India Tech Report

Tag: Funding

  • Beyond Government: Gokul NA’s hard truths for industry in deep tech

    Beyond Government: Gokul NA’s hard truths for industry in deep tech

    Once upon a time, it used to be a popular joke in many industry speeches in India — one that government leaders used to sportively join in — that the IT services industry grew “despite the government.” Of course, it was untrue. Several forward-thinking officials and technocrats in governments both at the central and state levels played a strong role in helping that industry grow. As did many top political leaders.

    Today, with deep tech, while micro-procedural frustrations still very much remain, no one needs to say they need to grow despite the government. Public support is visible and hundreds of thousands of crores of rupees are being committed in mission mode to R&D and Innovation.

    In a recent conversation with India Tech Report, Gokul NA, founder of CynLr, a robotics venture based in Bengaluru, spoke about the other side of the table — those representing private industry, and what they need to do if India’s deep tech ventures are to have a serious chance in the long term.

    Catch the full conversation by clicking on the the related post link below. Here’s two minutes on the need for exporting “homegrown IP,” building world-class research clusters and more.

  • Coming up: Apoorv Shaligram on how the government is catalysing a deep tech discourse in India

    Coming up: Apoorv Shaligram on how the government is catalysing a deep tech discourse in India

    Coming up, tomorrow, a conversation with Apoorv Shaligram, founder and CEO at e-TRNL Energy in Bengaluru, where he and fellow founder Uttam Sen are innovating the next generation battery cell architectures and advanced manufacturing processes.

    Apoorv and Uttam recently announced raising Rs. 27.4 crore (About $3 million) in seed funding, led by IAN Group (Indian Angel Network), with Navam Capital, and existing investors Speciale Invest, Micelio and others also joining in.
    You can catch the full conversation right here, or wherever you get your podcasts. Here’s a 60-second preview with Apoorv talking about how the deep tech landscape in India is undergoing a government-led transformation.

  • From jetpacks to robot brigades: Jay Panchal on Aule’s vision for India’s space-tech future

    From jetpacks to robot brigades: Jay Panchal on Aule’s vision for India’s space-tech future

    Today I’m joined by Jay Panchal, founder and CEO of Aule Space, in Bengaluru. Jay started the company in 2024 with his fellow founders Nithyaa Giri, who’s Aule’s CTO, and Hrishit Tambi, its COO.

    He talks about their efforts so far to develop “jetpacks” – sophisticated Mission Extension Vehicles (MEVs) designed for the task of rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD).

    The trio of entrepreneurs has just raised $2 million in pre-seed funding led by pi Ventures, a well-known deep tech VC firm in Bengaluru.

    Aule Space founders (L-R) Hrishit Tambi, Jay Panchal and Nithyaa Giri.
    Aule Space founders (L-R) Hrishit Tambi, Jay Panchal and Nithyaa Giri. Image source: Aule Space. Edited by Hari Arakali.

    Aule is developing an innovative non-cooperative docking mechanism, giving its jetpacks the ability to latch onto satellites and debris not originally designed for docking. Its design combines a satellite-agnostic docking mechanism with AI-driven guidance, navigation and control algorithms, aiming to field one of the world’s lightest and most cost-efficient RPOD satellite fleets.

    The company is targeting use-cases from life extension of high-value geostationary communications satellites and debris removal to defence applications such as close-in inspection for space-domain awareness. With the long-term vision of establishing a robotic workforce in space, Jay hopes that over the next five years, Aule will operate a fleet of jetpacks. Their technology demonstrator could be ready as early as next year.

  • Coming up: Founders of Perceptyne Robots on 2026, the year of deployment

    Coming up: Founders of Perceptyne Robots on 2026, the year of deployment

    Founders of Perceptyne Robots, Mrutyunjaya N, Raviteja Chivukala and Jagga Raju N are building autonomous, dexterous robots and the physical AI stack needed.

    Happy new year to all of you deep tech enthusiasts in India. An area in which 2026 is already shaping up to be one that will likely see advances, is robotics and automation and the AI needed for this, being called physical AI or even ’embodied AI’.

    If you caught Boston Dynamics CSO Marc Theermann recently saying the company’s Atlas humanoid is “not designed for YouTube” but for the real world, what’s your view on that — premature or prophetic? Will 2026 show us?

    Listen to the preview

    To kick off my reports this year, I got a chance to chat with a dynamic entrepreneur trio building what they say will be autonomous and dexterous robots for the real world — at Perceptyne Robots.

    So, coming up on Tuesday, Jan. 13, this year’s first episode of India Tech Report: In Conversation, will feature Mrutyunjaya N, Raviteja Chivukala and Jagga Raju N, co-founders of this Hyderabad-based robotics and physical AI startup.

    Their venture, which turns four this year, is backed a couple of well-known deep-tech VC firms, Yali Capital and Endiya Partners. Catch the full conversation right here, or wherever you get your podcasts. Here’s a less-than-a-minute preview.

  • How Indian tech startups fared in 2025 – an infographic from Tracxn

    How Indian tech startups fared in 2025 – an infographic from Tracxn

    Happy new year, dear listeners and readers. I bet 2025 was an eventful year for you — it certainly was, for me. As we look ahead at 2026, here’s one more quick look back at how Indian tech startups fared in the year gone by.

    This infographic is courtesy Tracxn, a leading data intelligence provider in India on private markets.

  • Bhaktha Keshavachar on Chara’s new $6 million funding

    Bhaktha Keshavachar on Chara’s new $6 million funding

    In this episode, Bhaktha Ram Keshavachar, founder and CEO of Chara Technologies, talks about a new funding round at his startup.

    Chara, based in Bengaluru, specializes in building rare earth-free motors and matching controllers. That China, which has a near monopoly on the supply chain of rare earth minerals, has intensified its restrictions on their exports, is something of a tailwind for ventures like Chara.

    In this briefing, Bhaktha covers the company’s Series A funding of Rs. 52 crore, or about $6 million, led by Arkam Ventures, with participation from Exfinity Venture Partners, Kalaari Capital, and IIMA Ventures, and how the money will help.

    Plans include, ramping up sales, further investment in new technology and products, and a significant increase in motor production capacity.