IIT Madras signs 7 MoUs at ‘Bharat Innovates 2026’ in France

Indian Institute of Technology Madras and its international arm IITM Global have signed five commercial Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between Indian deeptech startups and their international partners—predominantly from France—during their participation in ‘Bharat Innovates 2026’ in Nice, France. Two institutional MOUs aimed at accelerating global market access, investment, and innovation, were also signed.

The startup partnerships announced included Agnikul Cosmos with ICEYE, Finland, and Safran, France; Detect Technologies with TotalEnergies; TuTr Hyperloop with thyssenkrupp;  iElectron Technologies with ALTEN; and the Indian Angel Network announced a potential investment in The ePlane Company.

“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. The premier higher educational institutions of Bharat have demonstrated that Indian innovation is ready to lead on the world stage”, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said.

The two institutional MOUs were a strategic partnership between IITM Global and Agna Capital to establish the Bharat Innovates Fund aimed at catalysing investments in high-potential deep-tech ventures and a collaboration between IITM Global and SouthwestX to help Indian startups access and scale across the large German and French markets.

Collectively, these agreements are expected to unlock value creation of nearly $100 million, strengthening India’s position as a global hub for deep-tech innovation and cross-border collaboration, IITM said in a statement.

 “What we witnessed in Nice (France) was the translation of scientific excellence into cross-border economic value. The nearly$ 100 million in expected value creation is a direct result of years of focused deep-tech incubation at IIT Madras. The partnerships with French and European industry leaders validate our approach,” said Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research), IIT Madras.

Alongside the partnership announcements, IIT Madras presented a range of technologies and innovations developed by its research groups and startup ecosystem at Bharat Innovates. These included advancements in Hyperloop transportation, 5G and 6G communications, port automation, lab-grown diamond technologies, and indigenous AI systems designed for efficient computing.

“The overwhelming response from stakeholders across Europe reaffirmed the growing global recognition of the IIT Madras innovation ecosystem as a trusted partner for building the next generation of globally scalable deep-tech enterprises”, Thirumalai Madhavnarayan, CEO and Director of IITM Global said.

Beyond the formal agreements, the event generated interest from industry leaders, academic institutions, investors, and government representatives across the European Union, signalling significant opportunities for future collaborations with IIT Madras and IITM Global in research, innovation, entrepreneurship, talent development, and market expansion.