India Investor Conference 2026 - Professor V. Kamakoti on Building a Technology Superpower Through Startups, Innovation and Deep Tech

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Speaking at the India Investor Conference 2026, Professor V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, shared his perspective on how academic institutions, industry leaders and investors can work together to help India become a technology superpower. His address focused on technology independence, startup creation, patent generation, deep technology innovation and the role of patient capital in transforming ideas into globally relevant products.

From Social Independence to Technology Independence

Professor Kamakoti began by highlighting the importance of technology independence as India approaches the centenary of its independence in 2047.

According to him, India achieved social independence in 1947. The next milestone is technology independence by 2047. Achieving this vision requires India to become a product nation and a startup nation that owns its ideas, develops sovereign technologies and creates solutions that address national priorities.

He emphasized that institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology, National Institutes of Technology and other higher education institutions must focus on solving important challenges for the country through innovation and technology development.

Proof That India Can Build Its Own Technologies

Professor Kamakoti pointed to examples that demonstrate India's ability to create impactful technologies.

He cited the rapid development of COVID vaccines in India and highlighted how domestic innovation enabled affordable access while also supporting other countries during a period of global need.

He also referred to technological capabilities demonstrated through Operation Sindoor, stating that indigenous technologies and self-reliant products can make a meaningful difference in critical situations.

These examples, he said, show that India possesses the innovation capability needed to create world-class technologies.

A New PPP Model for India

While public private partnerships are widely known, Professor Kamakoti introduced a different interpretation of PPP which is Patent, Prototype and Produce.

This framework forms part of what he described as an entrepreneurship stack that supports innovators through every stage of the journey.

An idea generated by a student can move through an entrepreneurship cell and become a patent. Innovation centres help convert patents into designs. Incubators transform designs into prototypes and prototypes into startups. Dedicated mentoring initiatives then support startups as they grow towards becoming unicorns.

The objective is to create a complete pathway from idea to commercial success.

The Rise of Patents and Startups at IIT Madras

Professor Kamakoti shared data that reflects the growing innovation ecosystem at IIT Madras.

A few years ago, the institution set itself the goal of achieving one patent per day. The results have steadily improved.

IIT Madras filed 386 patents in one financial year, followed by 417 patents and then 472 patents in the subsequent year. According to Professor Kamakoti, the institution is now generating approximately 1.4 patents every day.

Startup creation has also accelerated significantly.

Under an initiative aimed at incubating 100 startups annually, IIT Madras incubated around 103 startups in one year and 112 startups in the financial year ending March 2026.

National Missions Creating New Opportunities

Professor Kamakoti highlighted several national initiatives that are helping startups and technology development.

These include the National Semiconductor Mission, National Artificial Intelligence Mission, National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems and the National Quantum Mission.

According to him, these missions have created opportunities for startups to accelerate technology development and bring innovations closer to commercial deployment.

He also referred to initiatives such as research, development and innovation funding support and incentives available for semiconductor design and manufacturing.

Another encouraging development, he noted, is the improvement in India's patenting process, with patent-related progress becoming significantly faster than in the past.

Why Startups Need Their First Customer

While funding remains important, Professor Kamakoti stressed that startups often need something equally valuable.

They need their first purchase order.

He called upon public sector enterprises, large industries and user agencies to support startups by providing opportunities to prove their products and technologies.

India is already a large consumer market. According to him, a major opportunity lies in increasing trust and adoption of products developed by Indian startups.

He linked this idea to the concept of Atma Vishwas, explaining that confidence in domestic innovation must come before self-reliance can be fully achieved.

Standard Essential Patents and India's Future

A significant portion of the discussion focused on standard essential patents.

Professor Kamakoti explained that many technologies operate within global standards and that ownership of standard essential patents can create long-term commercial value.

He noted that a portion of the value generated by products such as mobile phones ultimately flows to organizations that own these patents.

As an example, he referred to a standard essential patent associated with future telecommunications technology that emerged from the IIT ecosystem.

Beyond royalties, he emphasized that such patents can help shape technology standards that are more suitable for India's specific requirements. This can lead to better outcomes in areas such as connectivity, energy consumption and deployment costs.

He urged industry, startups and users to collaborate in creating standards that align with national needs.

Artificial Intelligence and Faster Product Development

Professor Kamakoti described artificial intelligence as an important enabler for innovation and research.

He said that large language models and artificial intelligence tools are helping accelerate product development, improve research efficiency and support faster translation of ideas into practical applications.

He also discussed the emergence of intelligent products in manufacturing. Using bearings as an example, he explained how sensors and intelligence can help predict failures and improve reliability.

According to him, artificial intelligence will play an important role throughout the journey from laboratory research to market-ready products.

Building the Valley of Hope

IIT Madras has incubated more than 530 startups, with an estimated valuation of around ₹73,000 crore.

As these startups grow, many face challenges during the stage between early innovation and large-scale commercial success.

Rather than describing this phase as the Valley of Death, Professor Kamakoti referred to it as the Valley of Hope.

To support startups during this period, IIT Madras has launched the IITM Unicorn Frontier Fund One. The fund is intended to help startups secure the capital required to progress through critical growth stages.

The initiative aims to support promising ventures that require additional funding to move from innovation to scale.

The Importance of Patient Capital

Towards the conclusion of his address, Professor Kamakoti emphasized the need for patient capital.

Deep technology startups often require several years before delivering significant commercial outcomes. He cited Ather Energy as an example of a startup that evolved over many years before reaching its current stage.

He also mentioned other startups emerging from the IIT Madras ecosystem, including Agnikul Cosmos, GalaxEye and TuTr Hyperloop.

According to him, investors who are willing to support long-term innovation can play a critical role in helping India become a technology superpower.

The Road to Viksit Bharat 2047

Professor Kamakoti concluded with a message for entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders.

He stated that India offers growing opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship. Academic institutions are actively supporting innovators by helping convert ideas into prototypes and startups.

The next phase, he said, requires confidence from investors, industries and users. Greater support for domestic startups, stronger adoption of indigenous technologies and sustained investment in innovation can help India achieve its vision of becoming a technology superpower, a product nation and a startup nation by 2047.

As India moves towards that goal, collaboration between academia, industry and investors may become one of the most important drivers of the country's technology future.

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