Building a deeptech startup in India is no walk in the park. The path is riddled with investor expectations for swift returns, relentless cash-burning research cycles, and the ever-elusive early wins. Yet, against these odds, a new generation of founders is forging ahead, determined to put India on the global innovation map. Their ambitions are not just lofty dreams—they are grounded in the kind of technological breakthroughs that could shape the next decade. On August 17, 2025, a significant milestone was reached when Inc42 and India Accelerator joined forces to launch the first edition of BIGShift, an accelerator program designed specifically for early-stage deeptech startups across the country.
This inaugural event brought together 13 promising startups, each with a vision to develop world-class innovations right here in India. According to Inc42, the BIGShift accelerator represents more than just a funding opportunity—it’s a lifeline for deeptech entrepreneurs facing the twin challenges of high research costs and a market that often demands results yesterday. The program aims to give these startups the support, mentorship, and resources they desperately need to survive their early years and, ideally, thrive.
But why is this such a big deal? The answer lies in the unique hurdles that deeptech startups encounter. Unlike software ventures that can pivot quickly and scale with minimal capital, deeptech companies are rooted in scientific research and hardware development. R&D cycles are long, expensive, and fraught with uncertainty. Investors, for their part, are often wary. They want to see quick progress and tangible milestones—a tough ask when the technology itself can take years to mature. As Inc42 puts it, "investors demand quick results, R&D cycles burn cash, and early wins are rare." Yet, those who persevere may well be laying the foundation for India’s technological future.
Parallel to these entrepreneurial efforts, India’s government and industry leaders are setting their sights on another ambitious frontier: semiconductor manufacturing. On August 16, 2025, The Sunday Guardian reported that while India has yet to make major headway in establishing advanced semiconductor fabrication plants (fabs), its broader chip-making ambitions are beginning to crystallize with a sharp, strategic focus on mature-node manufacturing. In layman's terms, rather than racing to produce the most cutting-edge chips—those with the tiniest transistors measured in single-digit nanometers—India is targeting a sweet spot: manufacturing chips in the 28 nm to 65 nm range.
This might sound less glamorous than the latest 3 nm processors powering flagship smartphones, but it’s actually a savvy move. Chips in the 28 nm-65 nm range are the backbone of sectors like automotive, telecom, and industrial electronics. As Bastion Research noted in its analysis, "India is wisely positioning itself to manufacture mature nodes and fill a big gap," addressing a critical global supply chain need that’s often overlooked in the rush for ever-smaller, ever-faster chips. These mature-node chips might not win headlines, but they are essential for everything from car computers to telecom base stations and factory automation systems.
The strategic calculus here is clear: advanced node manufacturing is dominated by global giants—think TSMC, Samsung, and Intel—with billions of dollars in sunk costs and years of expertise. Catching up to them would require a Herculean effort and deep pockets. Instead, India is carving out a niche where demand is vast, competition is less fierce, and the potential to become a global supplier is real. According to The Sunday Guardian, this approach is reminiscent of the early days of Taiwan and South Korea in the 1970s to 1990s, when they were just beginning to build their own semiconductor industries. Back then, neither country was a leader in cutting-edge chip technology, but both methodically built capacity and expertise in mature nodes before eventually moving up the value chain. Today, Taiwan is home to TSMC, the world’s most advanced chipmaker, and South Korea boasts tech titans like Samsung.
India’s current position, then, is not one of lagging behind, but of laying the groundwork for a future leap. As Bastion Research observed, "India’s semiconductor ambitions today are quite similar to where Taiwan and South Korea were in the 1970s-1990s." The hope is that by mastering mature-node manufacturing, India will not only address its own enormous domestic demand but also become an indispensable player in the global chip supply chain—a role that has taken on heightened importance in the wake of recent global chip shortages.
Of course, the challenges are formidable. Setting up a semiconductor fab is one of the most capital-intensive industrial endeavors imaginable. It requires not just money, but also a skilled workforce, reliable infrastructure, and a robust ecosystem of suppliers and partners. So far, progress on advanced fabs has been slow. As The Sunday Guardian acknowledged, "there is not much to share as far as India’s progress in establishing semiconductor fabs is concerned." Yet the shift in focus to mature nodes is a recognition that Rome wasn’t built in a day—and neither are world-class chip industries.
Meanwhile, the 13 startups selected for the BIGShift accelerator represent the vanguard of India’s deeptech movement. Their innovations range from artificial intelligence and robotics to advanced materials and quantum computing. While the specifics of their projects remain under wraps, their collective ambition is clear: to create technology that can compete on the world stage, not just serve local markets. The accelerator program, by providing mentorship, networking, and access to investors, aims to help these startups navigate the treacherous early years when resources are scarce and the odds of success are long.
For many observers, these parallel developments—government-backed semiconductor ambitions and grassroots deeptech entrepreneurship—are two sides of the same coin. Both signal a growing recognition that India’s future prosperity hinges not just on service exports and software, but on building a robust, resilient technology ecosystem capable of producing hardware, advanced materials, and foundational scientific breakthroughs. The journey is just beginning, and the road ahead will be anything but smooth. But as the examples of Taiwan and South Korea show, patient, strategic investment can pay off in transformative ways.
India’s deeptech founders and semiconductor strategists may be facing daunting odds, but they’re also betting on something larger: that with the right support, vision, and persistence, India can become not just a consumer of global technology, but a creator and exporter as well. It’s a bet that, if it pays off, could reshape the country’s economic landscape for generations to come.
