Rajasthan DigiiFest–TiE Global Summit 2026: Why Jaipur Could Anchor India’s Next Startup Wave

As Jaipur prepares to host the Rajasthan DigiiFest–TiE Global Summit 2026, the Pink City is already finding itself at the centre of a larger national conversation—one that goes beyond an event and speaks to the future of Indian entrepreneurship outside the traditional metro hubs.

Ahead of the upcoming summit, Mahavir Pratap Sharma—General Partner at Swishin Ventures; Past Chair of the TiE Global Board of Trustees; Co-Founder and Chair of RAIN (Rajasthan Angels); and Founding Chair of TiE India Angels— offers a deep, experience-backed perspective on where India’s startup ecosystem is headed. In this conversation, Sharma reflects on the evolution of Indian startups over the years, the growing confidence of Tier-II and Tier-III founders, and why bringing a global platform like the TiE Global Summit to Jaipur could prove to be a turning point for startups building for “real India”.

Having spent decades building bridges between founders, investors, governments and global markets, Sharma’s views are shaped by lived cycles of exuberant funding, sharp corrections, and the resilience that ultimately defines long-term success in the startup ecosystem.

Rajasthan DigiiFest–TiE Global Summit 2026

The most valuable lesson: clarity over comfort

Reflecting on his journey as an early-stage investor, Sharma emphasised that timely, honest feedback is one of the most underrated forms of support a founder can receive.

“The first cheque and the second cheque are always the hardest,” he said. “Founders lose precious time, energy and money when they are not mentored clearly. Sometimes, the right advice is not encouragement—but telling them they’re not ready yet.”

Sharma believes investors must be accessible and decisive, especially in the early stages. A delayed or vague response, he notes, can push founders into years of misdirected effort. His approach has been to help founders pivot early, identify why a business may not scale or attract funding, and course-correct before burnout sets in.

This philosophy, he says, is rooted in empathy. “I don’t want young founders to be disheartened after spending years chasing something that needed a rethink much earlier.”

From funding frenzy to financial discipline

Having witnessed India’s startup ecosystem since its early days, Sharma sees the post-COVID funding winter as a defining moment.

“The funding slowdown taught us resilience,” he explained. “Startups realised they must survive without funding for years, grow organically, accept valuation corrections, and focus on fundamentals.”

This reset, he believes, has made both founders and investors more agile, more grounded, and ultimately stronger. The obsession with constant fundraising has given way—at least for serious entrepreneurs—to a renewed focus on unit economics, sustainability and long-term value creation.

From an investor’s lens, Sharma notes that this maturity is also improving quality of returns, not just valuations on paper.

Tier-II and Tier-III cities: cost advantage meets ambition

One of the biggest structural shifts Sharma highlighted is the rise of Tier-II and Tier-III startup hubs. Founders outside metros, he said, have become far more strategic.

“They understand that cost of operations and quality of life matter,” he noted. “You don’t need to burn capital unnecessarily in a metro if you can build from a Tier-II city.”

That said, challenges remain. Deep-tech talent is still concentrated in larger cities, prompting many startups to adopt distributed teams—a model normalised during COVID. Access to investors is another hurdle, as founders often need to travel to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru or Hyderabad to pitch.

However, Sharma is clear that the investor mindset has changed.

“Today, we don’t care where a startup is headquartered,” he said. “What matters is the product, the moat, profitability, competition and long-term vision. Being based in Jaipur or Mysuru is no longer a disadvantage.”

Unicorns are not the goal—building real businesses is

On the much-debated question of whether the next unicorns will come from non-metro cities, Sharma offered a nuanced take.

“The unicorn label is a stressful number to chase,” he cautioned. “Startups should not raise money just to be called a unicorn.”

In his view, profitability and scale matter more than valuation tags. If a company can grow sustainably and choose not to raise further capital, that should be celebrated—not questioned.

When it comes to becoming large, Sharma sees no structural difference between metro and non-metro startups. “Technology doesn’t care where you sit,” he said. “If the product is strong, it will scale.”

Why TiE Global Summit is coming to Jaipur

As convener of TGS, Sharma explained that the decision to host the summit in Jaipur is both strategic and symbolic.

“Many startups in Tier-II and Tier-III India don’t have the money or bandwidth to travel to metros, stay for several days, and network with investors,” he said. “So we bring the investors closer to them.”

Jaipur, he noted, is accessible to founders from Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and beyond, while remaining cost-effective. More importantly, hosting a global summit in a Tier-II city sends a powerful message: India is not just two or three cities.

International speakers and investors will experience firsthand that credible venues, infrastructure, hospitality and execution standards exist well beyond metros.

₹200 crore and counting: investment expectations from TGS 2026

The excitement around the summit is already visible. According to Sharma, applications for TGS 100 have seen strong traction, alongside TiE Women and TiE Young Entrepreneurs global finals.

Over 70 startups from across the world, nearly 170 founders, and around 8,000–20,000 investors (on a rotational basis) are expected to engage through dedicated pitching halls.

“If even 170 startups raise an average of ₹1 crore, that’s ₹200 crore right there,” Sharma said. “We’ve kept expectations conservative, but I’m confident investments will exceed that.”

A message to global investors: look beyond the obvious

Hosting TGS in Jaipur is also about reframing how global investors view India.

“India hasn’t even penetrated its Tier-II, Tier-III, Tier-IV and rural markets,” Sharma said. “The growth potential is massive.”

Current revenues and valuations, he believes, are only a fraction of what startups catering to Bharat can achieve. Jaipur’s cultural richness, hospitality and accessibility are added advantages—but the core message remains investment-driven: this is where the next phase of Indian growth lies.

Government as a partner, not just a regulator

A key highlight of the summit will be the anticipated launch of Rajasthan’s new state policies, including those around AI, data centres, GPUs and GCCs. Sharma stressed that the summit itself is designed as a public–private partnership, with the Government of Rajasthan as an equal stakeholder.

“The government is serious about future technologies,” he said. “But startups are volatile, fast-moving. Investors track that daily. When both sides work seamlessly, real outcomes happen.”

From co-investing and mentoring to curated sessions and global speakers, Sharma believes the Rajasthan DigiiFest–TiE Global Summit showcases a replicable model of ecosystem building.

The long-term impact on Rajasthan’s startup ecosystem

Looking ahead, Sharma is optimistic. He has already seen investors take Jaipur-based startups more seriously and founders choosing not to migrate to metros.

“In the next year, you’ll see startups from Rajasthan raising at higher valuations, and more success stories emerging,” he said. “The trajectory is only upwards.”

AI, defence tech and climate tech: the next inflection points

On emerging trends, Sharma pointed to AI’s rapid rise as a wake-up call.

“Many were caught off guard,” he said. “Those who were AI-ready benefited enormously. Others struggled.”

He also highlighted defence tech, drones, climate tech and space tech as areas transitioning from niche to mass relevance—sectors that founders and investors can no longer afford to ignore.

Final advice to founders: profitability beats everything

Asked what founders should stop doing—and what they should double down on—Sharma’s advice was blunt and timeless.

“Nothing beats making money. Nothing beats profitability and growth,” he said.

If a startup is profitable, founders should double down on production, customers and revenues. If not, they must slow down, rethink strategy, reassess competition, and pivot—without waiting for symbolic milestones like New Year resolutions.

“Be passionate, but don’t get emotionally blind,” Sharma concluded. “Every day is decision day in a startup.”