Archive · 6 Oct 2026
Deeptech Founders and VCs Seek Stronger Policy Voice
Deeptech companies work on advanced technology and can take a long time to build.
Industry leaders say India has founders and more money available to support these companies.
They believe policies should make it easier for deeptech businesses to grow, especially when selling to government buyers.
Because building a company can take many years, founders and investors want rules they can plan around.
They also want a say in how those rules are made.
Shweta Rajpal Kohli said DeepVerse gives them a more established way to share their views.
Industry leaders said policy easing, especially around procurement, could help India scale its deeptech sector.
Shweta Rajpal Kohli said India has founders and increasingly has capital for world-class deeptech.
Kohli argued policy needs to catch up with companies that can take a decade to build.
She said founders and investors need predictable rules and a role in shaping them.
Kohli described DeepVerse as institutionalising that voice.
- Who
- Industry leaders and Shweta Rajpal Kohli, president and CEO of the Startup Policy Forum.
- What
- They called for policy changes and a stronger role for founders and investors in shaping policy for India’s deeptech sector; Kohli said DeepVerse institutionalises that voice.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- Policy easing, particularly in procurement, was described as a catalyst for scaling deeptech, while long development timelines require predictable rules.
Calls for policy change
Current policy position
Policy readiness for deeptech
Calls for policy change
Industry leaders said policy should catch up and ease constraints, especially around procurement, to help India scale deeptech.
Current policy position
The article does not provide a response or counterargument from policymakers or other opposing stakeholders.
Stakeholder input
Calls for policy change
Kohli said founders and investors need predictable rules and a role in shaping them; she said DeepVerse institutionalises that voice.
Current policy position
No opposing view on stakeholder participation is reported in the article.
- Policy focus
- Policy easing, particularly in procurement.
- Sector
- India’s deeptech sector.
- Quoted speaker
- Shweta Rajpal Kohli.
- Role
- President and CEO of the Startup Policy Forum.
- Company-building timeline
- Deeptech companies may take a decade to build, according to Kohli.
- Proposed policy need
- Rules founders and investors can plan around, with a say in making them.
- Initiative mentioned
- DeepVerse.