Building India’s Deep Tech Ecosystem with Ashwin Raguraman

In this episode of AI Rising, host Leslie D’Monte is joined by Ashwin Raguraman, Co-founder and Partner at Bharat Innovation Fund. Ashwin reflects on the journey of launching the fund in 2018 to support deep tech startups in India—a bold move, as the startup ecosystem was still emerging. "We were trying to promote the ecosystem ahead of its time," he shares, highlighting the fund's mission to foster innovation before the landscape fully matured. Leslie delves into Ashwin’s approach to selecting deep tech entrepreneurs, asking what factors guide his investment decisions. Ashwin outlines three key vectors: first, the founding team’s background; second, the size and potential growth of the market, adding that forecasting both startup success and market evolution is a unique challenge; and third, the technology’s level of disruption, including patents and solutions. Tune in for insights into the strategies that drive investment in India’s deep tech ecosystem and how AI is changing the landscape.