$100 mn value creation: IITM, IITM Global seal deep-tech deals

CHENNAI: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras and IITM Global on Tuesday unveiled a series of strategic partnerships with European industry leaders at Bharat Innovates 2026 in France, signalling an aggressive push to position India's deep-tech ecosystem on the global innovation map.

Seven memoranda of understanding between Indian startups and international partners, largely from France, along with two institutional agreements, were exchanged during the event, with the collaborations expected to generate nearly $100 million in value creation.

The agreements span sectors ranging from aerospace and mobility to energy, advanced engineering and artificial intelligence, underlining the growing international appetite for Indian-origin deep-tech enterprises incubated at IIT Madras.

Among the key partnerships announced were Agnikul Cosmos joining hands with Finland-based ICEYE and France's Safran, Detect Technologies partnering with TotalEnergies, TuTr Hyperloop collaborating with thyssenkrupp, and iElectron Technologies signing a deal with ALTEN.

Describing the event as a turning point for Indian innovation, IIT Madras director V Kamakoti said the agreements demonstrated that Indian deep-tech ventures were prepared to compete globally.

"Bharat Innovates 2026 has proven to be a watershed moment for Indian deep tech. The MOUs exchanged are not just ceremonial, they are commercial, actionable, and backed by serious financial commitments," he said.

The institutional agreements included a partnership between IITM Global and Agna Capital to establish the Bharat Innovates Fund for deep-tech investments, and another with SouthwestX to support Indian startups entering German and French markets.

IIT Madras also showcased technologies in Hyperloop transportation, 5G and 6G communications, port automation, lab-grown diamonds and indigenous AI systems during the event.