Japanese investors exploring India’s startup ecosystem a decade ago sought scale. What they discovered instead was a rare combination of scale and science, a market where innovation was frugal, but matching global standards.
India, today, is not merely an investment destination for Japan’s venture capital community, but a partner in building the next generation of deep-tech, AI, and industrial ventures across Asia.
India has an “unmatched convergence of market readiness, digital infrastructure, and entrepreneurial depth,” according to Nao Murakami, founder and general partner at Incubate Fund Asia, a seed-stage focused fund investing in India and Southeast Asia.
In a conversation with AIM, Murakami outlined five structural pillars that make India exceptional fo

