Published on Tuesday, February 17, 2026

The new collaboration will help deep tech founders in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) translate breakthrough innovation into globally competitive companies through the newly established India Deep Tech Accelerator powered by the Polsky Center.
The Polsky Center joins the Indian Deep Tech Alliance (IDTA) as an affiliate member, further expanding the deep tech ecosystem alongside investor and corporate strategic advisor members.

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the IDTA today announced a program to support and accelerate India’s emerging deep tech startup ecosystem through the India Deep Tech Accelerator, a new Polsky-led initiative developed in collaboration with leading IIT innovation networks and incubators, including SINE at IIT Bombay, FITT at IIT Delhi, and IIT Madras Research Park.

The India Deep Tech Accelerator powered by the Polsky Center is designed to support globally ambitious, IIT-affiliated startups as they sharpen customer positioning, strengthen investor narratives, and build momentum for near-term commercialization and financing milestones in the United States and other global markets. The initiative builds a structured, repeatable pathway connecting startups from India’s premier technical institutions with the potential for fundraising and the Polsky Center’s deep experience in venture creation, startup acceleration, and international market access.

The India Deep Tech Alliance (IDTA), formed in September 2025, is an industry-led consortium of investors, corporates, and ecosystem stakeholders focused on helping India’s most ambitious deep tech founders scale globally. With over $2.5 billion in committed capital from its member base, IDTA convenes capital access, technical mentorship, market linkages, and policy engagement to accelerate commercialization across priority sectors including AI, semiconductors, advanced computing, robotics, and biotech, building durable pathways from breakthrough engineering to global market impact.

“India’s IITs produce world-class engineering and research, but too many deep tech breakthroughs still struggle to cross the last mile into scalable commercialization and global customer adoption,” said Sriram Viswanathan, founding managing partner, Celesta Capital, and founding executive committee member, IDTA. “This accelerator creates a pragmatic bridge: helping founders translate technical differentiation into a compelling market narrative, connect with customers and partners beyond India, and build the credibility needed to raise growth capital internationally. IDTA is proud to support this model helping more IIT-originated innovation to become globally competitive companies.”

A Collaborative India–U.S. Accelerator Model

The India Deep Tech Accelerator powered by the Polsky Center will serve as a pathway for top Indian deep tech startups seeking additional support focused specifically on global market readiness and international fundraising. The accelerator is intended to foster a sustainable and scalable pathway for IIT-affiliated startups to access high-quality commercialization support, global mentor networks, and stronger connectivity to global investors, customers, and strategic partners.

“India’s IIT network produces extraordinary technical innovation relevant on the global stage,” said Samir Mayekar, managing director of the Polsky Center. “Through this program, we are bringing together academic institutions, national initiatives, and investors to help these talented founders bridge the gap from research to global impact.”

Program Structure and Timeline

The accelerator will run as a 10-week program from April through June 2026 and will be structured for a cohort of up to 15 startups through targeted workshops, coaching, and strategic customer and investor connections.

The accelerator is also expected to align with key showcase moments, including an India showcase and a Bay Area showcase for top-performing companies in June.

Startups participating will be expected to demonstrate strong commercial potential, global ambition, and readiness to pursue U.S. market opportunities.

Partner Roles

The Polsky Center will lead accelerator design and delivery, including program structure, mentor engagement, startup selection, and coordination of showcase opportunities.

IIT network partners, including SINE at IIT Bombay, FITT at IIT Delhi, and IIT Madras Research Park, will support startup nominations and founder participation while providing ecosystem context to strengthen program outcomes and long-term institutional collaboration.

“Our collaboration with the Polsky Center comes at a pivotal moment as India strengthens its deep tech ecosystem and accelerates the translation of cutting-edge research into market-ready ventures. This accelerator program will equip founders to navigate complexity, systematically de-risk innovation, and build globally competitive deep tech enterprises from India,” said Shaji Varghese, CEO, SINE IIT Bombay.

“This partnership reflects a shared commitment between India and the United States to build a truly global deep tech ecosystem. By connecting founders to cross-border capital, expertise, and markets, we’re creating a clear pathway for science-driven startups to scale internationally and compete at the cutting edge of innovation,” said Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, managing director, FITT, IIT Delhi.

“Deep tech innovation requires strong ecosystems that connect research, industry adoption, and global markets. This partnership equips founders with the networks and execution frameworks needed to compete internationally while building from India’s research strengths,” said Nat Malupillai, group CEO, IIT Madras Research Park.

The India Deep Tech Alliance will contribute strategic guidance and founder support focused on the path from breakthrough research and engineering innovation to scalable commercialization, customer readiness, and venture fundraising.

The accelerator will be supported by Aroa Venture Partners, which will serve as an early-conviction capital partner for select companies emerging from the accelerator, with commitments of up to $200,000 per startup. Through this engagement, Aroa will help founders progress from lab-driven innovation to global commercialization.

In addition, Indian deep tech venture capital firm Speciale Invest, U.S.-based Celesta Capital, and the UChicago-affiliated deep tech fund Harper Court Ventures — along with its Silicon Valley–based parent fund, MFV Partners — will participate as collaboration partners. They will contribute to workshops, office hours, selective mentoring, and may provide potential investment support to cohort startups.

If you’re interested in learning more about the India Deep Tech Accelerator, please contact Shyama Majumdar, senior director, Science Accelerators and Investments at shyama@uchicago.edu, or Rahul Singal, associate director, Accelerators and Investments, at rahulsingal@uchicago.edu.