Amitesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India and CEO, India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) at Hindu Deep Tech Summit | Photo credit: Ragu R.
The Union government has taken various measures, including political pressure, to promote deep technology in India, Amitesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Director General, India Semiconductor Mission, said on Monday (April 6, 2026). He was addressing the audience during the inaugural ceremony of The Hindu Deep Tech Summit 2026 organized by The Hindu Group in association with SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST).
“Semiconductors are a multi-vertical industry. Although India accounts for nearly 20% of the world’s design firms, we don’t have our own design companies, which is a challenge. The India Semiconductor Mission has multiple verticals to address and we have started with design, manufacturing and packaging,” said Mr. Sinha. “To take this conversation further, we are now working to develop a complete ecosystem under India Semiconductor Mission 2.0. This will expand beyond the first phase to include materials, R&D, chemicals, gases, device manufacturing and skills,” he added.
LV Navaneeth, CEO of The Hindu Group, said that deep technology is no longer confined to laboratories and research papers. He said it shapes economies, redefines industries and influences the way people live, work and think. “From semiconductors and artificial intelligence to advanced materials and space technology, the next decade belongs to those who can design the future, not just imagine it,” he added.
C. Muthamizhchelvan, vice-chancellor of SRMIST, said universities send talented graduates but not always solutions. According to him, the functioning of universities needs to be shaped from the point of view of the academic sphere. “A profound technology summit like this will ultimately bridge the gap between the intellectual potential in universities and the expected effective solutions to global challenges. The question we need to ask is, ‘Are we really equipping our students to build, to think? Do we have enough lab infrastructure for students and faculty to explore beyond what is prescribed in the curriculum, and are we opening up to industries?'”
Panneerselvam Madanagopal, CEO, MeitY Startup Hub, (MSH), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said that the need for collaboration between industry and academia is extremely critical. “Mentoring, market access and money are the support we provide at MeitY Startup Hub. But the challenge in India today is that we have a lot of startups. We need to look for fundamentally strong companies that are worthy of investment, solve real problems and drive change in the ecosystem,” he added.
B. Govindarajan, CEO, Royal Enfield India, spoke about the role of deep tech in the automotive industry. He also said that there is a huge opportunity for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as well, with around six million MSMEs thriving in India. “For young people doing research and innovation, funding is not a challenge – both Indian industry and the government are ready to support ideas that solve real problems,” he said.
Madras Management Association is the industry partner of the event. Knowledge partners are IHFC, Technology Innovation Hub of IIT Delhi, Ivy Club – Chennai, Sathguru Catalysing Success, 2C Stem Steering Technology Management, BIRAC, Bio-Nest, Niti Aayog Atal Innovation Mission and DPIIT #startupindia. The Ecosystem’s partner is Startup Singam.
Published – 06 Apr 2026 23:23 IST
