General Catalyst has announced plans to invest $5 billion in India over the next five years, significantly expanding its footprint in the country’s fast-growing startup ecosystem.

The Silicon Valley venture capital firm, which manages more than $43 billion in assets, unveiled the commitment at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

The new pledge marks a sharp increase from the $500 million to $1 billion the firm had previously allocated to India, less than two years after merging with local venture firm Venture Highway.

The investment will target high-growth sectors including artificial intelligence, healthcare, defense technology, fintech, and consumer technology.

India, now the world’s most populous nation with over a billion internet users, is aggressively positioning itself as a global hub for artificial intelligence.

The government aims to attract more than $200 billion in AI infrastructure investments within two years, drawing participation from global players such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.

General Catalyst CEO Hemant Taneja said Indian founders are uniquely positioned to build globally competitive platforms, noting that the country’s greatest AI opportunity lies in real-world deployment rather than frontier model development.

The firm cited India’s digital public infrastructure, large domestic market, and deep technical talent pool as key advantages.

The firm has already backed Indian startups including Zepto, PB Health, Raphe, Jeh Aerospace, Pronto, and Ayr Energy.

According to Neeraj Arora, CEO for India, the Middle East, and North Africa, the expanded investment will allow the firm to support companies from early-stage growth through public markets, while accelerating large-scale AI adoption across priority sectors.

Source: TechCrunch