Nvidia Joins India Deep Tech Alliance as Group Gets $850 Million VC boost

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US chipmaker Nvidia has joined the India Deep Tech Alliance as a founding member and strategic technical adviser, adding heavyweight industry backing to an investor coalition that said it has secured more than ₹7,500 crore (about $850 million) in fresh capital commitments for Indian deep‑tech startups.

The move deepens the chipmaker’s on‑the‑ground role in one of its fastest‑growing markets for AI development and deployment, and comes as New Delhi readies a ₹1 trillion (about $11.3 billion) Research, Development and Innovation scheme.

Formed in September by a consortium of venture and corporate investors from India and the US, the alliance aims to accelerate research‑driven companies in strategic technology sectors such as semiconductors, advanced computing, AI, robotics and space.

The cross‑border grouping was created to channel global capital, expertise and networks into India‑based startups developing core technologies, complementing the government’s forthcoming RDI program.

The new round of funding commitments comes from a second wave of members, including Activate AI, Chiratae  Ventures, InfoEdge Ventures, Kalaari Capital, Qualcomm Ventures, Singularity Holdings VC and YourNest Venture Capital.

Existing backers include Accel, Blume Ventures, Celesta Capital, Premji Invest, Tenacity Ventures and Venture Catalysts.

As an advisory founding member, Nvidia will provide strategic counsel on accelerated computing and AI, offer training through its Deep Learning Institute and help startups integrate its software and hardware stacks to tackle high-performance workloads, the alliance said.

“Nvidia aims to share technical insights, scalable compute resources and global best practices to support India’s deep tech ecosystem,” said Vishal Dhupar, managing director for South Asia at Nvidia.

Sriram Viswanathan, founding managing partner at Celesta Capital and an executive council member of the alliance, called Nvidia’s participation “a milestone for IDTA and India’s deep-tech journey,” saying the company’s depth in AI systems and ecosystem building will help founders build globally competitive companies while aligning with the government’s RDI priorities.

Qualcomm Ventures joined the group in the latest cohort and framed its participation around the acceleration of AI-native startups.

“India’s deep tech community plays a critical role in realizing the global AI opportunity, and we’re excited to join the IDTA to support the ecosystem,” said Quinn Li, Senior Vice-President at Qualcomm Technologies and global head of Qualcomm Ventures.

The alliance’s model is to coordinate investors, corporates and technology partners without pooling capital into a single fund. Each member invests independently through their own vehicles, while collaborating on co-investment and mentorship.

The Department of Science and Technology has said modalities for the program are being finalized ahead of a planned November rollout.

For India’s research-heavy startups, the group’s mix of capital and compute could help address two chronic constraints of patient financing and access to advanced AI hardware.

Nvidia’s training programs and technical assistance are expected to focus on developer enablement, performance optimization and responsible deployment practices, according to the announcement.

Investor interest has been building even as deep-tech ventures remain a smaller slice of India’s startup landscape.

Funding for deep-tech startups rose 78% to about $1.6 billion in 2024, roughly a fifth of the $7.4 billion that flowed to Indian tech startups overall, according to a NASSCOM–Zinnov study.

The alliance says it expects to support founders over a five- to ten-year horizon, reflecting the longer development cycles for science- and engineering-led companies.

The IDTA’s launch in September brought in $1 billion in investor commitments. The new ₹7,500 crore ($850 million) tranche, announced this week, adds a fresh layer of capital for startups in the alliance’s pipeline.

Nvidia’s engagement also underscores how the company is embedding itself within national ecosystems to drive adoption of its platforms.

In India, the firm already works with cloud and data-center partners while courting startups and universities through training and grants.

The advisory role at the alliance aligns with that strategy, offering a conduit to early-stage companies designing products in areas from AI-powered drug discovery and robotics to chip design tools and industrial automation.

Alliance members framed the initiative as a way to turn India’s scientific talent into scaled businesses.

“Through IDTA, we hope to collaborate across the deep-tech ecosystem to help ensure the government’s RDI vision translates into globally competitive companies and enduring outcomes for India,” said Sudhir Sethi, founder and chairman of Chiratae Ventures.

Kalaari Capital’s Vani Kola said the firm is “committed to providing the patient capital with long-term conviction that deep tech demands.”