The DeepTech Innovation Award
Deep technology takes longer, costs more and fails more publicly. This category is for work grounded in science and hard engineering — quantum, photonics, advanced materials, space, defence and biometrics — judged on the physics as much as the pitch.
- Independent jury
- 250
- Innovations evaluated
- 4,500+
- Star rating
- 1–5
- Running since
- 2010
Academics, scientists, officials, investors
Across seventeen editions
Every nominee earns an AGBA Innovation Star
India’s longest-running innovation award
Three categories sit close to data. This is the one about method and evidence.
Most nominations that fail here fail because they were in the wrong category. Read across before you write anything.
Innovation in DeepTech
Science-grounded engineering — quantum, photonics, materials, space and defence systems.
This category
Innovation in Manufacturing
Process, tooling and production engineering once the science is settled.
Innovation in Core AI
Foundation models, agentic systems and AI infrastructure.
Who should enter
- Quantum, photonics and advanced computing work with reproducible results
- Advanced materials, sensors and biometrics moving from lab to product
- Space systems, launch, satellite and in-orbit servicing technology
- Defence and dual-use engineering with a validation pathway
- Research spin-outs where the intellectual property and the physics are the moat
What this award recognises is a hard technical claim you can defend — data, peer review, a test campaign, a customer who put it in the field. Ambition alone is not evidence.
If the achievement is in production engineering, enter Innovation in Manufacturing. If it is a model or AI platform, enter Innovation in Core AI.
What the jury looks for
- Problem definition & market opportunityWhether the innovation solves a real problem, backed by evidence and a measurable impact on its target audience.
- InnovativenessNovelty and uniqueness — new technology, functionality or business model — measured against what already exists, including IP.
- Market potential & impactSize and growth of the addressable market, competitive landscape, and scalability across geographies.
- Social impact & sustainabilityContribution to society and the environment, including social responsibility and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
These are the same four criteria — problem definition, innovativeness, market impact and social/sustainability impact — used to assess every category. In this category the jury also weighs methodological rigour — including what you did to avoid fooling yourselves — the decision that changed as a result and what it was worth, the reproducibility and honesty of the evaluation, and the engineering quality of the data foundation underneath. Read the full evaluation criteria.
Who judges this category
Nominations are assessed by an independent jury, not by the organisers. Jurors are matched to the categories where their expertise lies. These are among those who read deep technology, space and defence entries.
Dr. Shekhar C. MandeFormer Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
Prof. Anshul KumarProfessor, Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Delhi
Prof G C NandiProfessor, IIIT Allahabad
Prof Asim TewariG.K. Devarajulu Chair Professor, Mechanical Engineering, IIT Bombay
Dr. Sourav MukhopadhyayProfessor, Department of Mathematics, IIT Kharagpur
Dr. Shayan Srinivasa GaraniAssociate Professor, Electrical, Electronics and Computer Sciences, IISc Bengaluru
Dr Anand SrivastavaProfessor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, IIIT Delhi
Dr. Debapriya DuttaHead, SEED and State S&T Programme, Government of IndiaEight of roughly 250. The full panel spans the IITs, the IIMs, the IIITs, the Indian School of Business, NITI Aayog and central ministries, the Department of Science & Technology, MeitY and CERT-In. See the full jury panel.
Hard problems on the podium
DeepTech sits alongside space and defence awards in the recent editions. These are among the most recent winners, photographed at the ceremony.
Previous winners
DeepTech runs alongside SpaceTech and Defence in the recent editions, and the rows below carry the award each entry actually won. The complete record sits in the winners archive.
Category names have changed across editions as the field has moved; the rows above are the closest equivalents in the published record. See the winners archive for the full 1st–16th edition history.
What happens after you submit
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Stage one · nowNomination registration
Register your company and category through the nomination process, then complete the detailed nomination form and processing fee.
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Stage twoJury presentation
Present the innovation to the jury and take questions. Jurors score each entry against the four evaluation criteria and rank it within its category.
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Stage threeStar Certification
Nominees are also assessed for AGBA Innovation Star Certification, an independent maturity rating alongside the category judging.
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Stage fourFinalists announced
Once every category has been evaluated, finalists are announced on the website ahead of the ceremony.
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Stage fiveAward ceremony
Winners are honoured on 18 February 2027 at Hotel Ashoka, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
Before you write your nomination
How early is too early to enter?
Lab-stage work is welcome where the result is reproducible and independently checkable. What the panel cannot assess is a claim with no data behind it.
Do space and defence entries belong here?
They have run as their own awards in recent editions and are read alongside deeptech. Enter here and the panel will place it in the right one.
How is intellectual property treated?
Patents and publications help establish the moat, but the panel weighs the technical result and the path to deployment more heavily.
How do I submit a nomination?
Nominations are submitted through the nomination process, which sets out the stages, the supporting material required and the current edition’s dates.
Put your physics in front of the panel
Nominations for the DeepTech Innovation Award are read by an independent jury of scientists and engineers. Bring the test data, the peer review and the path to the field.