YourStory has unveiled Tech30 2026, its annual selection of 30 promising startups working on technologies that could shape India's future. The cohort was presented by Sridhar Vembu, Chief Scientist and Co-founder of Zoho Corp, at TechSparks 2026 in Bengaluru on October 13, 2026, alongside Yoonmin Cho of Snowflake for Startups and Amar Dixit of WOI India.
The summit's theme, 'The New Tech Order', captured the shift Vembu spoke to: Indian startups are no longer just finding new ways to use existing technology — they are building the technology itself, from satellites and autonomous robots to advanced materials, medical diagnostics and cleaner construction.
The 30 startups were chosen from a pool of applicants by a jury of ecosystem members together with YourStory's senior editorial and research teams. The selection spans space and defence (Apollyon Dynamics, Arctus Aerospace, EON Space Labs, SpaceFields, Sanyark Space), AI and robotics (CaliperAI, CraftifAI, Curium Life, Integra Robotics), advanced materials and energy (Evoxia, Hypersonic Technologies, Ecopath, Enerzolve), diagnostics (Attox Research Laboratories, Dognosis, ImmunitoAI), and semiconductors and sensing (MumbaiSemi, Folium Sensing, TeraLumen Solutions), alongside agri, recycling and construction plays like Balisto Agritech, Harvested Robotics, Metastable Materials and MiCoB.
Several cohort members are already hitting milestones: EON Space Labs' MIRA imaging payload is in orbit after a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch, SpaceFields is building a 121-acre solid-propellant manufacturing facility, and Apollyon Dynamics is converting jet-powered drones into military systems.
Why it matters for founders
The Tech30 list is a founder research tool, not just a trophy: it maps where deeptech capital, talent and iDEX-style procurement are converging this year. If you are building in space, defence, advanced materials or diagnostics, study who made the cut — and who funded them.