New Delhi — Artificial intelligence and machine learning have emerged as the most widely adopted technologies among India’s deep-tech startups, with 74% of applicants to Nasscom’s Emerge 50 program using them in their products or platforms.
The technology industry group announced its Emerge 50 League of 10 for 2026, highlighting startups working across artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, space technology, synthetic biology, clean energy and other advanced technology areas.
While AI and machine learning dominated the applicant pool, startups were also developing products involving connected hardware and the Internet of Things, energy and cleantech, industrial automation and robotics.
The League of 10 was selected from 50 winners drawn from about 750 applications spanning 11 frontier technology categories.
“The 2026 applicant pool reflects a significant shift in India’s deep tech ecosystem from early-stage experimentation towards commercial deployment,” Nasscom said.
About 83% of applicants had reached Technology Readiness Level 6 or higher, indicating that their technologies had progressed beyond early development stages. Another 39% had reached TRL 9, representing fully commercialized technologies.
Nearly half of the startups had also secured intellectual property rights for their products or technologies.
The applicant pool showed increasing financial and commercial maturity, with 46% of startups having raised external funding. About 38% had at least one woman on their founding teams.
“Scaling deep tech is critical for India to strengthen its technological capabilities, address complex national priorities and build globally competitive, innovation-led businesses,” Nasscom President Rajesh Nambiar said.
“While there is strong momentum across semiconductors, space, quantum, the next phase of growth will require patient capital, stronger R&D, access to infrastructure and testbeds, and sustained policy and government support,” he added.
Across the past three editions of the program, 150 recognized startups have collectively raised more than $875 million and generated more than $420 million in cumulative revenue since 2022.
Those companies employ an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people and have expanded internationally into markets including the United States, Canada, Singapore and the United Kingdom. (Source: IANS)
