New Delhi, July 1 -- India's startup funding market isn't bouncing back the way many thought it would. The expectation was that capital would spread widely across new founders, giving more young companies a chance to grow. Instead, investors are writing fewer cheques but for much larger amounts, backing businesses they believe have a clearer path to scale.

That change is reshaping the country's tech ecosystem. Money is flowing again, but it's harder to access. Established players continue to attract big rounds, while the pool of first-time funded startups is shrinking. For many early-stage founders, the bar to raise capital has moved higher, and the market is tilting toward companies that can show scale and resilience from the start.

Ac...