New Delhi, Aug 7 — Artificial intelligence and machine learning were the most widely adopted technologies among applicants, used by 74 per cent of the startups, Nasscom said on Friday as it announced its list of ten of India’s most promising deep tech startups.
These startups among the Emerge 50 League of 10 for 2026 are building breakthrough technologies across artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, space, synthetic biology, clean energy and other frontier domains, the industry chamber said.
Though AI dominated adopted technologies, the breadth of applications, however, extended to include connected hardware and the Internet of Things, energy and cleantech, industrial automation and robotics, the report said.
Nasscom’s league of ten represents leading innovators selected from 50 winners chosen out of 750 applications across 11 frontier technology domains.
"The 2026 applicant pool reflects a significant shift in India’s deep tech ecosystem from early-stage experimentation towards commercial deployment," the industry body said.
Across the total applications, around 83 per cent of applicants have reached Technology Readiness Level 6 or above, while 39 per cent are fully commercialised at TRL 9. Nearly half of the startups have also been granted intellectual property for their products or technologies.
The applicant pool also demonstrated growing commercial and investment maturity. Forty-six per cent of applicants have raised external funding, while 38 per cent, have at least one woman in their founding team.
“Scaling deep tech is critical for India to strengthen its technological capabilities, address complex national priorities and build globally competitive, innovation-led businesses," said Rajesh Nambiar, President, Nasscom.
"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.
Over the past three editions of the awards event, the 150 recognised startups have collectively raised more than $875 million in funding and generated over $420 million in cumulative revenue since 2022.
These companies collectively employ an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 professionals and have established an international presence across markets including the United States, Canada, Singapore and the United Kingdom.