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9th July 2025 (13 Topics)

India’s DeepTech Vision

Context:

The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry recently highlighted the need to shift India’s startup landscape from surface-level business model innovation to Deep Technology (DeepTech), emphasising fundamental scientific research and engineering-driven entrepreneurship.

DeepTech

  • DeepTech refers to innovations that are founded on significant scientific or engineering advances. Unlike business-model innovations, DeepTech aims to solve real-world, complex problems using fundamental research and original product design.

Core Fields:

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) hardware and software
  • Robotics and automation
  • Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Material sciences and quantum mechanics
  • Power electronics and semiconductor design
  • Molecular drug discovery and medical technologies

Key Issues for a DeepTech Ecosystem

  • Product Mindset Deficit
    • India has not yet produced a globally acclaimed industrial or consumer product.
    • Reliance remains on foreign tech platforms (e.g., TensorFlow, Android).
    • China’s ascent in DeepTech began with reverse engineering followed by strategic R&D investment.
  • R&D Culture
    • DeepTech demands a long-term, failure-tolerant approach to innovation.
    • Requires founders with technical depth; e.g., Google (Larry Page), Tesla (Elon Musk), NVIDIA (Jensen Huang).
    • Indian startups need to prioritise in-house technological creation over outsourcing.
  • Educational Reforms Needed
    • Current curricula focus on tool-based learning rather than first-principle engineering and science.
    • Need to integrate multi-disciplinary learning (e.g., AI + Material Science + Healthcare).
    • Adopt models from MIT/Stanford that emphasise theory + application.
  • Supportive Infrastructure
    • DeepTech needs access to prototyping labs, precision testing centres, and certification facilities.
    • MSMEs and startups cannot afford such infrastructure individually.
  • Policy and Funding Framework
    • Agencies like NRDC must expand support beyond incubators.
    • Evaluation should be based on technical merit, roadmap, and R&D depth, not location.
    • Promote academia–industry collaboration, seed capital for hardware startups, and test beds.

Way Forward: DeepTech as Strategic National Asset

  • Policy Measures:
    • Launch a National DeepTech Mission under NITI Aayog
    • Increase public R&D spending (currently ~0.7% of GDP; target 2%)
    • Fast-track access to global patent networks and IP protection
    • Incentivise faculty-led startups and student research translation
    • Facilitate cross-border collaboration with institutions like DARPA, Horizon Europe
  • Institutional Steps:
    • Establish DeepTech Centres of Excellence in IITs/NITs
    • Reform AICTE/UGC guidelines to include research credits and industry internship mandates
    • Encourage PSU and private sector co-investment in DeepTech R&D consortia

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