India's ₹1 Lakh Cr Deeptech Fund Hit by Conflict-of-Interest Scandal

India's flagship ₹1 Lakh Crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) fund, designed to fuel the country's deeptech ecosystem, is facing a credibility crisis after its first major allocation of ₹2,192 Crore to 22 companies sparked conflict-of-interest allegations. The controversy erupted after an Indian Express investigation revealed that 15 of the 22 beneficiary companies—including prominent names like Ather Energy, Agnikul Cosmos, Dhruva Space, **Tejas...