IIM Kozhikode’s innovation centre, IIMK LIVE, and Walmart Global Tech have launched a new programme called DEEP LEAP. The initiative has a budget of ₹2.89 crore and aims to support Indian deep-tech startups as they develop new technologies and take their products toward larger markets.
The programme comes at a time when India’s startup sector is moving beyond consumer apps and software services. More founders are now working on areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, space technology, advanced manufacturing, climate technology and other forms of deep tech.
These companies can have a different path from normal software startups. A software product may reach customers in a short period, while a deep-tech company can need years of research, tests and product development before it can sell at scale.
DEEP LEAP aims to help such companies deal with some of these challenges. The programme brings together the academic experience of IIM Kozhikode and the technology and business expertise of Walmart Global Tech.
The goal is not only to provide financial support. The initiative also seeks to help startups improve their products, understand markets and create stronger routes to commercial growth.
What is DEEP LEAP?
DEEP LEAP is a deep-tech support programme created by IIMK LIVE and Walmart Global Tech.
The initiative has a total budget of ₹2.89 crore. It is designed to support Indian startups that work on advanced technology and have the potential to create products for large markets.
The programme can help founders at a stage when they have a technology or product idea but still need support before they can reach wider commercial use.
This stage can be difficult for deep-tech businesses.
A startup may have a strong scientific idea, but turning that idea into a reliable product can require specialist talent, expensive equipment, customer trials and access to industry partners.
DEEP LEAP is intended to provide support across these areas.
Why deep tech needs special support
Deep-tech startups are different from many traditional technology companies.
Their products often depend on scientific research, engineering or advanced technology. This can include areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence, semiconductor technology, space systems, biotechnology and clean energy.
The work can take a long time.
A founder may spend years on research before the product is ready for customers. Even after the first version is complete, the company may need several rounds of tests and improvements.
This creates a funding challenge.
Investors often look for signs of commercial growth. Deep-tech startups may need large amounts of capital before they can show strong sales.
Programmes such as DEEP LEAP can help bridge part of this gap.
They can give founders access to money, experts and business support while the technology moves from an early concept toward a commercial product.
The ₹2.89 crore initiative
The total budget for DEEP LEAP is ₹2.89 crore.
That capital can help selected startups with the costs that come with early-stage deep-tech work.
The amount may appear modest compared with large venture capital rounds, but early support can have a major role for a young company.
A startup may need funds for prototype development, testing, technical talent or market research.
It may also need help to prepare for a larger funding round.
The programme can give founders the time and resources needed to reach important milestones before they approach bigger investors.
The value of such support is not limited to the money itself.
A founder who receives access to experienced mentors, corporate experts and industry networks may also gain knowledge that would otherwise take years to build.
IIM Kozhikode’s role
IIM Kozhikode is one of India’s major management institutions.
Through IIMK LIVE, the institute has developed an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem that supports startups and founders.
The institute brings knowledge of business strategy, management, finance and market development to DEEP LEAP.
This matters because deep-tech founders often come from scientific or engineering backgrounds.
They may understand their technology very well but have less experience with pricing, sales, customer research or business expansion.
Business knowledge can help bridge that gap.
IIMK LIVE can also connect startups with a wider network of entrepreneurs, researchers and business professionals.
That can help founders understand how to turn technical ideas into companies with clear business models.
Walmart Global Tech’s contribution
Walmart Global Tech brings a different set of skills to the programme.
It is the technology arm of Walmart and works on large-scale technology systems across areas such as artificial intelligence, data, retail technology and supply chains.
Its experience comes from operating technology at a very large scale.
For startups, access to such knowledge can be useful.
A young company may build a strong technology product but face problems when it tries to serve thousands or millions of users.
It may need better systems, stronger security or more efficient data processes.
Walmart Global Tech can provide a corporate perspective on these challenges.
Its role also gives the programme a connection to a major global business.
That can help startups understand the needs of large enterprises and global customers.
Connecting research with real markets
One of the biggest challenges for deep-tech startups is the gap between research and business.
A technology can work in a laboratory but still fail as a commercial product.
The product may cost too much to build. Customers may not want it. It may be difficult to use. The company may not have a clear route to market.
DEEP LEAP seeks to help founders address these questions early.
The programme can push startups to think about the customer as well as the technology.
That means founders must ask simple but important questions.
Who will buy this product? What problem does it solve? How much will a customer pay? Can the company produce it at scale? Can the product work outside a controlled test environment?
Answers to these questions can make the difference between a scientific project and a real business.
India’s deep-tech opportunity
India has a large base of engineers, researchers and technology professionals.
The country has also built a strong startup ecosystem over the past decade.
For many years, India’s startup story focused on areas such as online retail, food delivery, financial technology and software services.
The picture is now broader.
More startups are working on advanced technology.
AI companies are building new models and tools. Space startups are developing satellites and launch systems. Robotics firms are working on machines for factories, healthcare and other industries. Climate startups are developing new energy and environmental solutions.
These companies can create intellectual property and products with global demand.
That gives deep tech an important place in India’s next stage of startup growth.
Why global markets matter
DEEP LEAP is also relevant because many deep-tech startups need a global market.
The Indian market is large, but some advanced technology products may have a much bigger customer base outside the country.
A robotics company, for example, may find customers in several industrial markets. A space technology firm may work with companies and governments in different regions. An AI infrastructure startup may sell its software worldwide.
Global expansion creates its own challenges.
Founders need to understand regulations, customer expectations, pricing and sales processes in other countries.
They also need access to international partners.
Support from an institution such as IIM Kozhikode and a global company such as Walmart can help founders understand some of these requirements.
From prototype to product
The journey from an idea to a commercial product can be long.
First, a startup must prove that its technology works.
Then it must create a product that customers can use.
After that, it must build a business around the product.
Each stage has different needs.
A research team may focus on technical performance. A product team may focus on ease of use. A sales team may focus on customer demand.
Deep-tech founders often have to build all these functions for the first time.
A structured programme can help them move through these stages with more clarity.
DEEP LEAP is designed to support that transition.
The importance of mentors
Mentorship can be useful for founders who work on complex technology.
A mentor can help a startup identify problems that may not be obvious to a technical team.
For example, a founder may focus on making a product more powerful when the real issue is cost.
Another startup may spend time on features that customers do not need.
Experienced business leaders can help founders see these issues sooner.
The involvement of Walmart Global Tech gives the programme access to people who work on large technology systems. IIMK LIVE adds management and entrepreneurship expertise.
Together, these perspectives can help startups look at both technology and business.
Deep tech can create long-term value
Deep-tech companies can take longer to build, but they can also create strong technology advantages.
A startup that develops a new technical process, machine or scientific method may build intellectual property that is difficult for competitors to copy.
This can create long-term value.
Such companies can also have an impact beyond their own business.
A new energy technology can help reduce emissions. A robotics system can improve factory productivity. A medical technology can support better healthcare. A space technology product can create new services.
This wider impact is one reason governments, universities and large companies have increased their focus on deep tech.
The role of corporate partnerships
Corporate partnerships can give startups access to something they often lack: real-world customers.
A young company may build a product but have no easy way to test it with a large organisation.
A corporate partner can provide a test environment, customer feedback or access to industry experts.
Walmart Global Tech’s involvement creates the possibility of that type of connection.
For a deep-tech startup, even a small pilot with a large company can provide valuable information.
It can show what works, what needs improvement and whether customers are willing to pay for the product.
Why timing matters
The launch of DEEP LEAP comes as AI and other advanced technologies move at a fast pace.
AI has created new opportunities across industries. At the same time, advances in robotics, chips, space systems and clean energy are opening new markets.
India has an opportunity to build companies in these areas rather than only become a large market for products built elsewhere.
For that to happen, startups need access to capital, research talent, customers and business expertise.
DEEP LEAP is one programme aimed at helping create those conditions.
A bridge between campus and industry
The partnership also creates a link between education and industry.
Universities and management institutes have access to research and young talent. Companies have access to customers, technology systems and commercial experience.
A startup programme can connect these worlds.
IIM Kozhikode can bring its academic and entrepreneurship network. Walmart Global Tech can bring its industry experience.
Startups can then use both forms of knowledge as they develop their products.
This model can be especially useful for founders who need support beyond traditional venture capital.
What founders can gain
For a deep-tech startup, the value of a programme like DEEP LEAP can come from several areas.
Capital can help pay for product development.
Mentors can help founders make better business decisions.
Corporate access can help them test products.
Industry knowledge can help them understand customer needs.
A stronger network can also help with future fundraising and partnerships.
These benefits can make it easier for a startup to move from early research to a real company.
The larger picture for India’s startup ecosystem
DEEP LEAP is part of a wider change in India’s startup ecosystem.
The country now has thousands of startups across many sectors. The next stage is not only about creating more companies. It is also about creating companies with strong technology, intellectual property and global reach.
Deep tech can play an important role in that process.
The sector requires patience because research and product development can take time.
It also needs specialised support because normal startup models do not always fit companies that work on advanced science or hardware.
Programmes such as DEEP LEAP can help create that support structure.
What comes next for DEEP LEAP
The success of the initiative will depend on what happens after the programme starts.
The most important result will be whether supported startups can turn their ideas into useful products and real businesses.
The ₹2.89 crore budget gives the initiative a financial base.
The partnership gives it access to management and technology expertise.
The next step is to connect that support with founders who have strong technical ideas and the ability to build companies around them.
If the programme can help startups reach customers, attract larger investment and expand beyond India, it could become a useful part of the country’s deep-tech ecosystem.
A step toward stronger Indian deep tech
The launch of DEEP LEAP marks a new effort to support India’s deep-tech sector.
IIMK LIVE and Walmart Global Tech have brought together an academic institution and a global technology organisation under one programme. With a budget of ₹2.89 crore, the initiative aims to help Indian deep-tech startups develop products, strengthen their businesses and reach larger markets.
The need for this type of support is clear. Deep-tech companies often face higher costs, longer research cycles and more complex product challenges than standard software startups.
They need more than money.
They need technical advice, business knowledge, customer access and industry links.
DEEP LEAP is built around that wider need.
For India, the opportunity is also larger than a group of individual startups. Strong deep-tech companies can create new products, intellectual property, skilled jobs and global businesses.
The partnership between IIM Kozhikode and Walmart Global Tech gives these founders another route from a technical idea to a commercial product.
The ₹2.89 crore initiative is still at an early stage, so its long-term impact will depend on the companies it supports and the results they achieve. But its launch adds another layer of support for Indian founders who want to build advanced technology products for India and the world.
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