Prime Highlights-
- IIT Kanpur and IIM Bangalore’s NSRCEL sign an MoU to accelerate deep-tech startups and turn emerging technologies into market-ready ventures.
- The first-of-a-kind collaboration strengthens India’s deep-tech ecosystem, with a special focus on defense, aerospace and other allied strategic sectors.
Key Facts
- Partners will explore joint incubation, co-incubation, knowledge exchange and engagement with industry and investors.
- IIT Kanpur’s SIIC, SCALE and IIMB’s NSRCEL will support defense, aerospace and dual-use technology research.
Background
IIT Kanpur and NSRCEL, the flagship business incubator of IIM Bangalore, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Bengaluru to accelerate deep-tech startups and turn emerging technologies into market-ready ventures.
The institutions call it a first-of-a-kind collaboration. It combines their strengths in technological innovation, entrepreneurship and business development to strengthen India’s deep-tech ecosystem, with a focus on defense, aerospace and allied strategic sectors.
Under the agreement, the two sides will explore joint incubation and acceleration programs, co-incubation opportunities, knowledge exchange and sharing of entrepreneurial best practices. They will also run ecosystem activities and engage with industry, investors and other stakeholders.
IIT Kanpur’s Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), its venture development initiative SCALE and IIMB’s NSRCEL will first support research and development in defense, aerospace and allied dual-use technologies. The partners will also set up a broader framework for future incubation and acceleration efforts.
NSRCEL CEO Rasika Prashant said the partnership pairs IIT Kanpur’s deep-tech capabilities with NSRCEL’s experience in scaling market-ready ventures. She said it can create pathways to find and nurture the next generation of deep-tech innovators in strategic sectors of national importance, including aerospace and defense.
Jayandharan Giridhara Rao, Dean of Research and Development at IIT Kanpur, said the institute has a strong pipeline of deep-tech innovation and treats creating market pathways for these technologies as an institutional priority. He called the MoU an important step toward a stronger ecosystem for technology-led ventures from academic and research institutions.
