AI Deal Flow and D2C Glut: India's Startup Funding Heatmap

Indian AI startups are seeing a funding explosion, raising $676 Mn in H1 2026 — a 4x jump from $162 Mn in the same period last year. This comes even as overall tech startup funding slipped 9%, proving that AI is where the smart money is landing. Investors are betting big on the Physical AI sub-sector, with Hyderabad-based WATER Robotics securing $2.5 Mn to build smart robotic beds using biophysical intelligence. Their round, led by Endiya Partners, saw...