The appointment of 19 fund managers under the ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund brings fresh impetus to the financing of deeptech ventures, particularly as they move from research to commercialisation. @rajattandy, President, Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (@IndianVCA), highlighted the distinct roles of government-backed funding initiatives: “These are complementary initiatives, but they address different financing needs.” As he explained, “SIDBI's Fund of Funds for Startups has played an important role in strengthening the venture capital ecosystem, while the SRI Fund focuses on providing growth capital to MSMEs.” On the financing gaps that emerge after a working prototype, @visheshrajaram, Founding Partner, @SpecialeInvest, identified three key challenges: “The first is the post-prototype scale-up phase, where companies need large cheques before revenue. The second is long-tenure capital aligned with hardware and science cycles. The third is the follow-on depth Indian founders often had to seek abroad.” @richabajpai87, Founder, @YourCampusFund, spoke of the funding challenges faced by research-driven ventures. “The hardest stretch for a deeptech company in India is the one between a working lab prototype and its first institutional cheque. Grants and university support usually run out at proof of concept, and most venture capital arrives only once there is revenue. Many of India’s best research-driven founders get stuck in that gap, and some leave the country to close it,” she said. Effective deployment of the RDI Fund will be critical to addressing these gaps, helping deeptech ventures access the capital they need to advance from validated technology towards commercialisation. Read more: vccircle.com/explainedwhat-r… #RDIFund #DeepTech #VentureCapital #Innovation #Startups