Deep tech in Hyderabad: rockets, biotech and hardware

India’s first private orbital rocket came from Hyderabad

Skyroot Aerospace, founded in 2018 by two former ISRO scientists, launched its Vikram-1 rocket from Sriharikota on 18 July 2026 and placed its payload in a 450-kilometre orbit on the first attempt. That made India the third country where a private company has reached orbit.

Two months earlier, Skyroot had raised $60 million at a valuation of about $1.1 billion, becoming India’s first space-tech unicorn. Other Hyderabad space companies, including satellite maker Dhruva Space, are growing alongside it.

Genome Valley and the life sciences cluster

Genome Valley was set up in 1999 on the city’s northern edge and now spans about 2,000 acres. It is home to vaccine makers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, contract research organisations and the research and manufacturing sites of global pharmaceutical companies.

Investment continues: in February 2026, Rx Propellant announced a $100 million campus that will add more than a million square feet of laboratory space over six years. For a biotech founder, the cluster offers what is hardest to find elsewhere: lab space, regulatory experience and scientists who have taken products to market.

T-Works: a prototyping lab for hardware founders

Hardware startups usually stall on access to equipment. T-Works, the Telangana government’s prototyping centre, opened in 2023 with a 78,000-square-foot facility and more than 250 industrial tools, including CNC machines, laser cutters, PCB fabrication and testing labs. Founders can build and test prototypes without raising money for a workshop first.

It also helps with component sourcing, which T-Works’ own research found to be one of the biggest delays for hardware teams in India.

Deep tech in our first cohort

Several companies in our first Founders Residency are building in these fields. CelesticLabs develops onboard AI that helps defence vehicles navigate when GPS or communications fail. Shore Autonomy builds hardware and software that help machines perceive and navigate their surroundings. ClutchLabs AI is building robot intelligence that learns from human demonstrations. DiagnoBac’s uses AI to design DNA and RNA molecules for biosensors.

These founders chose Hyderabad for the same reasons as the larger companies: specialist talent, equipment they can use, and customers in defence, healthcare and industry nearby.

What deep-tech founders still need

Deep-tech companies take longer to reach revenue, and few local investors are set up for that timeline. Founders need patient capital, early customers willing to run pilots, and peers who understand why the product takes years rather than months.

That last part is the easiest to fix. Assembly, our next program, begins in November 2026: 45 days in Hyderabad for founders building for the long run.

Frequently asked questions

Which Hyderabad startup launched India’s first private orbital rocket?

Skyroot Aerospace. Its Vikram-1 rocket reached orbit on its first flight on 18 July 2026, launched from Sriharikota.

What is Genome Valley?

Genome Valley is a life sciences cluster in northern Hyderabad, established in 1999 and spanning about 2,000 acres. It houses pharmaceutical, vaccine and biotechnology companies and research centres.

What is T-Works?

T-Works is the Telangana government’s hardware prototyping centre in Hyderabad. It opened in 2023 and offers more than 250 industrial tools to startups and makers.