About Co-Innovation Centre

The Co-Innovation Centers (CiCs) by IHFC represent a visionary leap forward for India's deep-tech landscape.

By bridging the gap between academic research and commercial viability, these centres provide aspiring young entrepreneurs with the vital financial, technical, and infrastructural support needed to build cutting-edge startups in Cobotics, AI, and IoT.

With this vision, 10 CiCs accross the country has been established, which works as IHFC’s extended network.

The establishment of the Co-Innovation Centers aims to support aspiring entrepreneurs and students to undertake new product development, research translation and build high potential startups/companies in Deep Tech Domains.

Key Operational Objectives

• Promote entrepreneurship program through financial and technical support in creating an eco-system for deep tech start-ups.
• Support incubation activities at academic institutes of higher learning and research and development institutions by establishing programs, processes, partnerships, and trainings.
• Create a synergistic ecosystem for technology startups by identifying strengths and creating inter-linkages connecting them with academic and research institutes and industry.

About IHFC

I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC) is the Technology Innovation Hub of IIT Delhi, established in June 2020. It operates under the Department of Science & Technology’s National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) to bring together academia, government, and industry. Explore more at the official IHFC Portal.

The organization focuses on Cobotics—the collaborative synergy between humans and robotic machines—to expand human capabilities, reduce operational risks, and boost productivity. Its core research and development efforts are expertly channeled across four major sectors:

• Medical: Advanced healthcare systems, including collaborative surgical robots and remote diagnostics.
• Industry X.0: Smart manufacturing, automation, and supply chain solutions.
• Agriculture: Autonomous drones and smart farming technologies.
• Defence: Next-generation robotic and surveillance applications for safety and strategic operations.

By coordinating knowledge generation, supporting deep-tech startups, and offering academic resources, IHFC acts as an innovation ecosystem designed to fast-track new technologies into the commercial market.

Research & Development Projects

READY Program

The IHFC READY (Research, Entrepreneurship and Development for Youth) Program is a founder-friendly pre-seed incubation program hosted by IHFC. Detailed information is available on the READY webpage.

Program Framework & Highlights

• Strategic Focus Areas: It specifically targets high-potential deep-tech sectors, including cobotics, artificial intelligence (AI), drones, autonomous vehicles, and allied engineering fields.
• The Goal: It provides a platform for students and early-stage innovators to ideate, design, and build functional prototypes that are practical, cost-effective, and viable for commercial market entry.
• Offerings & Benefits: Participants in the 6-month program receive up to ₹5 Lakhs in funding, access to dedicated lab spaces at IIT Delhi, mentorship from industry experts, assistance with filing IP/patent rights, and direct entry into IHFC's broader startup incubation ecosystem.
• Eligibility & Application Process: The program accepts year-round applications with quarterly screenings (Feb, May, Aug, Nov). It is structurally designed to onboard final-year students as well as recent graduates looking to launch their first deep-tech startup.

Selected Student Innovators from IIEST, Shibpur

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