New Delhi, June 22 -- Indian deep-tech startups in space and artificial intelligence (AI), many of which have struggled to secure funding, are set to attract "hundreds of millions" in investment over the next 12 months, as demand for sovereign technologies in critical sectors continues to rise, a top venture capital investor told Mint.

Sriram Viswanathan, founding managing partner at US-based investment firm Celesta Capital, said India's startup ecosystem remains considerably behind Silicon Valley in maturity, even as opportunities in the sector rise.

"Sectors such as space, defence or next-generation artificial intelligence chips are crucial in national security, and Indian startups have a big opportunity to cater to large government d...