CHENNAI: Cementing its leadership in deep-tech innovation and academia-led entrepreneurship, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has incubated 112 startups in 2025–26 while filing 431 patents, sustaining its twin momentum of enterprise creation and intellectual property generation.
This marks the second consecutive year the institute has crossed the 100-startup milestone under its ‘Startup Shatam’ mission, driven by the IITM Incubation Cell.
The latest cohort takes the total number of incubated ventures to 567, with a combined valuation exceeding Rs 74,100 crore, including two unicorns and a series of mergers and acquisitions. A defining moment for the ecosystem came with the public listing of Ather Energy, the first IPO from the IITM incubation portfolio, signalling growing market maturity among its startups.
Announcing the milestones during World IP Day celebrations, Director V Kamakoti said, “The combination of startup creation and strong patent activity demonstrates our commitment to translating research into real-world impact.”
On the intellectual property front, IIT-M has sustained its ‘one patent a day’ trajectory, with filings rising from 378 in 2023–24 to 419 in 2024–25 and 431 in 2025–26. Of the latest filings, 352 were in India and 79 international, reflecting both scale and global ambition.
Pointing to the increased traction in AI, quantum technologies, semiconductors, 5G/6G, robotics and sustainable energy systems, Dean (ICSR) Manu Santhanam elaborated: “The consistency is due to a structured IP ecosystem. From early-stage disclosures to long-term portfolio management, our framework enables efficient protection and commercialisation of high-impact innovations.”
The startup pipeline is also diversifying, spanning manufacturing, aerospace, batteries, fintech, agritech, biotech and cyber-physical systems. Notably, over 60% of the new ventures were founded by external entrepreneurs, underscoring IIT-M' expanding national reach.
CEO of the incubation cell Tamaswati Ghosh said more than 1,200 applications were received during the year. “We’re seeing a shift towards revenue-generating, investment-ready ventures, indicating a more outcome-driven ecosystem,” she said.
With rising technology transfer activity—27 IPs licensed in FY26, and sustained top rankings nationally, IIT-M continues to set the pace for research-led innovation translating into scalable enterprises.