“IIT Kanpur has a strong pipeline of deep-tech innovation, and creating pathways for these technologies to reach the market is an important institutional priority. Our collaboration with IIM Bangalore’s NSRCEL brings together complementary strengths in technology and entrepreneurship. We see this as an important step towards building a stronger ecosystem for technology-led ventures emerging from academic and research institutions.” Prof. Jayandharan Giridhara Rao
“This one-of-a-kind partnership is a vital nation-building strategy that aligns directly with our country’s agenda of building robust defence and aerospace capabilities. By combining IIT Kanpur’s deep-tech capabilities with NSRCEL’s experience in scaling market-ready ventures, this partnership can create meaningful pathways to identify and nurture the next generation of deep-tech innovators in strategic sectors of national importance.” Rasika Prashant
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) and NSRCEL, the flagship business incubator of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate deep-tech startups and transform emerging technologies into market-ready ventures. This first-of-its-kind collaboration brings together the institutions’ complementary strengths in technological innovation, entrepreneurship and business development to strengthen India’s deep-tech ecosystem, particularly in defence, aerospace and allied strategic sectors.
The collaboration builds on IIT Kanpur’s strengths in science, engineering, research and technology development, supported by its advanced R&D infrastructure. Its Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) serves as a technology business incubator, supporting the development and commercialization of technology-driven ventures. Within this ecosystem, SCALE is IIT Kanpur’s venture development initiative, while SCALE Catapult is its deep-tech startup accelerator. The partnership will initially support SCALE Catapult, with its first cohort focused on defence, aerospace and allied dual-use technologies, while establishing a broader framework for future incubation and acceleration initiatives.
The collaboration aims to help deep-tech innovations progress beyond technical validation towards commercial viability and real-world deployment. SCALE Catapult combines access to technical expertise and advanced R&D facilities with structured customer discovery, market validation and venture-building support. This approach will help startups strengthen their technologies, identify market opportunities, refine business models and develop pathways to commercialization and growth.
The MoU was signed at IIT Kanpur by Prof. Jayandharan Giridhara Rao, Dean of Research and Development, IIT Kanpur, and Ms Rasika Prashant, CEO, NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Jayandharan Giridhara Rao said, “IIT Kanpur has a strong pipeline of deep-tech innovation, and creating pathways for these technologies to reach the market is an important institutional priority. Our collaboration with IIM Bangalore’s NSRCEL brings together complementary strengths in technology and entrepreneurship. We see this as an important step towards building a stronger ecosystem for technology-led ventures emerging from academic and research institutions.”
Rasika Prashant said, “This one-of-a-kind partnership is a vital nation-building strategy that aligns directly with our country’s agenda of building robust defence and aerospace capabilities. By combining IIT Kanpur’s deep-tech capabilities with NSRCEL’s experience in scaling market-ready ventures, this partnership can create meaningful pathways to identify and nurture the next generation of deep-tech innovators in strategic sectors of national importance.”
Under the agreement, the institutions will explore joint incubation and acceleration programmes, co-incubation opportunities, knowledge exchange, entrepreneurial best-practice sharing, ecosystem activities, and engagement with industry, investors and other stakeholders. The partnership seeks to strengthen connections between research institutions, startups and industry, supporting technology self-reliance and innovation-led national development.
The signing brought together key members of both teams. IIT Kanpur was represented by Prof. Raja Angamuthu, Professor-in-charge, IOTA; Anurag Singh, SCALE Architect and Managing Partner, Dhanavritti Ventures; Dr Poorna Roy, Program Director, SCALE; Dr Ashutosh Agnihotri, CEO, SIIC; and Piyush Mishra, COO, SIIC. NSRCEL was represented by Pradhyanand Kumbhare, AVP, and Pranav Chaturvedi, alongside Rasika Prashant.
Through SCALE Catapult and future initiatives, the partnership aims to strengthen India’s deep-tech ecosystem and enable Indian technologies and entrepreneurs to create impact at scale.
