India’s Rs. 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Fund is beginning to show early movement. The Technology Development Board has selected 22 startups to support, giving India’s deeptech ecosystem a much-needed confidence boost.

This is important because deeptech startups do not work like normal app-based startups. They often build in areas such as drones, robotics, biotechnology, advanced communication, space technology, clean energy, semiconductors and artificial intelligence. These ideas need more time, more testing and more patient funding.

The latest update suggests that the RDI Fund is not just a policy announcement anymore. It is now moving toward real support for companies that are trying to build hard technology from India.

What is the RDI Fund

The RDI Fund is a Rs. 1 lakh crore government-backed initiative aimed at supporting research, development and innovation in India. The idea is to help companies and startups working on advanced technologies that may take years to become commercially successful.

In simple words, it is meant to reduce the early financial risk for deeptech builders.

A normal consumer internet startup may launch a product, get users and show growth within months. But a deeptech startup building a drone platform, chip design, battery material or biotech solution may need years of research before it can sell at scale.

That is why patient capital matters. Patient capital means money that allows founders to build carefully without being forced to show quick returns.

Why selecting 22 startups matters

The selection of 22 startups by the Technology Development Board is an early sign that the RDI Fund is moving into action.

For founders, this kind of support can be useful in many ways. It can help them build prototypes, test products, hire technical teams, improve labs, file patents and prepare for commercial production.

For investors, it can reduce fear. Many private investors avoid deeptech because the risk is high and returns take longer. If government-backed funding supports the early stage, venture capital firms may become more willing to invest later.

For India, it supports a bigger goal – building technology at home instead of depending only on imports.

Why deeptech needs special support

Deeptech is difficult because the product is usually based on science, engineering or advanced research.

For example, a startup building an unmanned drone for agriculture or defence cannot simply launch an app and improve it later. It needs hardware testing, safety checks, field trials, regulatory approvals and manufacturing support.

A biotech company may need clinical research and lab validation. A battery startup may need material testing and factory-level production. A spacetech startup may need expensive equipment and years of technical development.

This is why deeptech funding cannot follow the same model as quick-growth software startups. The RDI Fund is trying to fill that gap.

What kind of sectors may benefit

The RDI Fund is expected to support startups and companies working in frontier technologies. These include artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, drones, advanced communication, electronics, clean energy, biotechnology and other high-impact sectors.

These areas are important because they can shape future industries.

For example, AI can improve healthcare, finance, agriculture and manufacturing. Drones can help in mapping, delivery, disaster response and defence. Advanced batteries can support electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. Quantum technology may support future computing and secure communication.

If Indian startups can build strong products in these areas, the country can reduce dependence on foreign technology and create high-value jobs.

Role of the Technology Development Board

The Technology Development Board is playing an important role in the early rollout. Its job is to support technology development and help companies move from research to commercial use.

This is a key bridge. Many Indian research ideas remain stuck inside labs because they do not get enough support to become market-ready products. TDB’s involvement can help some of these ideas move closer to real customers.

The 22 selected startups are part of this larger push. The aim is not only to fund ideas, but to help serious technology companies grow into commercial businesses.

What this means for startups

For Indian deeptech startups, the RDI Fund can bring three major benefits.

1. First, it can improve access to capital. Deeptech founders often struggle to raise money because investors may not fully understand the technology or may worry about long timelines.
2. Second, it can improve credibility. A startup selected under a government-backed deeptech programme may find it easier to speak with customers, investors and partners.
3. Third, it can support long-term product development. Instead of rushing to show quick numbers, founders can focus on testing, safety, quality and intellectual property.

Still, funding alone will not solve every problem. Startups will also need access to labs, skilled engineers, manufacturing partners, buyers and global markets.

Competitors and global context

India is not alone in backing deeptech. Countries such as the US, China, Japan, South Korea, Israel and members of the European Union have supported advanced technology through public funding, defence programmes, university research and industrial policy.

The reason is simple. Deeptech is linked to national competitiveness.

Semiconductors, space systems, AI, advanced telecom, clean energy and biotechnology are not just startup sectors. They are also strategic areas for economic growth and national security.

India’s RDI Fund can help the country compete better, but execution will be the real test. The money must reach the right founders at the right time.

Risks and challenges

The RDI Fund has strong potential, but there are some clear risks.

1. The first risk is slow approval. Deeptech startups need timely funding. If the process becomes too slow, companies may lose momentum.
2. The second risk is poor selection. The fund must support startups with real technology depth, not just strong presentations.
3. The third risk is lack of follow-on funding. A startup may need several rounds of support before it becomes commercially strong.
4. The fourth risk is market access. Even if a startup builds good technology, it needs customers. Government departments, large companies and private buyers must be willing to test and buy Indian deeptech products.

Conclusion with key takeaways

The selection of 22 startups under the RDI Fund is a positive signal for India’s deeptech ecosystem. It shows that the Rs. 1 lakh crore initiative is starting to move from announcement to action.

The fund can help founders working on difficult but important technologies. It can also encourage private investors to look more seriously at deeptech.

But the real success will depend on speed, transparency, strong selection and long-term support. If done well, the RDI Fund can become one of India’s most important innovation programmes.

Key takeaways

1. The RDI Fund is a Rs. 1 lakh crore initiative for research, development and innovation.
2. The Technology Development Board has selected 22 startups to support.
3. The fund is aimed at deeptech areas such as AI, drones, robotics, biotech, quantum, clean energy and advanced communication.
4. Deeptech startups need patient capital because product development takes longer.
5. The initiative can reduce early risk and attract more private investment.
6. The main challenges are timely funding, strong selection and market access.

Facts Input- Hindu BusinessLine, ET, TOI

IIT Roorkee, IvyCap Ventures and NuQuant have announced a Rs. 1,000 crore Super Endowment Fund under the Bharat Innovates initiative. The fund is meant to support India’s research, deeptech and startup ecosystem over the long term. This is not a regular startup fund that only looks for quick returns. It is designed as a long-term pool of capital that can keep supporting research, new technology, intellectual property and entrepreneurship across the IIT network.

For India, this comes at an important time. The country has strong engineering talent, but many lab ideas still struggle to become real products. A fund like this can help bridge that gap.

What Is The Bharat Innovates Super Endowment Fund

The Bharat Innovates Super Endowment Fund is a planned Rs. 1,000 crore initiative launched by IIT Roorkee in collaboration with IvyCap Ventures and NuQuant. In simple words, an endowment fund is a pool of money that is invested and managed for long-term use. The income or returns from that pool can then support research, startups, labs, students and innovation programmes.

The word “super” here points to the scale and ambition. The aim is to create a self-sustaining source of capital, not a one-time grant that gets used up quickly.

The fund will be managed by IvyCap Ventures. IvyCap was founded in 2011 by Vikram Gupta and is known for investing in startups through an alumni-led network. Its portfolio covers areas such as deeptech, consumertech, healthtech, fintech, edtech, SaaS, enterprise tech and electric mobility.

NuQuant is also part of the initiative. Its founder, Kislay Kanth, said the collaboration is meant to connect research, entrepreneurship and global capital so that Indian deeptech ideas can scale.

Why IIT Roorkee Is Important In This Story

IIT Roorkee is one of India’s oldest and most respected engineering institutions. It has a long history of technical education and research, and now it wants to play a stronger role in turning campus ideas into market-ready technology.

The institute’s director, Prof. K.K. Pant, has described the fund as a way to support future researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs. The larger idea is simple – ideas born inside Indian institutions should not remain only in research papers. They should become useful products, patents, companies and solutions.

This is especially important in deeptech. Deeptech means technology built on serious science or engineering. It can include semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, clean energy, healthcare devices, advanced manufacturing and climate technology.

These areas often need more time, more testing and more patient money than regular software startups. That is why a long-term fund can be useful.

Aim And Purpose Of The Fund

The main aim of the Bharat Innovates Super Endowment Fund is to support deeptech innovation from India’s academic ecosystem. Its purpose can be understood in a few practical ways.

1. First, it wants to help researchers move from lab work to real-world use. For example, a team working on battery materials may need money for testing, patents, industry trials and early manufacturing partnerships.
2. Second, it wants to support startup creation. A student or professor may have a strong technology idea but may not know how to build a company around it. The fund can help create a pathway from research to entrepreneurship.
3. Third, it aims to connect alumni, companies, investors, philanthropists and global institutions. This matters because deeptech cannot grow in isolation. A semiconductor startup, for example, may need university labs, industry buyers, global mentors and large investors.
4. Fourth, it wants to help India build intellectual property. Intellectual property, or IP, means legally protected inventions, designs, processes or technologies. Strong IP can make Indian startups more valuable and globally competitive.

Focus Areas Of The Fund

According to the announcement, the fund is expected to support strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, critical minerals, clean energy, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, circular economy, agritech and climate resilience. These are not small markets. They are areas where countries are competing for technological leadership.

Take semiconductors as an example. India wants to build a stronger chip ecosystem, but it needs more than factories. It also needs research, design talent, materials science, testing tools and startup-led innovation.

Clean energy is another good example. India’s energy demand is rising, and better battery storage, green hydrogen, smart grids and climate technology can create both business value and social impact.

Healthcare deeptech can also make a big difference. Affordable diagnostic devices, AI-assisted medical tools and low-cost health hardware can help India serve more people at lower cost.

How This Helps Startups

For startups, the biggest benefit is patient support. Many deeptech founders do not fail because their idea is weak. They fail because the journey from prototype to product is expensive and slow.

A founder building a new medical device may need clinical validation. A quantum startup may need specialist labs. An agritech startup may need field trials across different states. These things take time.

Traditional venture capital often wants faster growth. Endowment-backed support can give founders more breathing space in the early research and translation phase. This does not mean money will be handed out casually. Strong ideas will still need proof, teams and clear use cases. But the structure can make it easier for serious research-led startups to survive the difficult middle stage.

Competitor And Market Context

The Bharat Innovates Super Endowment Fund is part of a larger trend. Indian universities and venture firms are becoming more active in deeptech and campus-led innovation. IIT Madras and Unicorn India Ventures recently announced a Rs. 600 crore deeptech fund, with a greenshoe option that could take the total size to Rs. 1,000 crore. IIT Madras also has one of India’s strongest startup incubation ecosystems.

IIT Delhi has also been linked with endowment-led innovation efforts, and IvyCap’s Vikram Gupta referred to India’s first endowment fund at IIT Delhi while speaking about this new initiative.

So, this is not just one fund. It shows that India’s top institutes are trying to build a more serious funding pipeline for research-based startups.

The competition is healthy. If IIT Roorkee, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and other institutions build stronger innovation platforms, founders will have more options and better support.

Why This Matters For India’s Future Economy

India has already built a large digital startup ecosystem in sectors like fintech, food delivery, ecommerce and consumer apps. The next big opportunity may come from deeper technology. Deeptech can create stronger export potential, better manufacturing capability and high-value jobs. It can also help solve local problems in farming, healthcare, mobility, energy and climate.

But deeptech needs a different mindset. It cannot always grow like a consumer app. It may take years before a product is ready. It may need scientists, engineers, policy support and industry partnerships working together.

That is why the Bharat Innovates Super Endowment Fund is worth watching. It tries to build a long-term support system, not just a funding headline.

Conclusion With Key Takeaways

IIT Roorkee, IvyCap Ventures and NuQuant’s Rs. 1,000 crore Bharat Innovates Super Endowment Fund could become an important step for India’s deeptech ecosystem. Its real value will depend on how well it turns research into usable technology, startups and intellectual property.

Key takeaways

• The Bharat Innovates Super Endowment Fund has a target corpus of around Rs. 1,000 crore.
• It has been announced by IIT Roorkee in collaboration with IvyCap Ventures and NuQuant.
• IvyCap Ventures, founded by Vikram Gupta in 2011, will manage the endowment.
• The fund aims to support research, entrepreneurship, startup creation and technology translation.
• Focus areas include AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, clean energy, healthcare, agritech and advanced manufacturing.

The initiative can help India move more campus research into real products and companies.

Facts Input- ET

India’s startup funding momentum stayed active in the week of May 16 to May 22, 2026, but the pattern was very clear which is that capital was concentrated in a few larger rounds, while the rest of the market saw selective early-stage activity.

Different weekly trackers reported different totals, depending on deal filters and disclosure cutoffs. YourStory reported about $124.4 million across 15 disclosed deals for May 16–22, while Inc42’s May 18–22 window tracked $92.2 million across 17 deals. Even with this variation, both reports point to the same direction i.e. investor confidence exists, but it is highly quality-focused.

Let’s explore what happened, who raised, which investors were most active, and what founders should learn from this week.

Weekly Snapshot-Big Capital, But Clustered in Fewer Startups

The strongest signal this week was concentration. A few large rounds accounted for most of the capital. From reported data, below is the summary-

• Scapia raised $63 million (largest deal of the week)
• Solfin raised about $29 million (per YourStory’s weekly summary)
• Mid-sized and early-stage deals continued in robotics, media, healthtech, agritech, and investment tech

In simple terms, this was not a broad “everything is hot” week. It was a “conviction capital” week where investors backed startups with clearer execution stories.

Key Deals to Watch (May 16–22)

1) Scapia – $63M (Fintech / Travel)

Scapia led the week with a $63 million raise. Scapia was founded in 2022 by Anil Goteti (ex-Flipkart). This matters because it reinforces that fintech remains investable when growth and monetization are visible.
Travel-linked financial products are gaining traction as urban and tier-2 travel demand expands.

2) Solfin — ~$29M (Financial Services)

Solfin is another major funded startup in the same week. It confirms investor appetite for credit, lending infrastructure, and financial rails. Capital continues flowing into business models tied to real revenue visibility.

3) Mythik — $5M (Media/Entertainment)

Mythik raised $5 million in a round backed by founders, family offices, and operators. Content-led digital businesses still attract strategic capital, especially when audience focus is clear. This also reflects non-traditional cap-table participation, not only classic VC-only rounds.

4) Anscer Robotics — $4.6M Series A (Robotics)

Anscer Robotics raised $4.6 million in Series A, with Info Edge Ventures and India Angel Network in the investor mix. Public startup profiles describe Anscer as founded in 2020 by Ribin Mathew, Ebin Sunny, Raghu Venkatesh, and Raj Mohan. Deeptech and robotics are no longer side stories in India funding. Investors are supporting industrial automation use cases with clearer deployment potential.

5) Trackk — $3.7M Seed (Wealthtech)

Trackk raised $3.7 million in seed funding led by Lightspeed, with Info Edge Ventures and known angels participating. Founders of the company are Vedant Gupte, Siddharth Thakkar, and Aryan Jain. Youth-focused financial products are attracting early institutional confidence. Fintech innovation is expanding beyond lending into engagement-led investing platforms.

6) Sychedelic — $3.5M Seed (Neurotech / Wellness)

Sychedelic raised $3.5 million seed (as tracked in weekly coverage). Consumer healthtech and neuro-wellness categories are finding space in early-stage capital allocation. Investors are showing interest in outcome-led wellness tools, not just app clones.

7) EndureAir, Cellogen, ONO — Sector Diversity Continues

EndureAir: ~$3.1M (aerospace/defence-tech context), Cellogen Therapeutics: ~$2.1M (biotech), ONO: ~$1.2M pre-Series A (agri-finance/agri-SME focus)

Funding activity is no longer concentrated only in consumer internet. Hard sectors like aerospace, biotech, and agritech continue to pull selective checks.

Investors and Funds – Who Was Active This Week

A few clear investor patterns emerged-

1. Info Edge Ventures appeared repeatedly in weekly deal flow (including Trackk and Anscer Robotics).
2. General Catalyst led the largest round (Scapia), showing ongoing cross-border appetite for India fintech leaders.
3. Fresh fund-side activity continued:
   • Shastra VC launched a $100 million fund (deeptech/AI/climate focus)
   • Piper Serica launched the Bharat Tech Fund with potential size of ₹800 crore

This combination of startup rounds plus new fund announcements indicates continued pipeline confidence, even in a selective market.

Founder Takeaways-What This Week Is Really Saying

If you are a founder, this week gives five practical lessons-

1. Large rounds are possible, but proof matters
   Growth and unit clarity are now non-negotiable in most sectors.
2. Sector depth is rewarded
   Robotics, biotech, and aerospace got funded because these startups are solving hard, specific problems.
3. Cap table composition is evolving
   Founders, operators, and family offices are increasingly active in early and mid-sized rounds.
4. Fundraising windows differ by stage
   Seed still moves, but growth-stage rounds need stronger maturity signals.
5. Narrative alone is not enough
   Investors are prioritizing operational traction over broad theme storytelling.

Competitor Context-Funding Is Also a Market-Share Weapon

Every major round also affects competitive dynamics-

• Scapia’s raise strengthens its ability to challenge established travel-fintech and card-linked platforms.
• Trackk’s round helps it compete in the crowded investing-tech race.
• Robotics and aerospace startups with fresh capital can accelerate deployment and customer pilots faster than underfunded peers.

So funding today is not just valuation news. It directly affects product speed, hiring quality, and execution advantage.

Conclusion-Recovery Signals Are Real, But Discipline Defines the Market

The India startup funding update for May 16–22, 2026 shows a market that is active, selective, and increasingly mature. Capital is available, but it is flowing to startups with clearer business fundamentals and execution visibility. For founders, this is a supportive but demanding environment. The opportunity is strong if you can show durable traction, category clarity, and disciplined scaling. For investors, the week confirms that conviction-led deployment is still very much alive in India.

Fact Input- Yourstory and Inc42

India’s chip ecosystem got a strong signal today with Bengaluru-based BigEndian Semiconductors announcing a $6 million pre-Series A round. In an era where software startups usually dominate headlines, a hardware-heavy deeptech raise like this stands out for one reason: it shows investors are willing to back difficult, long-gestation technology plays when the execution case is strong.

For everyday readers, this may look like another startup funding headline. But semiconductor funding is different from app funding. Building chips takes higher capital, longer cycles, and greater technical risk. So when a startup secures this level of backing at an early growth stage, it usually reflects investor confidence in both the founding team and the market opportunity.

What BigEndian Raised and Who Backed It

As reported on 6 May 2026, BigEndian Semiconductors raised $6 million in a pre-Series A round led by IAN Alpha Fund, with participation from Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India, IvyCap Ventures, and angel investors.

The startup says this capital will be used to commercialize its first system-on-chip (SoC), scale product engineering, and deepen partnerships across foundries, IP ecosystems, and OEMs. Reports also mention that BigEndian has already completed tape-out for its first commercial chip, which is an important milestone in semiconductor product development.

That matters because tape-out is the stage where the design is handed off for manufacturing. It is not the end of execution, but it is a serious technical checkpoint that many early chip startups take time to reach.

Why This Round Is Bigger Than One Company

This funding update is important for three reasons.

1. First, it strengthens confidence in India’s fabless semiconductor story. India has strong design talent, but fewer product companies that own core silicon roadmaps. A fundraise like this supports the idea that Indian startups can move from services and design support toward full product play.
2. Second, the target market is practical and large. BigEndian is focused on Vision AI and surveillance-linked SoCs, where demand is growing in security systems, edge AI devices, and connected infrastructure. If the startup executes well, it can address both domestic demand and export-linked opportunities over time.
3. Third, this round highlights a broader shift in startup capital behavior. Investors in 2026 are selective, but they are clearly willing to support deeptech companies with clear milestones and commercialization plans. In simple words, money is not easy—but it is available for teams that can prove technical progress.

What to Watch Next

For BigEndian, the next phase will be crucial. Raising capital is one milestone; delivering reliable silicon at scale is another. The company now needs to show product-market fit with OEMs, maintain execution pace across engineering and validation, and navigate supply-chain realities in global chip manufacturing. For India’s startup ecosystem, this deal is a healthy indicator. It suggests that deeptech is no longer only policy talk-it is becoming a funded, buildable pathway. If more startups can replicate this execution discipline, India’s semiconductor ambition could become more product-led in the next few years. In short, this pre-Series A is not just about $6 million. It is about momentum for a category India wants to lead in.

Facts Input- ET