In the first nine months of 2025, Indian tech startups raised a cumulative $7.7 Bn. Despite occasional year-on-year dips, the ecosystem continues to attract mega rounds (over $100 Mn) and sees heightened activity in acquisitions and IPOs.

What's notable is that this entrepreneurial energy is now spreading beyond traditional metros. India's startup landscape is diversifying, with tier II & III cities contributing a growing share of new tech ventures. Hot sectors continue to mirror global demand, particularly fintech, SaaS, cleantech, edtech, and healthtech.

This momentum is clearly visible in Rajasthan, which hosts 7.2k+ startups registered under iStart Rajasthan, which is the state's flagship initiative which offers comprehensive support to founders, including incubation, mentorship,, funding, and crucial market and investor linkages.

With TiE Rajasthan actively mentoring founders, and investors such as Rajasthan Angels (RAIN) and Rajasthan Venture Capital Fund (RVCF) backing promising ventures, the state has built a holistic, 360-degree growth model. Jaipur and the wider Rajasthan ecosystem are now poised for faster scale-up, supported by lower operational costs, better air quality and shorter commutes, a vibrant social environment, proximity to Delhi NCR, reverse migration of tech talent, and local success stories such as CarDekho and Minimalist.

The upcoming Rajasthan DigiFest X TiE Global Summit in Jaipur is the strongest validation of this shift. For the first time, TiE's prestigious global summit is being hosted in a non-metro city, signalling a deliberate push towards broader access, lower entry barriers, and reduced dependence on just a few metro hubs. The event positions itself as a global entrepreneurship Summit with a deep grassroots-innovation bridge.

Pitching, Policy & Unlocking 360-Degree Growth

For founders across the country, especially those outside traditional hubs, the event opens up a substantial, multi-track opportunity. The Rajasthan DigiFest X TiE Global Summit offers a platform to pitch, network, and learn.

The Summit will centre on technology, growth, and sustainability, spotlighting future-ready sectors such as AI/ ML, fintech, agritech, AR/ VR, mediatech, proptech, and sportstech. It will offer unparalleled direct access to capital, with more than 500 investors expected to attend and a dedicated three-day pitching hall where over 200 startups will seek funding.

Furthermore, structured opportunities such as the Global Investor Meet, dedicated pitch sessions, the flagship TGS100 competition for investable early stage startups, and one-on-one meetings arranged through an AI-driven tool ensure that founders can secure investments, gain traction, and forge meaningful partnerships with investors.

Beyond funding, the event will offer exposure to global standards through the TiE Women and TiE Univ global competitions, which offer equity-free grants to the winning teams.

Founders can also access workshops, masterclasses, and sector-specific sessions that open doors to global markets. The event's alignment with state policy, backed by the iStart initiative and coinciding with anticipated policy rollouts, including an AI policy, signals long-term government support, mentorship, and infrastructure advantages. This creates an opportunity for startups to align with policy direction and ecosystem momentum, ensuring sustained support for scalable or socially impactful ventures.

Additional benefits include access to ComicCon and exposure to the animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality (AVGC-XR) experience zones, a regional AI summit and more.

This unique environment, where tech tracks intersect with cultural and creative experiences such as film festivals and heritage showcases, will encourage cross-industry collaboration in mediatech, edtech, and heritage-tech. It will create diverse horizons and fertile ground for startups operating at the intersection of technology, creativity, heritage, and impact.

Overall, the event aims to deliver a global summit experience closer to 'Bharat' startups, showcase Jaipur's ecosystem readiness, demonstrate the strength of public-private-people partnership, and illustrate how culture, technology, investors, and policy can work together seamlessly to drive growth.

Global Leaders, Massive Footfall & A Forward-Looking Agenda

The 10th TiE Global Summit, blended with Rajasthan's DigiFest, is set to be a landmark gathering, targeting more than 10,000 attendees, including over 500 investors, 100+ global speakers, and 300+ exhibitors. Its agenda will span 50+ sessions covering diverse themes such as AI/ ML, deeptech, fintech, ecommerce, agritech, proptech, healthtech, sportstech, and mediatech.

Specific sessions will explore themes such as the circular economy, responsible AI, and climate innovation. The event will also showcase cultural and creative tracks, including a film festival and a new-age attractions conclave highlighting gaming, AI gaming and AR/VR.

The speaker lineup will include prominent figures from politics, finance and technology - former Union minister Smriti Irani, BJP's foreign affairs department in-charge Vijay Chauthaiwale, ICRIER chairman Pramod Bhasin, Nvidia senior vice president Shanker Trivedi, CarDekho Group cofounder and CEO Amit Jain, Infotek Software & System MD and CEO Ashim Ashok Patil, AU Small Finance Bank CEO and MD Sanjay Aggrawal, among others.

By merging a global entrepreneurial summit with deep regional innovation, the Summit will reinforce Rajasthan's commitment to fostering a sustainable and diversified ecosystem, making it an essential bridge between India's rich heritage and its entrepreneurial future.