The Hindu Deep Tech Summit 2026: Commercial viability key to key to deep-tech investment, says Panel

When The Hindu Businessline Chief of Bureau Sindhu Hariharan asked panellists how they assess a deep-tech venture as investors during the session “From IP to IPO: The Investor’s Blueprint for Scaling ‘Made-in-Lab’ Deep-Tech” at The Hindu Deep Tech Summit 2026, M. V. Subramaniam, partner at JULY Ventures, said that most investors first look at the technology readiness level before considering investment in a startup.

“When a company becomes commercially viable, when someone has paid for its product or service, and it is ready to scale into commercial engagement openly, that is when it becomes viable for investors,” he said.

Venu Gopal Chintada, partner at Sathguru Catalysers, said any technology worth backing must have global relevance. “It has to be contemporary, and with AI coming in, things are getting a lot more competitive. The technology must solve a problem that is not marginal but game-changing,” he said.

Responding to a question on how early-stage deep-tech ventures, especially those led by women, can get started, Vaishali James, co-founder of Sangatna Angels, said that it is about transitioning from lab to market. “What works in a lab does not necessarily work in a market. The main question is commercial viability—are people willing to pay for it? That is extremely critical,” she said.

She added that when it comes to deep-tech for women, there are gender disparities in funding within the ecosystem. “There is a huge perception bias as well, where women are often asked risk-related questions. The friction for women entrepreneurs is far higher than for men,” added her.

On Ms. Hariharan’s question about what needs to change at the college level—particularly whether there should be awareness of entrepreneurship over placements, S. Anil Kumar, founder & CEO of Jodi365.com, noted that there needs to be a mindset shift. “How many students, as they enter colleges—from engineering to liberal arts— think about building something that could become a business? We need to encourage more internships, experiential learning, and move away from rote learning. It should be about actual learning, not grades,” he said.

On whether India is at a stage to produce a global deep-tech company, Mr. Chintada said that the country is well-positioned as the largest consumer market. “The journey has begun. ‘Make in India’ for the world is happening and will continue. We are in a phase of transition in terms of technology adoption, especially with AI being integrated into many aspects of what we do,” he added.