India's Deeptech Ambition: Going Global Now

India's deeptech ecosystem is showing strong growth potential, with experts emphasizing the crucial need for startups to cultivate both self-belief and global ambitions. This sector has gained significant traction, with government initiatives providing essential capital and policy support to foster an enabling environment. However, challenges remain, particularly concerning the availability of talent, especially at the mid-management level, and the need for more patient capital.

Despite these hurdles, founders in robotics, precision manufacturing, and semiconductors are seeing positive changes. While seed-stage funding has improved, securing larger rounds of $10 million to $15 million continues to be a challenge. Experts stress that deeptech requires a global market focus, and while government procurement can act as an initial boost, it cannot be the sole customer base.

To truly become a manufacturing superpower, India needs to focus on building foundational capabilities. Developing sovereign capabilities, especially in critical areas like semiconductors, is paramount. Furthermore, fostering self-belief among ecosystem participants is vital to accelerate the growth of deeptech, leveraging India's talent and scale for a global impact.