New Delhi, February 17: The India Deep Tech Alliance announced a strategic collaboration with the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to launch the India Deep Tech Accelerator, a 10 week program aimed at helping IIT affiliated deep tech startups expand into global markets.
The initiative is led by the Polsky Center and developed in partnership with leading IIT innovation ecosystems, including SINE at IIT Bombay, FITT at IIT Delhi, and IIT Madras Research Park. The program is positioned to strengthen India’s deep tech startup ecosystem by creating a structured pathway for international scale and commercialization.
10 Week Accelerator to Support Up to 15 Startups
The accelerator will run from April through June 2026 and will include a cohort of up to 15 startups. Participants will undergo targeted workshops, hands on coaching, and structured engagements with strategic customers and investors.The program will culminate in two showcase events in June, including an India showcase and a Bay Area showcase for top performing companies. These platforms are expected to provide visibility and access to global investors and customers.
Structured Pathway for Global Commercialization
The India Deep Tech Accelerator aims to bridge the commercialization gap faced by many high potential deep tech ventures emerging from IITs. It offers a repeatable framework connecting startups with fundraising opportunities and leveraging the Polsky Center’s expertise in venture creation, startup acceleration, and international market access.The focus is on supporting globally ambitious IIT affiliated startups as they pursue near term commercialization and financing milestones in the United States and other international markets.
Strategic Backing and Funding Support
Under the program structure, the India Deep Tech Alliance will provide strategic guidance and founder support throughout the accelerator journey.Aroa Venture Partners has committed up to 200,000 dollars per startup for select companies emerging from the accelerator. In addition, several venture capital firms have pledged participation through workshops, office hours, selective mentoring, and potential investment support for cohort startups.
Sriram Viswanathan, Founding Managing Partner at Celesta Capital and Founding Executive Committee Member of IDTA, said that while India’s IITs produce world class engineering and research, many deep tech breakthroughs continue to face challenges in achieving scalable commercialization.
The India Deep Tech Accelerator seeks to address this gap by connecting technical innovation with global market access and capital, marking a significant step in strengthening India’s deep tech and IIT startup ecosystem.
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