sectors where private sector capital was not available,” she said.

IIMA Ventures was among the early investors in India's deeptech ecosystem, supporting companies in areas that were then categorised as high technology. Chopra said two major themes currently driving deeptech innovation in India are technological sovereignty and import substitution.

She added that while investing in deeptech at the early stages was once a relatively isolated proposition, more funds are now showing interest in supporting companies even at the pre-seed stage.

The growing focus on building indigenous technology capabilities is also creating opportunities for Indian startups to address domestic requirements while developing products for global markets.

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