IIT Bombay launches India’s first deep tech VC fund worth Rs.250 crore

IIT Bombay has taken a major step toward strengthening India’s innovation landscape with the launch of the Y-Point Venture Capital Fund, the country’s first deep tech-focused venture capital fund established by the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE). The announcement was made today by Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, Chairperson of the Board of Governors, IIT Bombay, in the presence of Prof. Shireesh Kedare, Director, IIT Bombay.

The event was also attended by Prof. Milind Atrey, Deputy Director for Academics, Research and Translation, and Prof. Ravindra Gudi, Deputy Director for Finance, Infrastructure and Administration.

A landmark 250 crore fund for early stage deep tech innovation

The Y-Point Venture Capital Fund has a total fund size of INR 250 crore and aims to redefine the trajectory of India’s deep tech startups. The fund is positioned to bridge one of the most significant gaps in the innovation ecosystem by providing risk capital at the earliest stages. It is designed to support startups working on complex, research-driven technologies that typically require long gestation periods, high capital investment and access to specialised technical mentorship.

For over two decades, SINE IIT Bombay has nurtured breakthrough ideas from lab to market. With a portfolio of more than five hundred startups and over one thousand innovators supported so far, SINE has a deep understanding of the unique hurdles deep tech ventures face. The new fund is a direct response to these challenges and will help early stage companies accelerate their transition into scalable, market-ready enterprises.

Investment focus and impact on India’s startup landscape

The Y-Point Venture Capital Fund will invest in startups emerging from IIT Bombay as well as other leading research and academic institutions across the country. Investments will be focused on pre-seed and seed stages, covering twenty five to thirty startups with a maximum ticket size of INR 15 crore per company.

By creating an institutional funding pathway for deep tech ventures, the fund is expected to catalyse private sector participation in the innovation ecosystem at IIT Bombay. It also signals a larger national push to position India as a global centre for advanced technology development.

National leadership applauds the initiative

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, congratulated IIT Bombay and commended SINE for its continued contributions to India’s research and innovation landscape.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Prof. Nishant Sharma, Professor in Charge at SINE.