Hey folks,
I'm a third/fourth-year ECE student from Tamil Nadu and I've been thinking a lot about where I want to take my career. Corporate jobs are fine, but I'm genuinely curious about the startup side of things — either joining one early or eventually building something of my own.
A few things I'd love to hear from people with real experience:
What does the ECE startup landscape actually look like in India, especially in TN? Is it thriving, niche, or still very nascent compared to software-only startups?
What are the main types of hardware/ECE-focused startups? (IoT, embedded systems, EV, defense tech, agri-tech sensors, medical devices — what's actually happening on the ground?)
What are realistic small-scale opportunities for someone starting out — freelance, consulting, building a micro-product, anything that doesn't need heavy capital upfront?
How do ECE startups typically fare vs. software startups in India? Is hardware really that much harder to scale, or is that overstated?
For an ECE undergrad right now — what's the most useful thing to be doing? Side projects, internships, specific skills, competitions, networks?
Would love perspectives from founders, engineers who joined early-stage hardware startups, or even people who tried and learned the hard way. Tamil Nadu context is a bonus but anything India-specific helps.
Thanks in advance 🙏