Prime Highlights :
- BITS Pilani alumni have founded 140 deep-tech companies, the highest among Indian colleges.
- The institute credits academic flexibility and structured startup support for its strong entrepreneurship record.
Key Facts :
- BITS Pilani is a private higher education institution known for engineering, science and entrepreneurship programmes.
- Deep-tech startups are built on advanced research and technologies such as AI, semiconductors, healthcare and space.
Background :
BITS Pilani has become India’s leading institution for deep-tech entrepreneurship, with its alumni founding 140 deep-tech companies, the highest among all Indian colleges. The data, shared by BITS Group Vice Chancellor Ramgopal Rao, places the institute ahead of IIT Bombay with 136 companies and IIT Delhi with 113. Other institutions in the top rankings include IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras, the Indian School of Business, IIT Roorkee, Anna University and IIM Ahmedabad.
The achievement reflects the institute’s long-standing focus on innovation, academic flexibility and entrepreneurship. According to Rao, BITS Pilani has spent years building an environment where students can explore ideas beyond regular coursework and develop practical solutions to real-world problems.
He said the institute’s New Venture Creation course gives students a structured path to build startups. The programme guides them through identifying market problems, validating ideas, developing a minimum viable product, understanding finance and legal requirements, and raising funds with support from experienced entrepreneurs.
Rao also said the institute’s flexible academic system allows students to combine engineering with subjects such as physics, chemistry, mathematics and biological sciences. This interdisciplinary approach helps students identify opportunities across fields like artificial intelligence, healthcare, climate technology and advanced materials.
He added that India must create more science-led companies based on research and intellectual property developed within the country instead of depending on technologies from abroad. He noted that sectors including semiconductors, healthcare, agriculture, defence, space, energy and artificial intelligence offer strong opportunities for deep-tech startups. He also said these ventures need patient capital, testing support, certification and early industry and government backing to grow successfully.
