Startup Policy Forum forms DeepTech Advisory Board to boost India’s deeptech ecosystem

Startup Policy Forum forms DeepTech Advisory Board to boost India’s deeptech ecosystem

Startup Policy Forum (SPF) has constituted a DeepTech Advisory Board comprising leading investors, founders, policymakers, and academics to strengthen India’s deeptech ecosystem and steer policy direction for the sector.

The board will help identify high-potential deeptech startups and provide strategic inputs for policy frameworks at a time when India is betting big on technologies such as semiconductors, quantum computing, defence tech, space, and biotechnology.

The panel features prominent investors including Prashanth Prakash (Accel India), Anjali Bansal (Avaana Capital), Sateesh Andra (Endiya Partners), Pranav Pai (3one4 Capital), and Vishesh Rajaram (Speciale Invest).

Founders such as Tarun Mehta (Ather Energy) and Anirudh Sharma (Digantara), policymakers like Dr. Chagun Basha (Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor), Panneerselvam Madangopal (MeitY Startup Hub), and Dr. Manish Diwan (BIRAC) are also part of the group.

Other members include Prof. Thillai Rajan (IIT Madras), Shradha Sharma (YourStory), and technology-focused investors Vibhore Sharma and Anandamoy Roychowdhry.

Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President and CEO of SPF, said, “India has the potential to be the world’s deeptech powerhouse. Our mission is to give these startups the right mentorship, policy support, and visibility so they can create the next wave of transformative companies from India.”

The board will anchor #100DesiDeepTechs, a nation-building programme launched with MeitY Startup Hub, Startup India–DPIIT, and IIT-Madras to identify and support 100 of India’s most promising deeptech startups. These startups will provide policy inputs, highlight regulatory bottlenecks, and receive mentorship and visibility to accelerate growth.

The initiative, curated by IIT-Madras, spans areas such as semiconductors, defence technologies, quantum, green hydrogen, drones, electric mobility, biotech, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and communications infrastructure.

The board will work closely with the Centre for DeepTech Policy Research (CDPR), SPF’s dedicated policy think tank, to reinforce India’s positioning as a global technology leader. Over the next few months, SPF will also organise sectoral roundtables to gather policy recommendations from the 100 selected startups. These will be compiled into a report by Ikigai Law and presented at the DeepTech Baithak.