India, July 3 -- How deep is deeptech in India, really?

Going by the government line, it's too shallow for a strong IP-led ecosystem to set sail in India. But the heat from commerce minister Piyush Goyal at the Startup Mahakumbh 2.0 has left founders with some thinking to do.

In private gatherings and public debates alike, the startup ecosystem is increasingly reflecting on whether the minister went overboard, flaying startups, or if India is still a laggard.

Well, statistically, the picture isn't bleak. A NASSCOM-Zinnov report last year showed that 480 deeptech startups were established in 2023 alone, which grew 2X year-on-year. And over 100 of these newly launched startups developed intellectual property (IP) or innovative solutions ...