Nvidia has officially joined the India Deep Tech Alliance, a coalition of investors dedicated to supporting the country’s deep-tech startups, marking a major commitment to the sector. The group has also announced the addition of new members and secured over $850 million in capital pledges.
Alongside Nvidia, new investors including Qualcomm Ventures, Activate AI, InfoEdge Ventures, Chirate Ventures, and Kalaari Capital have joined the initiative. This alliance, launched in September, initially committed $1 billion to help fuel India’s deep-tech growth, focusing on industries such as space, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics.
As a founding member and strategic advisor to the group, Nvidia will offer technical guidance, training, and policy input to aid Indian startups in leveraging its AI and computing tools. Nvidia’s involvement underscores the increasing importance of deep-tech innovation, particularly as India seeks to bridge its funding gap in research-driven industries.
Nvidia’s decision follows the Indian government’s recent launch of a $12 billion initiative aimed at bolstering research and development in a country known for its service industry but still lagging in manufacturing. Despite a 78% increase in funding for deep-tech startups in India, reaching $1.6 billion last year, it still accounts for only one-fifth of the total $7.4 billion raised across all sectors, according to industry body Nasscom.
The move by Nvidia and other investors aims to address the long-standing issue of underfunding for startups focused on high-end technologies such as AI, robotics, and semiconductors. Sriram Viswanathan, managing partner at Celesta Capital, one of the alliance’s founding members, emphasized the growing government support and the opportune moment for India to focus on deep-tech investments.
The alliance members are committed to deploying their capital over the next five to ten years, as well as providing mentorship and access to networks to strengthen India’s deep-tech landscape. Despite the growing momentum, the alliance operates on a voluntary basis, with no formal pooling of capital, Viswanathan added.
This collaboration marks a critical step in India’s push to foster innovation in core technologies, as experts argue that deep-tech investment is vital for ensuring economic and strategic independence.
