India needs long-term ecosystems to support deep tech startups: Prof. Ajay Sood

India must create sustainable, long-term support systems for deep tech startups if it aims to establish itself as a global innovation hub, said Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. Also the Chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council, Prof. Sood emphasized that nurturing startups is not enough, India needs to build ecosystems that allow them to grow and succeed over time. 

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Drawing parallels with India’s successful space programme, he suggested that similar scalable models can be applied in other deep tech sectors like defence, biotech, electric vehicles (EVs), and nuclear technology. He highlighted initiatives such as iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) and BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) as effective frameworks for sector-specific innovation.

On the financial front, he stressed that the Rs 1 lakh crore fund announced in the Union Budget for zero-interest loans could significantly boost deep tech ventures if tailored to their needs. He also shared that under the National Quantum Mission, eight startups have already secured funding, with around 35 quantum tech startups currently active in India.

He also noted that the AI Mission by MeitY includes a special focus on startups. Regarding the proposed Centre for Deep Tech Translation, he clarified it might function as a distributed or virtual network, rather than a single physical institution.