Startup Policy Forum launches DeepVerse to push deep-tech policy in 10 sectors
Representative image: blickpixel / Pixabay
The Startup Policy Forum launched DeepVerse on October 6, 2026, a deep-tech policy platform covering ten sectors with an 18-member advisory board.
What Happened
The Startup Policy Forum, an industry body that speaks for Indian start-ups on policy, launched DeepVerse, a Centre for DeepTech Innovation, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. The forum said the centre will bring start-ups, investors, government, global technology companies and academia onto one platform to shape policy for deep-tech businesses in ten sub-sectors, from semiconductors and quantum technology to drones, spacetech and clean energy. It is guided by an 18-member advisory board and counts ten venture capital firms among its participants. The forum said DeepVerse will soon publish a report listing policy actions for each of the ten sectors.
Key Facts
- DeepVerse was launched on October 6, 2026 by the Startup Policy Forum (SPF) as its Centre for DeepTech Innovation.
- Its ten focus areas include semiconductors, quantum technology, spacetech, defence technology, drones, biotech, electric vehicles, advanced manufacturing and robotics, and cleantech and energy.
- An 18-member advisory board of investors, founders, policymakers, academics and technology firms guides it; members named in coverage include Accel India's Prashanth Prakash and Skyroot Aerospace co-founder Pawan Chandana.
- Ten venture firms take part, among them Accel India, Lightspeed, Bessemer Venture Partners, Speciale Invest, Endiya Partners and Beenext.
- Participation comes in three tiers, called Deep Core, Deep Circle and Patrons, and members feed sector-level input into government consultations.
- It succeeds the forum's #100DesiDeepTechs initiative, run in 2025 with MeitY Startup Hub, Startup India and IIT Madras.
- A report setting out policy actions across the ten sectors has been promised but not yet released.
Why It Matters
Deep-tech companies build hardware, science-heavy products or core technology rather than apps. They need years of research before revenue, expensive test facilities, government approvals and often the government itself as a first customer, especially in defence, space and drones. That makes policy far more important to them than to a typical consumer start-up. Rules on public procurement, import of components, testing and certification, and research grants can decide whether a young company survives.
Founders outside the big hubs feel this most. Many deep-tech start-ups grow out of incubators at IITs, IISc, NITs and state universities in smaller cities, where access to investors and to officials who write the rules is limited. A standing platform that gathers their problems sector by sector and carries them into consultations could, if it works, give such founders a voice they would not have on their own.
The launch also fits a wider shift. The central government has put deep tech at the centre of recent schemes, including a research and innovation fund and production-linked incentives for semiconductors, and several states now run their own deep-tech or drone policies. What is often missing is detailed feedback from companies on where schemes fall short. DeepVerse says it will supply that.
There are limits to keep in mind. DeepVerse is an advocacy platform, not a fund or a government scheme: it does not give grants or investment itself. Its value will depend on whether its promised report contains specific, usable proposals and whether ministries act on them.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launched by | Startup Policy Forum |
| Date | October 6, 2026 |
| Sectors covered | Ten deep-tech sub-sectors |
| Advisory board | 18 members |
| Next step | Sector-wise policy report, date not announced |
Impact
Short-term: Deep-tech founders and investors gain a structured channel to raise policy problems in their sector, and a report of proposals is expected.
Long-term: If its proposals are adopted, rules on procurement, testing, imports and research funding could become easier for young hardware and science-based companies, including those from smaller cities.
Who is affected: Deep-tech founders and their investors, university incubators, ministries and regulators that write sector rules, and young engineers and researchers who look for jobs in these companies.
Key Takeaway
DeepVerse gives India's deep-tech start-ups a standing policy platform across ten sectors, but its real test will be the proposals it publishes and whether the government takes them up.
Questions and Answers
What is DeepVerse?
It is a Centre for DeepTech Innovation set up by the Startup Policy Forum on October 6, 2026 to gather start-ups, investors, government, academia and technology companies to shape policy for deep-tech businesses.
Does DeepVerse fund start-ups?
No. It is a policy and collaboration platform. It does not give grants or invest, though ten venture capital firms take part in it.
Which sectors does it cover?
Ten sub-sectors, including semiconductors, quantum technology, spacetech, defence technology, drones, biotech, electric vehicles, robotics and advanced manufacturing, and cleantech and energy.
What comes next?
The forum has said DeepVerse will publish a report with policy actions for each of the ten sectors. No release date has been given.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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