The Indian government issued a ₹100+ crore check to de‑risk the technology thesis for every private investor in a follow‑on financing round, giving founders in rockets, batteries and biotech a credible capital plan for the first time.
The RDI Scheme has approved ₹2,192 crore across 22 companies so far.
All loans are offered at 3 % to 4 % interest over a term of 12 to 15 years.
India has committed a ₹1 lakh crore fund dedicated to deep‑tech startup financing.
These allocations target strategic sectors such as electric air mobility, 3D‑printed rocket engines, satellite platforms, and the world’s first OptoSAR satellite, reflecting the government's push to build a sovereign deep‑tech capability.
In the 2025 Union Budget, the Finance Minister announced a new Deep tech Fund of Fund to address the systemic shortage of deep‑tech venture capital in India. This initiative is meant to channel government capital into multiple specialized deep‑tech venture funds, supporting non‑obvious ventures that traditional VCs often overlook. defense‑tech investment momentum provides context on related deep‑tech capital pushes.
The government announced a Deep tech Fund of Fund to be launched.
The Indian government announced a ₹1 lakh crore commitment to deep‑tech startups, described as the “smartest thing India has done in decades.”
The RDI Scheme has already approved ₹2,192 crore across 22 deep‑tech companies.
Funding terms are 12–15 year loans at 3–4 % interest, written into the hardest part of the startup stack.
The ePlane Company received ₹285 crore for India’s first electric air taxi.
AgniKul Cosmos received ₹200 crore for the world’s first single‑piece 3D‑printed rocket engine.
Dhruva Space received ₹105 crore to build a 500 kg satellite platform.
GalaxEye received ₹63.84 crore after launching the world’s first OptoSAR satellite.
The Indian government created a ₹1 lakh crore fund intended to make India innovation‑first.
The fund’s 12‑member selection committee allocated ₹1 377 cr to 15 of the 22 selected companies, all of which have links to committee members.
Four of the five companies in the first RDI cohort were pre‑existing Indian Angel Network portfolio companies.
Founders not in the insider circle face an 8‑10 month backlog with no response.
I see this governance failure as a threat to India’s deep‑tech ambitions, especially as AI‑driven startups need timely capital to stay competitive.