Union Minister of State Independent Charge for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday said the consortium driven innovation model pioneered by IIT Madras Research Park enables immediate and appropriate technology commercialisation and is now being keenly adopted by other academic institutions and universities.
During his visit to the Immersive Technology and Entrepreneurship Labs Foundation at IIT Madras Research Park and other advanced research facilities at IIT Madras, the Minister reviewed projects spanning urban mobility, private space technology, indigenous medical devices and advanced brain research.
The ITEL Foundation, a Section 8 not for profit entity recognised by the Department of Science and Technology and established in July 2024, aims to position India as a global technology leader by nurturing deep tech startups and building industry academia consortia. The model brings together academic institutions, industry leaders and investors to co develop technologies and transfer them directly to the commercial sector.
Interacting with researchers and startup founders, Dr Jitendra Singh said that industry participation at the development stage ensures that innovations are aligned with real world requirements. He noted that such integrated collaboration enables faster translation of research outcomes into deployable solutions.
Among the key demonstrations was the HASHTIC mobility initiative designed to address traffic congestion in Indian cities. The project proposes an AI driven small format electric mobility system operating on elevated tracks above existing roads, enabling a 15 kilometre urban commute in about 20 minutes. The system is being developed specifically for Indian urban conditions with emphasis on affordability, scalability and sustainability.
The Minister also reviewed the progress of Agnikul Cosmo, a private space technology startup incubated within the IIT Madras ecosystem. The company develops launch vehicles aimed at providing flexible and on demand satellite launches. On May 30, 2024, Agnikul successfully launched its first mission with support from IN SPACe and ISRO, demonstrating its core technology. The company is preparing to attempt a commercial mission of its reusable rocket later this year, reflecting growing private sector participation in India’s expanding space programme.
At the IIT Madras Incubation Cell, which has incubated over 500 startups across climate tech, healthcare, deep tech and AI driven domains, the Minister reviewed support mechanisms including mentorship, laboratory access, funding and industry linkages that enable startups to progress from prototype to market ready products.
The visit to the Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre highlighted the development of affordable indigenous medical devices through collaboration with around 40 medical institutions, industry partners and government agencies. Established in 2011 with seed support from the Department of Biotechnology, the centre has delivered 12 commercially successful Made in India products that have reached more than two crore patients in India and abroad. The focus remains on addressing unmet clinical needs and reducing dependence on imported technologies.
At the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, researchers showcased large scale cell resolution digital three dimensional images of whole human brains. Officials informed the Minister that such extensive human brain image data at this resolution has been generated in India for the first time. The Centre’s second trimester human fetal brain atlas project titled DHARANI has significantly advanced brain mapping research and attracted collaboration from leading international institutions.
Dr Jitendra Singh said the initiatives demonstrate how coordinated efforts among academia, industry and government can accelerate technology development in areas directly impacting citizens, from urban mobility and healthcare to space and neuroscience. He emphasised that aligning research institutions with industry needs from the outset strengthens the innovation ecosystem and enhances India’s capacity to develop indigenous technologies aligned with national priorities.
The visit concluded with interactions with faculty, researchers and entrepreneurs, focusing on scaling up successful models and replicating collaborative frameworks across institutions nationwide.
