Startup Spotlights

The Indian startup story has long been one of breakneck growth—new companies launching every day, record funding rounds, and a new unicorn almost every week. But 2026 is telling a different story. Data from Tracxn reveals that only 314 tech startups were founded in the first half of 2026, compared with 3,222 in all of 2025 . This dramatic slowdown in new company formation is not a sign of a dying ecosystem. It is evidence of a structural shift toward a more disciplined, selective phase—where capital flows to the strongest ventures, and founders are thinking twice before entering the arena.

The national capital has thrown its hat into the ring with a significant policy intervention aimed at transforming its educational landscape into a launchpad for entrepreneurship. On July 16, 2026, the Delhi Cabinet approved the Delhi Start-up and Incubation Policy, earmarking over ₹400 crore for a five-year mission to strengthen the city’s innovation ecosystem . Chief Minister Rekha Gupta articulated the ambition succinctly: “The initiative is not just about helping people launch start-ups, but about transforming Delhi’s youth from job seekers into job creators” .

Gene editing has long been constrained by a fundamental limitation: scientists have been working with nature’s tools. Even CRISPR-Cas9, the revolutionary breakthrough that earned a Nobel Prize, relies on enzymes that evolved millions of years ago. Bengaluru-based deep-tech startup Mandrake Bio is challenging this status quo by using generative AI to design gene-editing enzymes from scratch, and it has just raised ₹16 crore to prove its approach works .

India’s private space sector is poised to achieve a landmark moment as Skyroot Aerospace prepares to launch the Vikram-1 orbital rocket on July 18, 2026, at 11:30 AM from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota . This mission, named ‘Mission Aagaman’ (meaning “the arrival”), will mark India’s first orbital launch attempt by a privately developed rocket .

Surat-based Hisabkitab, an AI-powered accounting platform built for small and medium businesses, has raised an undisclosed amount in a seed funding round from a group of angel investors and high-net-worth individuals at a valuation of ₹20 crore . The capital will primarily strengthen its AI capabilities and expand its customer base, reflecting growing investor interest in India’s fintech SaaS ecosystem.

The partnership is not an isolated event but a concrete outcome of the third meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) held in Brussels on July 15, 2026 . Co-chaired by India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and a high-level European Commission delegation, the TTC has emerged as a central platform for advancing the EU-India strategic partnership, focusing on strengthening strategic value chains and deepening business engagement .