Engineer, operator, VC: Ravi Jain at TDK Ventures on India’s deep tech scene

Ravi Jain, Investment Director at Japan’s TDK Ventures, expects a snowball effect in India’s deep tech ecosystem. Image credit: Hari Arakali.In this episode, Ravi Jain, an Investment Director at TDK Ventures, joins me for a wide-ranging discussion on the current state and trajectory of India’s deep tech ecosystem. Jain gives us a micro capsule on the history of TDK, developing technologies for sectors spanning automotive, energy storage, and power electronics, and the strategic rationale for launching its corporate venture arm in 2019.He talks about TDK Ventures’ mandate to invest in startups poised to shape emerging markets and tomorrow’s standards, noting the recent expansion of the firm’s India operations, and a global portfolio that includes investments across sectors such as semiconductors, advanced materials, robotics, quantum technologies, AI, mobility, climate tech and clean energy and agri-tech.Jain addresses macroeconomic drivers, including government policy, manufacturing incentives, and evolving founder ambitions, that position India for accelerated growth in deep tech. He explains the sector’s optimism despite talent and funding challenges, and highlights the increasing sophistication of Indian deep tech founders, their pragmatism, and the snowballing effect of policy and market maturation.He also talks about TDK Ventures’ approach to hardware versus software startups, university-driven entrepreneurship, and the imperative for foundational work in AI. Jain also shares reflections from his own career, distilling practical advice for future deep tech entrepreneurs navigating India’s rapidly changing technology landscape.