Startup Policy Forum launches advisory board to guide deeptech ventures
The board comprises investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and academics, and will focus on identifying high-potential deeptech startups and providing strategic direction on policy frameworks.
Startup Policy Forum (SPF) has established a DeepTech Advisory Board to support the development of India’s deeptech policy ecosystem.
The board comprises investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and academics, and will focus on identifying high-potential deeptech startups and providing strategic direction on policy frameworks.
Members include investors Prashanth Prakash (Accel India), Anjali Bansal (Avaana Capital), Sateesh Andra (Endiya Partners), Pranav Pai (3one4 Capital), and Vishesh Rajaram (Speciale Invest).
The board also comprises founders Tarun Mehta (Ather Energy) and Anirudh Sharma (Digantara); policymakers Dr. Chagun Basha (Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser), Panneerselvam Madangopal (MeitY Startup Hub), and Dr. Manish Diwan (BIRAC); Prof. Thillai Rajan (IIT Madras); Shradha Sharma (YourStory); and technology investors Vibhore Sharma and Anandamoy Roychowdhry.
“India has the potential to be the world’s deeptech powerhouse. With the DeepTech Advisory Board, we are bringing together a group of highly distinguished experts to help support breakthrough innovations that will define the future of national progress,” said Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President & CEO, Startup Policy Forum.
The board will anchor #100DesiDeepTechs, an initiative launched with MeitY Startup Hub, Startup India–DPIIT, and IIT Madras to identify and support 100 deep-tech startups. The selected startups will provide policy inputs and work to address regulatory challenges in areas such as advanced manufacturing, space, biotech, and AI.
“Our mission is to give these startups the right mentorship, policy support, and visibility so they can create the next wave of transformative companies from India,” Rajpal added.
In addition, the board will also work with the Centre for DeepTech Policy Research (CDPR), a dedicated hub for deep-tech policy studies.
The #100DesiDeepTechs cohort, curated by IIT-Madras, spans areas including semiconductors, defence, quantum technologies, green hydrogen, space, drones and unmanned systems, electric vehicles, biotechnology, robotics and autonomous systems, advanced manufacturing, and communications infrastructure.
In the coming months, Startup Policy Forum will convene focused roundtables to gather policy inputs from these 100 startups. It added that these insights will be further compiled by Ikigai Law into a report to be presented at the DeepTech Baithak.
The last date to apply for the cohort is August 25, 2025.
Startup Policy Forum (SPF) is an industry body for new-age companies, representing more than 50 fastest-growing startups with a combined valuation exceeding $80 billion. Its members span sectors such as fintech, consumer, manufacturing, deeptech, and AI, and include CRED, OYO, Physics Wallah, ixigo, Cars24, Mobikwik, BharatPe, Cardekho, Groww, Zerodha, Swiggy, Razorpay, Dream11, among others.