Ronnie Screwvala earmarks $50 mn to back AI, deeptech, spacetech startups; says he’s looking for his 'next Lenskarts'

Why the renewed focus on AI, deeptech and spacetech?

Screwvala’s shift into AI and deep technologies is guided by his belief that the most durable opportunities will emerge from applied intelligence, language systems and workflow-level software—areas where Indian founders can build defensible products without competing in capital-intensive foundational model races.

“In AI, 90–95 percent won’t make it past the starting gate. Everyone wants to rebrand their existing business as an AI company, but only a few will have a real product idea. Those are the ones that will endure," he said.

Alongside AI and deeptech, he is also placing early bets on private-sector space-tech, calling it one of India’s most overlooked but rapidly advancing frontiers.

This focus comes at a time when India is increasingly pushing frontier-tech investments. The government recently also announced a Rs 1 lakh-crore R&D scheme to support quantum, AI and deep-tech innovation.

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What qualities is he prioritising in founders?

Screwvala’s frontier-tech investment push comes with an equally deliberate filter on the kind of founders he wants to back. He is looking for teams with long-term stamina, frugality and the ability to stay committed through market cycles — an attribute he believes is becoming increasingly rare in the current startup environment.

“A real successful founder is someone who’s going to outlast others — not someone who raises more money or has a good two years,” he said, calling staying power the single biggest determinant of long-term value creation.

Frugality is another core criterion. He assesses it not through pitch decks but through early interactions, behaviour and sequencing. “Frugal does not mean bootstrap…you can have a thousand crores in the bank and still be frugal,” he said

Screwvala also criticised founders abandoning their ventures mid-way, a trend he sees more often in the AI rush. “The number of founders not in the mood to pursue their own business anymore is mind-blowing and criminal. You took investor money.”

How will the $50 million corpus be deployed?

While early-stage investing in India has seen a surge in small-ticket, high-volume angel cheques, Screwvala said his approach remains deliberately disciplined.

“Doing $30,000 or $40,000 cheques is spray-and-pray… I don’t know why people brag about investing in 100 or 150 companies,” he said.

The $50 million pool gives him room to double and triple down on founders who prove resilient. “If I’m convinced someone will stay the course, I’ll double down and triple down,” he said, adding that concentrated investing helps maintain alignment and avoids the cap-table noise that often derails young companies.

He also cautioned Indian founders against copying Silicon Valley’s capital-heavy approach. “Valley is different — nothing sparks like that here.” He argued that India’s markets reward execution clarity and thoughtful growth, not burn-heavy experimentation.

How prepared is India’s current founder generation for frontier tech?

India’s startup ecosystem, Screwvala said, is better positioned for the next decade of frontier-tech building because founders today come with stronger market understanding and broader skills than those of earlier cycles.

“The maturity level has definitely gone up… entrepreneurs today are much more multi-dimensional, and that’s very much needed. You can’t just be a tech entrepreneur or a marketing entrepreneur anymore — you need that holistic approach,” he said.

This shift, he believes, will shape the next wave of deep-tech and AI companies — and determine which of them earn a shot at becoming the “next Lenskarts.”