India needs sustainable ecosystem for deep tech startups: PSA Ajay Kumar Sood

Prof. Sood also serves as Chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council and is a National Science Chair Professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

India must build long-term, sustainable mechanisms to support deep tech startups if it intends to become a global innovation leader, according to Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood.

Prof. Sood, who also serves as Chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council and is a National Science Chair Professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), underlined the importance of India fostering not just startups, but sustainable ecosystems that allow them to thrive long term.

Citing the example of India’s successful space programme, Prof. Sood further noted that similar replicable models can be adopted across sectors, including defence, biotech, electric vehicles (EVs), and nuclear technology.

Prof. Sood, in an interview with The Indian Express, said initiatives like iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) in defence and BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) in biotechnology have already proven that such structured, need-based innovation ecosystems can thrive in India. He said that the space tech sector, with its cost-effective yet cutting-edge achievements, including a growing private sector presence, offers a “template” for replication across other deep tech domains.

Highlighting the financial needs of such startups, Prof. Sood pointed out that the Rs 1 lakh crore corpus fund announced in the Union Budget last year - aimed at providing zero-interest loans - could be instrumental in ramping up deep tech ventures, provided it is tailored to suit their distinct requirements.

Prof. Sood also revealed that eight deep-tech startups have already received funding support under the National Quantum Mission. As of now, there are about 35 quantum startups in India, he said, with a few big players and many small but promising ventures.

Similarly, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Mission, being implemented by MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology), has a dedicated vertical for startups, he added.

On the proposed Centre for Deep Tech Translation, Prof. Sood clarified that the effort may not be confined to a single physical entity. Instead, it could be a virtual or distributed network with a coordinated mandate to facilitate deep tech innovation.

Drawing attention to the defence sector, Prof. Sood praised the success of iDEX, calling it a prime example of targeted deep tech innovation.