India, May 2 -- April was a turbulent month for India's growing startup ecosystem, as rising geopolitical tensions and broader market volatility dampened investor sentiment and slowed VC activity.

After raising nearly $1 Bn by startups in March, Indian startup funding dwindled to a mere $551 Mn in April. The increased scrutiny on startups arose due to financial mismanagement and fraud allegations against companies like BluSmart and Medikabazar, damaging the reputation of the Indian startup ecosystem.

In addition, the month was rife with discussions over the innovation that Indian startups bring to the table, especially in the deeptech space. This debate was triggered by commerce minister Piyush Goyal's remarks at the second edition of t...