The Startup Policy Forum (SPF) has introduced DeepVerse—a new center focused on innovations in the field of deep technologies. This center brings together startups, investors, government representatives, academic circles, and international technology companies. The goal of creating DeepVerse is to accelerate the development of the deep technology ecosystem in India through collaboration, policy dialogue, and research.
SPF is an industry alliance comprising over 75 leading Indian technology companies with a total valuation exceeding $100 billion. DeepVerse is overseen by an advisory board consisting of investors, founders, policy developers, scientists, and global technology leaders who will determine the center's priorities and direction.
Among the investors on the board are named Prashanth Prakash, Partner at Accel India; Anjali Bansal, Founding Partner at Avaana Capital; and Pankaj Mitra, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. Other partners listed include Anandamoy Roychowdhary from Crane Ventures, Sateesh Andra from Endiya Partners, Anand Prasanna from Iron Pillar, and Hemant Mohapatra from Lightspeed. Other investors include Vishesh Rajaram from Speciale Invest and Ishpreet Singh Gandhi, Founder and CEO of Stride Asset Management.
The board also includes founders such as Naman Pushp, Founder and CEO of Airbound; Tarun Mehta, Co-founder and CEO of Ather Energy; Pawan Chandana, Co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace; and Anirudh Sharma, Founder and CEO of Digantara.
Representatives from policy, academia, and global technology include Dr Panneerselvam Madanagopal, CEO of MeitY Startup Hub; Dr B. Chagun Basha, Chief Policy Advisor in the Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of India; and Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President and CEO of Startup Policy Forum. Other participants include Dr D. Premachandra Sagar, Pro-Chancellor of Dayananda Sagar University, and Aditi Nanda, Director of Ecosystem and Industry at Intel India.
The center's activities cover 10 key sub-sectors, including space technology, defense technology, electric vehicles (EV), advanced manufacturing and robotics, clean technology and energy, biotechnology, quantum technology, semiconductors, and drones.
S. Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, noted that 'a strong approach involving multiple stakeholders is key to the growth of India's deep technology ecosystem,' and highly praised the unification of DeepVerse founders, investors, academia, and government to advance India's ambitions in this area.
Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President and CEO of Startup Policy Forum, emphasized that 'India possesses world-class deep tech founders and growing capital, but policy must keep pace. Since companies take a decade to build, founders and investors need rules by which they can plan, and the ability to participate in their creation. DeepVerse institutionalizes this voice.'
DeepVerse is structured into three membership tiers: Deep Core, Deep Circle, and Patrons. These members will provide their industry expertise through policy consultations and ecosystem development initiatives.
The creation of DeepVerse is based on the SPF #100DesiDeepTechs initiative, launched jointly with MeitY Startup Hub, Startup India (DPIIT), and IIT Madras in 2025. Over eight months, SPF conducted Deeptech Baatcheet sessions in Delhi and Bangalore focusing on regulation, capital, talent, and global expansion. Now, DeepVerse will provide a permanent platform for these startups to participate in discussions on policy issues.