India’s DeepTech Vision

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