In this exclusive interview, Dr. Preet Sandhu shares insights on deeptech startups, rural entrepreneurship, women founders, Startup League 2026, and building an inclusive innovation ecosystem in India. India’s startup ecosystem is growing rapidly, with over 1 lakh DPIIT-recognized startups and more than 110 unicorns across sectors like deeptech, agritech, AI, fintech, and drone technology. Government initiatives such as Startup India and Atal Innovation Mission are also expanding opportunities beyond metro cities. However, many founders from Tier 2, Tier 3, and rural India still face challenges in accessing funding, mentorship, and innovation infrastructure. Organizations likeStartup Stairsare working to bridge this gap by supporting both deeptech startups and grassroots entrepreneurs. In this exclusive interaction withDr. Preet Sandhu, Founder of AVPL International and Promoter of iQuantara, we discuss Startup League 2026, India’s deeptech ecosystem, rural entrepreneurship, women founders, incubation challenges, and the future of inclusive innovation in India. Dr. Preet Sandhu:At Startup Stairs, we consciously designed Startup League 2026 to break the traditional “closed-circle” model of innovation access. In India, startup founders often emerge fromTier 2, Tier 3, and rural ecosystems, but the problem is not their talent, it is visibility, mentorship, and access to capital that they lack. So instead of selecting founders based only on pedigree, we focus heavily on their problem-solving skills, execution intent, and grassroots relevance. We created a lot of options to assist them, like anopen-access application framework, regional outreach programs, multilingual founder engagement, and partnerships with incubators, ITIs, engineering colleges, and local innovation ecosystems,not just IITs or elite campuses. Another important design choice is decentralised evaluation. We do not rely on a single investor lens. Applications are reviewed through a mix of industry experts, operators, technologists, and ecosystem builders. This reduces the bias that often comes from “warm introductions” or urban networks. Most importantly, we are building this for long-term mentorship enablement, not just funding announcements. Access to labs, innovation opportunities, mentorship, industry connections, and government alignment are equally important. Deeptech cannot grow through capital alone, it requires a whole ecosystem infrastructure. Dr. Preet Sandhu:Building AVPL International gave me firsthand exposure to the realities of scaling deeptech businesses in India, from regulatory hurdles, hardware supply chains, technology adoption, skilling gaps, to the existing market education. Because of that experience, I evaluate startups beyond pitch decks. I look at whether the founder truly understands the operational realities of the sector they are entering or not. In drones,agritech, and robotics - execution matters far more than storytelling. At Startup Stairs, we support
