Nvidia joins $2B India Deep Tech Alliance to advise AI startups

U.S. chipmaker Nvidia has announced that it is now part of the $2 billion IDTA as a founding member, providing mentorship to India’s AI startups. The Nvidia Deep Learning Institute will offer training and technical talks to guide AI systems and developer empowerment.  

The tech giant joined a group of venture capital and private equity investors pledging $2 billion for deep tech investments in semiconductors, energy, biotech, space, robotics, and AI. However, the company did not provide details about its own contribution to the pledged amount, training targets, or timelines.  

Nvidia’s Managing Director of South Asia, Vishal Dhupar, said his company aims to guide India’s AI systems and developer enablement. It also aims to establish close ties with policymakers, entrepreneurs, and investors.  

India’s AI growth is accelerating 

IDTA’s founding executive council member, Sriram Viswanathan, claimed that the pace of AI innovation in India is accelerating, adding that a significant number of his country’s deep tech firms could achieve global repute in five years. Viswanathan believes that Nvidia’s depth of expertise in AI systems, building ecosystems, and software will benefit the IDTA’s network of entrepreneurs and investors.  

Meanwhile, India’s government has reportedly been actively encouraging innovation and research in deep tech through major initiatives. It has spent over $1.1 billion (100B Rupees) under the AI Mission initiative and another $11.2 billion (1 trillion Rupees) through the Research, Development, and Innovation Scheme, targeting deep-tech firms. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced on November 3 that India will host the 2026 AI Impact Summit. Top policymakers, heads of state, and business leaders, including Google DeepMind’s CEO Demis Hassabis and Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang, are expected to participate in the event. 

OpenAI also reportedly counts India as its second-largest user base, as Nvidia’s commitment to the country coincides with a surge in global interest in its AI market. Google recently pledged $15 billion for an AI hub to be built in Visakhapatnam.

India doubles R&D gross expenditure

PIB India, the nodal agency for communicating with the media on behalf of the Indian government, reported on November 4 that the country’s gross expenditure on R&D (research and development) has more than doubled over the past 10 years. The agency added that the government has placed R&D at the center of its Viksit Bharat@2047 mission. 

Meanwhile, efforts to strengthen private and public participation, deepen links between industry and academia, and promote tech startups have created a transformative innovation hub as India marches forward. The agency claimed that the government’s sustained institutional reforms and policy focus have contributed to the steady rise in R&D spending.

Per capita R&D spending has also surged consistently, with the private sector accounting for about 36% of the total GERD (Gross Expenditure on Research and Development) budget, while the government contributes the remaining 64%. India ranks third globally in Science and Engineering (S&E) PhDs after the U.S. and China.

India also launched the ₹1 lakh crore RDI (Research, Development, and Innovation) Scheme Fund on November 3, marking a significant milestone towards strengthening the country’s R&D ecosystem. The scheme aims to establish an innovation environment driven by the private sector to help boost the country’s progress in science and technology. It is expected to encourage more private investment in RDI in the strategic and sunrise sectors.

The scheme also offers risk capital and growth to address existing challenges in funding private research. It focuses on promoting the adoption of technology, enhancing competition in emerging areas, and fostering innovation. 

PIB India noted that forward-looking policy measures and a robust institutional framework have guided the country’s innovation journey. The agency also claimed that the government has undertaken several reforms to make India a global hub for research and entrepreneurship across emerging sectors.   

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