New Delhi, July 6 -- India's next wave of technology leadership will depend on whether its startup ecosystem can move beyond rapid scaling to creating breakthrough technologies backed by sustained research and private investment, according to Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Member, NITI Aayog.

Speaking at CyberMedia Awards Night 2026, Prof. Karandikar said India's progress in information technology (IT), telecommunications, and digital public infrastructure (DPI) has created a strong base for innovation. The next challenge, he said, is to strengthen research and development (R&D), encourage greater industry participation, and create conditions that allow deep-tech startups to build globally relevant technologies instead of following existing tec...