India Tech Report

Tag: climate-change

  • Google, Accel team up to back Indian AI startups, SBI Ventures’ next climate tech fund

    Google, Accel team up to back Indian AI startups, SBI Ventures’ next climate tech fund

    An AI generated image for illustrating an Indian startups co-working space.

    (00:20) Google, Accel to co-invest in Indian AI startups

    Google and Accel will co-invest in at least 10 early-stage Indian AI startups through a new partnership between Google’s AI Futures Fund and Accel’s Atoms programme, with up to 2 million dollars available per company.

    The tie-up, based in Bengaluru, is Google’s first such funding collaboration and follows its $15 billion India data-centre commitment and broader push to tap the country’s nearly one billion internet users.

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    (00:54) India’s largest bank to launch next climate startup fund

    SBI Ventures, promoted by State Bank of India and headquartered in Mumbai, intends to raise Rs. 2,000 crore for its third climate-focused investment fund launching in January-March 2026. The fund will invest in early and growth-stage climate startups, particularly frontier climate technologies and AI-enabled innovations.

    SBI Ventures identified critical funding deficits in water security, climate-smart agriculture, and disaster-proof infrastructure, targeting an estimated $170 billion annual requirement.

    (01:34) Bio-based coastal concrete material nurtures marine life

    Researchers at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research in Yerseke tested Xiriton, a bio-based concrete alternative made from grass, shells, sand, lime, pozzolan, and seawater, for tidal restoration.

    After a year, blocks deployed on mudflats were densely colonised by oysters, mussels, and algae while withstanding strong currents, suggesting a durable, degradable, low-alkaline material for greener coastal protection.

    (02:10) German defence drone startup nears €200m raise 

    Munich-based Quantum Systems is close to securing about €200 million in new funding at a roughly $3 billion valuation, just months after becoming a unicorn. 

    The dual-use surveillance drone maker, founded in 2015, is riding Europe’s defence spending boom as governments seek homegrown aerial intelligence, with annual revenue reportedly growing triple digits on the back of contracts in Ukraine and other NATO markets.

    (02:42) Europe backs optical vortex photonics network

    Tampere University in Finland will lead HiPOVor, a €4.4 million EU-funded doctoral network to advance high‑power optical vortex beams and train 15 researchers in photonics.

    The Europe‑wide consortium of eight universities, the ELI‑NP laser facility in Romania, and nine industry partners aims to turn twisting light beams into core tools for precision manufacturing, particle acceleration, and high‑capacity communications from 2026.

  • India backs JCM, seeks global action on energy for small islands at COP30, and more

    India backs JCM, seeks global action on energy for small islands at COP30, and more

    AI generated image for illustration. India is backing the international solar alliance with a call for global action on energy for small island developing nations, at the COP30 meet.


    (00:20) India calls joint crediting mechanism a model for equitable climate action

    At UNFCCC COP30 in Brazil, India’s Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) is crucial for scalable, technology-driven climate solutions. India-Japan cooperation under JCM will mobilise investments, deploy low-carbon technologies, and build capacity, supporting national climate goals and Article 6 implementation. India’s Carbon Market portal will aid JCM transparency and impact.

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    (00:50) India urges global solar push for energy security in small island states

    Separately, Minister Yadav highlighted support for Small Island Developing States through the International Solar Alliance. India showcased rooftop solar, solar pumps, and battery projects, calling for global action to boost clean energy, cut diesel imports, and build climate resilience. Over 124 nations now participate in ISA’s initiatives.

    (01:18) Mehta Family Foundation announces two conferences with IITs 

    The Mehta Family Foundation will host two conferences under its collaboration for academic and research excellence or CARE initiative in partnership with IIT Madras and IIT Guwahati. The events focus on bioengineering and AI, convening global and Indian researchers to advance interdisciplinary collaboration and showcase innovations, marking the Foundation’s growing role in India’s academic ecosystem.


    (01:48) Glow-in-the-gut pill offers non-invasive colonoscopy alternative 

    Researchers in China have developed a pill embedded with heme-sensing bacteria that glow in response to gastrointestinal bleeding, enabling early colitis detection without invasive colonoscopies. Tested safely in mice, the pill’s magnetic microspheres are retrieved from feces and produce light proportional to disease severity, potentially revolutionizing gut health diagnostics.


    (02:17) JuliaHub and Synopsys partner to power AI-driven digital twins 

    JuliaHub will integrate its Dyad simulation platform with Synopsys’ Ansys TwinAI™, blending physics-based modelling and adaptive AI for more accurate, cloud-based digital twins. The collaboration aims to accelerate innovation in hardware design and system optimization, merging JuliaHub’s SciML tech with Synopsys’ robust simulation ecosystem.

    (02:45) Rift raises €4.6M to launch Europe’s first on-demand aerial network 

    French startup Rift has raised €4.6 million to deploy autonomous drone stations across Europe, creating a real-time aerial intelligence network for public safety and critical infrastructure monitoring. The “Surveillance-as-a-Service” platform aims to mitigate wildfires, border breaches, and infrastructure threats with plans to deploy 20 stations by 2027.


    (03:14) Teradar exits stealth with $150M series B for terahertz vision sensors 

    Teradar, a Boston startup, has unveiled its terahertz vision sensor technology for automotive safety after raising $150 million in Series B funding. The modular terahertz sensor offers all-weather perception to enhance autonomous driving and commercial vehicle safety, with production targeted by 2028. Investors include Lockheed Martin Ventures and VXI Capital.

  • Princeton’s qubit breakthrough, Sentinel-6B launched, Cornerstone’s funding and more

    Princeton’s qubit breakthrough, Sentinel-6B launched, Cornerstone’s funding and more

    A chip built by Princeton’s Nathalie de Leon, Andrew Houck, Robert Cava and their research teams supports qubits with coherence times longer than 1 millisecond — three times longer than the best ever reported in a lab setting, and nearly 15 times longer than the industry standard.
    Image by Matthew Raspanti, Office of Communications, Princeton University.


    (00:21) Princeton’s qubit breakthrough extends coherence threefold
    Princeton University researchers have demonstrated a quantum qubit with coherence times exceeding one millisecond — triple the laboratory record and fifteen times the industry standard, Science Daily reports. The team built a functioning quantum chip proving the design supports error correction at scale, addressing the fundamental challenge limiting quantum processors.

    Their architecture is compatible with systems used by Google and IBM. According to analysis, replacing key components in Google’s Willow processor with Princeton’s approach could yield a thousandfold performance increase, signalling meaningful progress toward fault-tolerant quantum systems essential for practical applications.

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    (01:10) Google quantum AI achieves 13,000× speedup on physics
    Separately, some of you may recall that last month Google announced that its Willow quantum processor executed a physics simulation 13,000 times faster than classical supercomputers using a novel “Quantum Echoes” algorithm published in Nature. The breakthrough demonstrates the first verifiable quantum advantage running a physically meaningful algorithm — measuring quantum interference effects called out-of-time-order correlators.

    Beyond raw speed, the work establishes quantum computing’s practical relevance to experimental science, particularly nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, validating a path toward real-world quantum applications within five years.

    (01:54) Sentinel-6B launches to continue climate monitoring mission

    The European Space Agency and NASA successfully launched Copernicus Sentinel-6B aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Nov. 17, continuing a decades-long mission tracking sea-level rise — a critical indicator of climate change, Spaceflight Now reports.

    The satellite carries advanced altimetry instruments measuring ocean surface heights with centimetre precision, directly supporting climate science and international efforts to understand planetary warming. This mission exemplifies the growing convergence of space infrastructure and environmental monitoring, with satellite data becoming indispensable for climate policy and adaptation planning worldwide.

    (02:43) Emulate launches organ-on-chip platform for drug development

    Emulate, a leader in organ-on-chip technology, unveiled its Brain-Chip R1 in partnership with FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics to accelerate neurological drug discovery, the company said in a press release. The platform uses living human brain cells to model central nervous system responses, addressing a critical gap in preclinical testing where traditional methods fail to predict clinical outcomes.

    This technology promises faster, more reliable validation of neurological therapeutics while reducing dependence on animal testing—positioning Emulate at the intersection of biotechnology and advanced manufacturing innovation.

    (03:27) Cornerstone Robotics raises $200 million for surgical robot platform

    Hong Kong’s Cornerstone Robotics secured $200 million in fresh funding to accelerate global commercialization of its multi arm Sentire Endoscopic Surgical System, Fierce Biotech reports.

    Recently approved in China and now in UK clinical trials, the platform targets colorectal and urologic surgeries. The round, backed by major global funds, affirms demand for accessible next-gen surgical robotics as the company deepens its global footprint.

  • Climake’s founders on their ‘most upbeat’ climate finance report yet on India

    Climake’s founders on their ‘most upbeat’ climate finance report yet on India

    In this episode, I’m joined by Simmi Sareen and Shravan Shankar, co-founders of Climake, a climate finance platform and advisory, to talk about their fifth annual report on the state of climate finance in India – 2025 edition.

    In 2024, equity capital deployed reached $9.4 billion, about double from the previous year, with public markets absorbing 60 percent of all funding. Simmi and Shravan also talk about some consequential shifts: such as the emergence of a public capital ecosystem that routes money to climate solutions that can be vital while not being attractive to venture capital investors.

    The two co-founders have formally tracked this evolution ever since they founded Climake in the middle of the Covid pandemic, and much longer in various capacities before that. Simmi brings to Climake two decades of mainstream finance experience, including at a global investment bank, and she’s previously built a climate-focused fintech and debt platform.

    Shravan has built his career across sustainability policy, innovation ecosystems, and climate entrepreneurship. Their annual State of Climate Finance reports are increasingly widely accepted in the industry as investor look at India-specific decisions.

    In this conversation they talk about what their fifth report reveals: a $2 trillion capital requirement through 2035, a substantive shift toward adaptation financing, and the expanding role of public markets in sectors like wastewater treatment and solar components that aren’t attractive from a VC’s perspective.

    The discussion spans emerging technologies from sustainable fuels and flow batteries to seaweed-based biochar solutions, the persistent gaps in growth-stage capital for asset-heavy climate enterprises, and how adaptation will reshape investment contours as it becomes increasingly urgent.

  • China expands restrictions on rare earth mineral exports

    China expands restrictions on rare earth mineral exports

    Daily brief on deep tech and climate tech news from India and around the world.

    illustrative image of an automotive assembly line. China controls over 90 percent of the processing capacity of rare earth minerals needed in magnets that go into EVs. Its tightening restrictions are impacting global supply chains.

    China tightens rare earth export controls

    China has expanded its restrictions on rare earth exports to safeguard national security and interests, a move seen as Beijing strengthening its leverage in trade talks with the US. The new rules add five more rare-earth elements to the existing control list, bringing the total to 12, Reuters reports. Export licenses will now be required for the production technologies of these minerals and for their overseas use, including for military and semiconductor applications.

    China is seeking assurances from India that rare earth magnets supplied by it will only be used locally for civilian purposes, and also that they will not be exported to the US, Economic Times reports.

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    India targets 5MMT annual hydrogen output by 2030

    India’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, said that the country’s “Hydrogen Age has begun,” with a target to produce 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030, ET Energyworld reports. This would account for 10% of the global market. A key project is the NTPC Green Hydrogen Hub near Visakhapatnam, which will be one of the country’s largest integrated green hydrogen facilities. The government’s National Green Hydrogen Mission has an outlay of Rs. 19,744 crore to help achieve these goals.

    Andhra Pradesh forms hydrogen advisory panel

    The Andhra Pradesh government has formed a high-level advisory committee to promote the green hydrogen initiative ‘Green Hydrogen Valley – Amaravati,’ The Hindu reports. The panel, co-chaired by Dr. V.K. Saraswat and Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand, will guide the state’s efforts in technology adoption, research, and infrastructure development. The goal is to make Andhra Pradesh India’s largest green hydrogen hub by 2030, contributing to the country’s sustainable hydrogen economy.

    Tokamak Energy and Gauss Fusion partner to advance fusion

    Tokamak Energy and Gauss Fusion have announced a strategic collaboration to accelerate the commercialization of fusion technology. The partnership will focus on advancing high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets. This alliance brings together Tokamak Energy’s expertise in HTS technology with Gauss Fusion’s leadership in industrializing fusion energy. The companies aim to pool their industrial know-how to accelerate the path to the first generation of European fusion power plants.

    Aavishkaar Group launches defence and deep-tech fund

    Aavishkaar Group has partnered with Jamwant Ventures to launch the ‘Jamwant Ventures Fund 2’, India’s first veteran-led defence and deep-tech fund. The new fund, targeting a corpus of INR 500 crore, is the first initiative under Aavishkaar’s new ‘OneAavishkaar’ platform. The partnership aims to provide catalytic capital and strategic mentorship to indigenous startups, empowering them to drive innovation for national security.

    Newtral raises funds for global expansion

    Newtral Technologies, a climate-tech startup in Bengaluru, has raised $600,000 in funding from NOW Accelerate, Indian Startup Times reports. The capital will help Newtral expand its sustainability platform and prepare for a Series A funding round. As part of the partnership, NOW will provide venture-building resources and expertise to help Newtral scale its platform, which helps businesses measure, report, and reduce their emissions.

  • Theia Ventures $30 million clean energy fund gets BII backing

    Theia Ventures $30 million clean energy fund gets BII backing

    Daily brief on deep tech and climate tech news from India and around the world.

    Shilpa Kumar, MD, BII India, with Priya Shah , Founder, Theia Ventures. BII is backing Theia's $30 mln clean energy fund in India.
    Shilpa Kumar, MD, BII India, with Priya Shah , Founder, Theia Ventures. BII is backing Theia’s $30 million clean energy fund in India. Image source: press release.

    ABB sells robotics unit to SoftBank for $5.375 billion

    ABB has announced it will divest its Robotics division to SoftBank Group for $5.375 billion, a decision made as an alternative to spinning off the business, the company said in a press release. The move is expected to create immediate value for ABB shareholders and use the proceeds to improve its capital allocation. The transaction is expected to close in mid-to-late 2026.

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    Honeywell and LS Electric partner to innovate data center solutions

    Honeywell and LS Electric have announced a global partnership to develop and market hardware and software for data centers and battery energy storage systems, the companies said in a press release. The collaboration will create integrated power solutions to simplify management and improve efficiency, helping data centers avoid costly downtime. They will also create a new grid and building-aware battery energy storage system.

    Space Ocean signs deal to explore nuclear power for deep space

    Space Ocean Corp and Space Nuclear Power Corporation have signed a Letter of Intent to explore using advanced nuclear power systems for deep space missions, the companies said in a press release. The collaboration will test a 10-kilowatt nuclear reactor on Space Ocean’s ALV-N satellite. If successful, Space Nukes could become a primary supplier for Space Ocean’s future lunar and planetary missions.

    India’s space economy projected to reach $44 billion by 2033

    India’s space economy is projected to reach $44 billion by 2033, up from $8.4 billion in 2022, according to Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, addressing the “Satcom” at the India Mobile Congress 2025, according to a press release from the department of space. Regulatory reforms and private sector participation have driven this growth, leading to over 300 space startups.

    The Minister noted that satellite communication will be critical for digital connectivity and financial inclusion in rural areas. India has commercially launched 433 foreign satellites, generating substantial revenue. The long-term roadmap includes establishing the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and landing an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040.

    Theia Ventures secures funding to boost India’s clean energy transition

    Theia Ventures has achieved the first close of its new $30 million fund, with British International Investment as the anchor investor, the VC firm said in a post. The fund will support around 20 early-stage Indian startups focused on decarbonizing sectors like heavy industry and mobility. The firm, which has already begun deploying capital, will invest between $500,000 and $1 million per company.