Tamil Nadu is sharpening its focus on deeptech and advanced manufacturing, with the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) announcing strategic investments in spacetech startup Agnikul Cosmos and electric vehicle maker Raptee Energy, as per news reports.
TIDCO will invest ₹25 crore each in Agnikul Cosmos and Raptee Energy, marking the first set of investments under the state’s Startup Investment Policy 2025.
The approval letters were handed over on March 14, signalling the government’s intent to actively back emerging technology-led ventures.
The initiative is designed to support startups across high-growth, capital-intensive sectors, with a particular focus on deeptech and advanced manufacturing businesses that typically require long gestation periods.
The state government aims to channel capital into sunrise sectors such as electric vehicles, aerospace & defence, renewable energy, semiconductors, AI, blockchain, and quantum computing.
Industry minister TRB Rajaa highlighted that the objective is to provide patient capital, strategic guidance, and scale opportunities to promising startups emerging from Tamil Nadu’s innovation ecosystem.
This policy shift reflects a broader recognition that deeptech startups often struggle to secure early funding due to high R&D costs and delayed commercialisation timelines, making government-backed capital crucial.
Agnikul Cosmos, founded in 2017, is building small-lift launch vehicles, with its flagship rocket Agnibaan designed to carry payloads of up to 300 kg to low Earth orbit.
The company has also developed Agnilet, claimed to be the world’s first single-piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket engine, positioning it at the forefront of India’s private space ecosystem.
Raptee Energy, established in 2021, operates in the premium electric motorcycle segment. Its T30 model is priced at around ₹2.4 lakh (ex-showroom), and the company runs a 4.5-acre manufacturing facility in Chennai with an annual capacity of 1 lakh units, reflecting its scale ambitions in the EV space.
The move comes amid growing momentum in India’s deeptech ecosystem. In 2025 alone, the sector recorded 87 funding deals worth $500 million, while a significant share of newly launched venture funds carried dedicated deeptech mandates.
Additionally, initiatives such as the India Deep Tech Alliance (IDTA), targeting over $1 billion in investments and the government’s ₹1 lakh crore RDI scheme are accelerating capital inflow into innovation-led sectors.
Read More: Centre Approves ₹33,660 Crore BHAVYA Scheme to Develop 100 Industrial Parks Across India!
TIDCO’s investment signals a strong policy push towards deeptech, reinforcing Tamil Nadu’s ambition to emerge as a key hub for next-generation technologies and advanced manufacturing.
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Published on: Mar 19, 2026, 11:17 AM IST
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