CURRENT AFFAIRS | 27 MAY 2026
The Startup Policy Forum — in collaboration with DPIIT (Startup India), MeitY and IIT Madras — has unveiled “100 Desi Deeptechs”, a curated list of Indian deep-tech startups grouped across nine sovereignty-critical sectors: clean energy, defence tech, quantum, biotech, space, electric vehicles, drones & aerospace, advanced manufacturing, robotics and semiconductors. The reveal, fronted in the Indian Express on 27 May 2026 under the banner “One Mission: India’s Tech Sovereignty”, is positioned as a public-facing roll-call of the firms expected to anchor the Atmanirbhar Bharat decade.
The nine sovereignty pillars (sample firms)
- Clean Tech & Energy: Enlite, Newtrace, Chakr Innovation, Offgrid Energy Labs
- Defence Tech: HyPrix, Space Pixels, BonV, Kalam Labs
- Quantum: QNu, Quanfluence, QuBeats
- Biotech / Health Tech: Dozee, CRISPR Bits, Eka.care, Robo Bionics
- Space: Pixxel, Skyroot, Agnikul, Digantara, GalaxEye
- EV: Ather, Ultraviolette, Yulu, Exponent
- Drones & Aerospace: ePlane Co, EyeROV, Aereo
- Advanced Manufacturing: Ethereal Machines, Scimplify
- Semiconductors: Mindgrove, Bharat Semi, Netrasemi, Incore
CLAT angle — the policy & IP backbone
- Patents Act, 1970 (amended 2005 for TRIPS) — the spine of deep-tech IP in India.
- Sui generis regimes — PPV&FR Act 2001 for plant varieties; TKDL for traditional knowledge.
- National Quantum Mission — Rs 6,003 cr outlay (2023-31).
- Semicon India Programme — Rs 76,000 cr outlay under MeitY.
- MSME Act, 2006 + revised composite (investment + turnover) classification post-2020.
Key Facts
| Curators | Startup Policy Forum + DPIIT + MeitY + IIT Madras |
| SPF CEO | Shweta Rajpal Kohli |
| Sectors covered | 9 |
| Startup India ministry | DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry |
| Quantum mission outlay | Rs 6,003 cr (NQM 2023-31) |
Mnemonic — "9 PILLARS, 1 SOVEREIGNTY"
Remember the nine sectors as C-D-Q-B-S-E-D-A-S: Clean energy, Defence, Quantum, Biotech, Space, EV, Drones, Advanced manufacturing, Semiconductors. One pillar from each sector = one MCQ-ready fact.
Why this matters for CLAT 2027
Static GK on Patents Act, MSME classification and India’s flagship sectoral missions (NQM, ISM, PLI) is high-yield. Expect a passage on “deep tech vs tech”: deep tech is research/IP-led and capex-intensive; regular tech is software/app-led.
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
