India Tech Report

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Coming up on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

For my next conversation, I sat down with Manish Singhal, founding partner at pi Ventures, one of the earliest bona fide deep tech investors in India. pi Ventures turns 10 is a couple of months.
Before pi, Manish, an IIT Kanpur alumnus with over two decades of operating experience, built products and teams at Motorola, Ittiam Systems, and Sling Media, where he helped scale the India R&D centre during the company’s journey to a $380 million acquisition by EchoStar.

In 2016, he launched pi Ventures with a sharp focus on AI-led deep tech, backing companies like Niramai, Locus, Wysa, but also ventures like Agnikul Cosmos. With its second fund – at $85 million, almost 3X the first fund – pi Ventures has expanded its thesis to frontier sectors including spacetech, semiconductors, quantum technologies, advanced robotics, and climate-tech hardware.

Recent investments such as Moonrider (electric tractors), LightSpeed Photonics (optical interconnects for AI data centers), and Aule Space (in-orbit satellite servicing) reflect his conviction that India can build globally relevant deep tech product startups.

In this episode, Manish talks about how founders are becoming more ambitious in India and how, if we do it right, we can be counted among the world’s top deep tech nations in less than five years.

Catch the conversation right here, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hrishit Tambi, Jay Panchal and Nithyaa Giri, founders of Aule Space Technologies, aim to put India in the club of nations offering ISAM technologies. Image source: Aule. Edited by Hari Arakali.

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Two space-tech startups kicked off 2026’s funding news for the sector in India, aiming to expand India’s presence in the global space economy in two challenging areas. And they’ve both found backing from top-notch investors.

Ethereal Exploration Guild (EtherealX) and Aule Space Technologies revealed a Series A and a pre-seed-stage investment respectively, in separate announcements, last week.

EtherealX was founded by Manu J. Nair, Shubhayu Sardar, and Prashanth Sharma, who bring experience from ISRO and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences to their endeavour.

They have found backing from Japan’s TDK Ventures. The venture arm of TDK Corporation will invest up to $5 million in Bengaluru-based Ethereal Exploration’s series A round.

The partnership aims to accelerate development of Razor Crest Mk-1 — the world’s first medium-lift rocket designed for full reusability, according to a press release. 

EtherealX’s vehicle, still under development, targets launch costs as low as $500 per kilogram, roughly 10X lower than current rates, although the rates vary based on the type of rocket and other factors such as whether the mission is a small dedicated one or something part of large payload and so on.

At its targeted $500-$1000 range, EtherealX hopes to unlock a wide range of commercial missions, including rocket cargo as a service. Its distinguishing feature is a reusable upper stage powered by a proprietary Full Flow Segregated Cooling Cycle engine, coupled with in-house simulation and test infrastructure to shorten development cycles and improve reusability. 

The global space economy is entering a phase of billion-dollar bets and trillion-dollar visions. Valued at about $630 billion in 2023, it is expected to nearly triple to $1.8 trillion by 2035, according to a McKinsey estimate, fuelled by the proliferation of satellite constellations and expanding national space ambitions.

Demand for medium-lift systems — rockets capable of carrying 2 ,000 kg to 20,000 kg of payload (to low-Earth orbits)* — is projected to grow strongly, with one forecast, by Research and Markets, estimating it grow from more than $10 billion in 2025 to nearly $16 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of about 8.5 percent. Startups from Austin to Bengaluru are racing to supply governments and private operators squeezed by bottlenecked launch capacity.

Shubhayu Sardar, Prashanth Sharma and Manu J. Nair, founders of EtherealX, are developing a reusable medium-lift launch system. Image source: EtherealX. Edited by Hari Arakali.

“TDK Ventures is thrilled to back the Guild in its goal to reshape the medium-lift space-launch industry,” Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures, said in the press release. “The company aligns seamlessly with our vision for transformative innovation, excelling in slashing launch costs, pioneering novel technologies, and harnessing India’s ISRO expertise and cost-efficient supply chain.” 

EtherealX’s existing investors include YourNest VC, Bluehill Capital, BIG Capital, Campus Fund, and Golden Sparrow VC. The company has already manufactured its 80kN upper-stage reusable engine (Pegasus) and has signed collaboration agreements with the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), ISRO, and other national space agencies, as well as commercial satellite operators, launch aggregators, and launch ports globally.

Aule’s orbital jetpacks

Separately, Aule Space, also in Bengaluru, has raised pre-seed funding to build autonomous “jetpack” satellites that can dock with spacecraft that are running out of fuel and keep them going in orbit. The round totals $2 million, led by pi Ventures with participation from several angel investors, including former Intelsat board member Eash Sundaram and Tonbo Imaging chief executive Arvind Lakshmikumar. 

Founded in 2024 by Jay Panchal, Nithyaa Giri and Hrishit Tambi, Aule Space is developing satellites that can safely approach, latch on to and manoeuvre other spacecraft, a class of capability known in the trade as Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD). The company will use the new capital to expand its engineering team, build ground infrastructure for docking tests and ready its first demonstration satellites, slated to launch next year.

Aule’s 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. 

Today most satellites are abandoned once their fuel runs out, even if their payloads remain largely functional, because there is no routine in-orbit servicing infrastructure. More than 95 percent of the $100 billion generated each year in commercial satellite revenues comes from satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) and a single satellite can generate tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, according to Joseph Anderson, a vice president at Space Logistics, a Northrup Grumman company.

“However, every year, between 10 and 20 satellites in good operating condition, and with paying customers, are shut down by their operators and replaced with expensive new satellites. This is not by choice, but by necessity: these satellites have run out of fuel,” Anderson wrote in Room, a space economy journal, in 2019.

The following year, Northop Grumman became the first company to successfully demonstrate what they called mission extension, with its MEV-1 and MEV-2 mission extension vehicles. Since the...

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

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What are some of the practical, seemingly small but truly challenging engineering problems in translating what seems intuitive to humans to robotics automation, today?

Mrutyunjaya N, Raviteja Chivukala and Jagga Raju N, founders of Perceptyne Robots, explain here in simple terms in just a few minutes.

In this year’s first episode, I’m joined by Mrutyunjaya N, Raviteja Chivukala and Jagga Raju N to unpack why and how they started Perceptyne Robots, and what it takes to build an AI-native robotic system out of India.

Perceptyne is a Hyderabad-based company building dexterous, dual-arm, intelligent robots for industrial automation, currently focused on automotive and electronics manufacturing lines.

The founders explain the gap they saw on real shop floors, where many assembly stations still rely on manual work because traditional approaches cannot handle unstructured inputs, fine force control, or frequent product changes.

The conversation goes into their vertically integrated hardware, including mobile configurations, and their PR-PhI “physical intelligence” software layer that orchestrates perception, control, and imitation-learning–based skills like visual servo, slip-free grasping, and force-based assembly.

You will also hear their take on the state of India’s robotics ecosystem, the evolution of robots as a combined hardware-and-software challenge, and how they are moving from pilots with global automotive and electronics manufacturers toward larger deployments. Perceptyne, which turns four this year, is backed by two well-known deep-tech VC firms,  Yali Capital and Endiya Partners.

Chapters

(00:00) The promise of robotics in industrial automation

(09:55) Building Perceptyne: founders’ journey and vision

(20:05) Innovative robotics: products and capabilities

(30:02) Challenges in automation: technical limitations and solutions

(40:01) The robotics ecosystem in India: opportunities and challenges

(49:54) Future of robotics: trends and expectations

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?

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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.

Hyundai Motor Group’s MobED AMR on display at an exhibition. Image source: Hyundai.

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(00:20) Mobile robots market to nearly double by 2030

Global demand for mobile robots is set to surge, with the market projected to grow from $27.39 billion in 2025 to $52.11 billion by 2030, driven by AI, 5G, e-commerce, and labour shortages, while Asia-Pacific leads adoption and high costs, regulatory hurdles, and integration challenges remain important constraints.

(00:50) Hyundai debuts MobED autonomous robot platform at iREX 2025

Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled MobED, a production-ready autonomous mobility robot platform, at the iREX 2025 robotics show in Tokyo, positioning it as the company’s first mass-produced mobility robot for industrial and everyday applications, with Pro and Basic variants set for market launch in the first half of 2026.

(01:17) IFC backs Gujarat Fluorochemicals’ EV unit with $50 million

IFC will invest about $50 million in Gujarat Fluorochemicals’ EV venture GFCL EV Products to build India’s first fully integrated battery-materials plant, supporting local production of key inputs for electric vehicle and energy storage batteries and reducing import dependence while strengthening the country’s position in global clean-energy supply chains.

(01:46) Viavi, QNu Labs team up on quantum-safe network security

Viavi Solutions and QNu Labs, a quantum cybersecurity startup in India, have formed a strategic R&D partnership to develop test frameworks, standards, and reference architectures for quantum-safe network security, spanning post-quantum cryptography, quantum key distribution, quantum random number generator, and hybrid systems, with plans for a broader industry consortium to help operators and enterprises transition from classical to quantum-resilient infrastructures.

(02:20) Skylark Drones, WELL Labs ink MoU on data-led water intelligence

Skylark Drones has signed an MoU with Bengaluru-based WELL Labs to build data-driven water-resource intelligence platforms, according to a press release. The platforms will fuse large-scale drone-based mapping with hydrological science, supporting watershed management, flood resilience, and climate-linked water planning for governments and communities across India.

(02:46) Shastra VC launches SDEX deep-tech fellowship with $100,000 grants

Shastra VC has launched SDEX, Shastra Deep-Tech Excellence Fellowship, a 16–24-week programme to help researchers at IITs, IISc, NITs and other labs turn frontier technologies into venture-ready startups, with the first cohort set to pick up to 15 teams and provide each with equity-free funding and resources of up to $100,000 dollars.

(03:20) Chiratae launches Sonic DeepTech with cheques up to $2 million

Chiratae, a VC firm in Bengaluru, has launched the Sonic DeepTech programme to back early-stage Indian deep-tech startups with seed cheques of up to $2 million, promising 48-hour investment decisions, and access to domain experts, corporate partners, and portfolio founders to help teams move quickly from lab prototypes to market-ready products.

(03:45) ChemLex raises $45m for AI-driven autonomous drug discovery lab in Singapore

ChemLex, an AI-for-science startup, has raised 45 million dollars led by Granite Asia and is establishing its global headquarters and a 24/7 self-driving chemistry lab in Singapore to accelerate small-molecule drug discovery, supported by new technical hires and an MoU with Singapore’s Experimental Drug Development Centre.

Generated image for illustration of a startup incubator office space.

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(00:21) China’s Zhuque-3 reaches orbit but crashes on landing

Chinese rocketmaker Landspace’s stainless steel, methalox-fuelled Zhuque-3 reached orbit on its debut flight from Jiuquan, successfully deploying its expendable second stage before the reusable first stage failed during landing and exploded near the target zone. The company said the test still met key recovery objectives and noted Zhuque-3’s Falcon 9–class payload capability to low Earth orbit.

(00:53) RNA drug TY1 taps hidden DNA repair pathway

Scientists at Cedars-Sinai have created TY1, an RNA-based therapy that switches on a recently identified DNA repair pathway, enhancing the body’s ability to mend genetic damage and regenerate injured tissue. In preclinical studies, TY1 boosted repair processes without relying on traditional DNA-repair mechanisms, suggesting potential applications in treating cancer, age-related decline and degenerative diseases if future trials confirm its safety and efficacy.

(01:30) MIT’s light-based sensor aims to replace glucose finger pricks

MIT researchers have created a shoebox-sized Raman spectroscopy device that measures blood glucose through the skin, matching the accuracy of commercial continuous glucose monitors in an initial study on a healthy volunteer. The team has already built a cellphone-sized wearable prototype and plans larger clinical trials, with a long-term goal of a watch-like, noninvasive glucose monitor for diabetics.

(02:01) Planys raises Rs. 100 crore for global and defence push

Underwater robotics startup Planys Technologies has raised Rs. 100 crore in a round led by investors including Ashish Kacholia and Lashit Sanghvi, with participation from existing backers. The capital will support global scale-up of its underwater inspection systems and the launch of defence unit Planys Ark to develop indigenous unmanned underwater vehicles and set up a new production facility near Chennai.

(02:30) Activate launches $75m fund for early deep tech

Aakrit Vaish, co-founder of Haptik, and Pratyush Choudhury, former principal investor at Together, have unveiled Activate, a $75 million venture fund targeting India’s earliest-stage deep tech and AI startups, including teams at the ideation stage. The fund plans to write cheques of about $0.5–3 million, supported by a global LP network, and has already begun deploying capital into young AI-first companies.

(03:02) EU backs 40 women-led deep tech startups

EU-funded project Women TechEU has selected 40 women-led deep tech startups from 1,107 applicants in its fourth and final call, awarding each a EUR 75,000 non-dilutive grant plus tailored business support. Winners span 20 countries and focus mainly on AI, biotech and clean tech, with a follow-on initiative planned to continue support beyond 2026.

(03:35) IIT Madras incubator tops 500 deep-tech startups

IIT Madras Incubation Cell has incubated 511 deep-tech startups with a combined valuation of over Rs. 53,000 crore, creating more than 11,000 direct jobs and cementing its status as India’s largest deep-tech hub. In FY 2024–25, it onboarded 100+ startups under the “Startup Shatam” mission, with portfolio companies spanning space, mobility, climate-tech, semiconductors and frontier AI.

Janaki Venkatraman, Santanu Datta and Arindam Ghatak, co-founders of Biomoneta. Image source: company.

(00:20) IVCA forum urges more domestic capital for deep tech

The Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association hosted its Domestic Institutional Investors & Exits Forum 2025 in New Delhi, spotlighting the role of local capital in deep tech and biotech. An MoU between IVCA and BIRAC aims to boost capacity building and investment awareness, as BIRAC’s Managing Director Dr. Jitendra Kumar urged institutional investors to back research-led startups moving from incubation to commercial scale.

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(00:53) Rama Devi Lanka joins NITI Aayog frontier tech hub

Rama Devi Lanka has joined NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub to drive state-level engagement on AI, blockchain, drones and other emerging technologies. The former Telangana state emerging tech director will work with state governments to scale pilots, shape policy frameworks and strengthen innovation ecosystems, aiming to align frontier tech deployments with inclusive governance and public-impact use cases nationwide.

(01:22) Biomoneta wins US FDA nod for Avata Rx

Biomoneta, a Bengaluru startup, has secured US FDA approval for Avata Rx, its ZeBox-powered air-decontamination device, becoming the first Indian company cleared in this category. The system targets airborne pathogens in high-risk clinical and biotech environments, backed by independent validations including an IISc study on SARS-CoV-2. The milestone strengthens its global market entry and validates investor Beyond Next Ventures’ deep-science thesis.

(02:00) Moonrider raises $6m for EV tractor rollout

Moonrider, an electric tractor startup in Bengaluru, has raised $6 million in a Series A round led by deep-tech fund pi Ventures, with Singularity AMC, Advantedge Founders and Micelio Fund participating. The capital will fund commercial rollout of its fully homologated, road-ready electric tractors, which the company says match diesel tractors on upfront price while sharply lowering operating costs to improve farm economics.

(02:32) SynaXG raises over $20m for AI-RAN platform

Singapore deep-tech startup SynaXG has raised over $20 million in its first funding round, led by January Capital, Vertex Ventures and Qualgro. The company builds AI-powered radio access network (AI-RAN) technology for wireless infrastructure. The capital will be used to scale product development and engineering, and deepen partnerships with telecom operators and enterprise customers deploying next-generation network solutions.

Niobium raises $23m to advance FHE silicon

(03:03) US-based Niobium has raised more than $23 million in an oversubscribed follow-on round to accelerate its second-generation fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) hardware platform. The funding will support the shift from prototype to production-ready ASICs, hardware–software co-design and customer pilots. Existing backers Fusion Fund and Morgan Creek joined new investors including Blockchange Ventures, ADVentures, Korea Development Bank and JobsOhio Ventures.

(03:37) Korean team links desalination with hydrogen production

Researchers at Seoul National University have built a modular water-purification system that simultaneously produces clean water and hydrogen using ion concentration polarization across a single cation-exchange membrane. The finger-sized device removes salts and contaminants while generating hydrogen, recovering about 8–10 percent of input energy. Its compact, scalable design targets use in disaster zones, remote sites, military deployments and even space missions.

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(00:20) DST’s RDI Fund outreach programme in Bengaluru tomorrow

The Department of Science and Technology is inviting fund managers, industry leaders, and startup founders to join its officials to discuss the Government of India’s R&D and Innovation Fund, Secretary to the GoI Abhay Karandikar said in a post on LinkedIn.

This outreach programme is to be held tomorrow, Dec. 4, in Bengaluru.

This session will provide insights into the Fund’s objectives, operational framework, and financing models under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and facilitate direct dialogue with the DST’s RDI Cell, Abhay writes.

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(00:59) IIT Madras, Navy, Apollo Micro in defence tech pact

IIT Madras has signed a tripartite MoU with the Indian Navy’s DGNAI and Apollo Micro Systems to accelerate indigenous development of advanced defence technologies, announced at the Navy’s Swavalamban 2025 event in Delhi.  The alliance will target electronic warfare, precision navigation and high‑energy armament systems, aiming to speed lab-to-field deployment and bolster India’s defence self-reliance.

(01:35) Jolt Capital raises €600m deep tech fund first close

Paris-based Jolt Capital has reached a €600 million first close for its fifth deep tech focused fund, which targets a €1.1 billion hard cap to back around 20 European growth-stage technology companies.  Jolt Capital V is anchored by a €260 million commitment from the European Investment Fund and will focus on sectors from semiconductors to applied AI and energy management.

(02:07) Mantel’s molten-salt carbon capture push

MIT spinout Mantel is commercialising a molten borate salt system that captures about 95 percent of CO2 from high-temperature industrial flue gases while using roughly 3 percent of the net energy of incumbent capture technologies by cogenerating steam.  The firm is scaling from a containerised pilot at MIT’s The Engine to a Kruger factory demo in Quebec ahead of wider industrial deployment.

(02:40) Stanford’s immune-reset diabetes breakthrough

Stanford Medicine researchers report that a combined blood stem cell and pancreatic islet cell transplant from an immunologically mismatched donor prevented or cured Type 1 diabetes in mice by creating a hybrid immune system that stops attacking islet cells.  All treated animals remained diabetes-free without long-term immunosuppression, suggesting a future curative path for autoimmune disease.

(03:12) Korean team boosts lithium-metal battery safety, life

Korean researchers have engineered a fluorine- and oxygen-functionalized separator membrane that stabilizes both electrodes in lithium-metal batteries, sharply cutting dendrite-driven explosion risk while roughly doubling cycle life under harsh conditions.  Prototype pouch cells reached about 385 Wh/kg and 1,136 Wh/L — around 1.5–1.7 times current lithium-ion energy densities — without changing standard manufacturing processes.

India’s Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav recently visited SCL, and outlined a plan to modernise the chip facility.

(00:20) India to invest Rs. 4,500 crore to modernise SCL Mohali

India will invest Rs. 4,500 crore to modernise and expand the government-run Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali, targeting a 100-fold increase in wafer production while ruling out privatisation, Electronics and IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said during a site visit. SCL will support chip fabrication for students, startups and defence-linked agencies as part of a broader push for indigenous semiconductor capability, according to a statement from the ministry.

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(00:55) Mixx Technologies raises $33 million series A funding

Mixx Technologies, a US-based deep-tech startup founded by specialists from Intel and Broadcom, has raised $33 million in Series A funding led by ICM HPQC Fund alongside TDK Ventures, Systemiq Capital, and others. The capital will accelerate development of its HBxIO silicon-integrated optical engine, boost global R&D (including in India), and drive adoption of high-efficiency AI infrastructure platforms.

(01:29) Lightspeed Photonics raises $6.5 million for optical AI chips

Lightspeed Photonics has raised $6.5 million in a pre-Series A round led by Pi Ventures to scale its solderable optical interconnects for AI and high-performance computing data centres.  The Bengaluru-based startup claims 4x faster data transfer and roughly 2x lower power use than existing links, and plans to split the funds between R&D and commercial pilots through 2026.

(02:01) Reditus Space plans reusable reentry vehicle for microgravity R&D 

US startup Reditus Space has raised $7.1 million in seed funding to build ENOS, a reusable reentry spacecraft aimed at fast-turnaround missions for microgravity research and in-space manufacturing, Payload Space reports. The first ENOS flight, targeting a SpaceX rideshare next summer, will carry a pharma payload, reenter at over Mach 24, and test hardware designed for 20-plus missions and 40 kg payloads.

(02:38) IonQ, CCRM to apply quantum tech to advanced therapies 

IonQ has struck an investment and technology partnership with Canada’s Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine to apply hybrid quantum and quantum-AI tools to bioprocess optimization, disease modelling and advanced therapy manufacturing. IonQ becomes core tech partner across CCRM’s global network, with initial quantum-biotech projects in Canada and Sweden slated for 2026 as part of IonQ’s expanding European strategy.

(03:10) Sparrow Quantum raises €27.5 million for photonic quantum chips 

Denmark’s Sparrow Quantum has raised €27.5 million in Series A funding, in what it calls Scandinavia’s largest quantum-tech investment, to scale production of its Sparrow Core single-photon chip for room-temperature photonic quantum systems. The company plans to expand manufacturing and develop next-generation devices based on Niels Bohr Institute research, aiming to become a leading quantum chip supplier for European and global markets.

(03:44) Vayavya Labs, SimDaaS tie up on autonomous mobility tools 

Software engineering firm Vayavya Labs has signed an MoU with IIT Kanpur–incubated SimDaaS Autonomy to co-develop simulation-led tools for autonomous driving, ADAS and AI-based virtual validation. The partners will combine digital twin, virtual electronic control units and traffic-scenario simulation capabilities to accelerate virtual testing for complex Indian conditions and export solutions to global mobility markets.

(04:17) AI-detected ‘hidden’ lion roar may boost conservation

Scientists have identified a previously unknown “intermediary” lion roar that occurs alongside the classic full-throated call, using AI to sort thousands of recordings with about 95 percent accuracy. The added vocal signature can improve passive acoustic monitoring, helping estimate lion numbers and track individuals more reliably as wild populations fall to roughly 20,000–25,000 across Africa.