AIC IIT Delhi (Atal Incubation Centre, IIT Delhi)

Overview

AIC IIT Delhi (Atal Incubation Centre — IIT Delhi Sonipat Innovation Foundation) is a not-for-profit Section-8 company set up at the IIT Delhi Technopark in Sonipat, Haryana, and funded by the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog. It is one of the most prominent AIC-network incubators and a sister entity to IIT Delhi's longer-running incubation platforms FITT and IHFC.

Infrastructure

AIM has supported AIC IIT Delhi to build a world-class incubation facility with over 10,000 sq ft of space at IIT Delhi Technopark Sonipat. The facility includes:

• A fully equipped Makerspace with the latest fabrication equipment
• Design, metal fabrication, and woodworking labs
• Wet labs and chemistry workstations
• Co-working desks, meeting rooms, and pitch rooms
• Shared access to IIT Delhi's broader research labs through faculty co-supervision

Programmes

• Incubation Programme — 12-24 month incubation for technology-driven startups (preferably in their first 5 years), offering grants, makerspace access, mentoring, IIT Delhi faculty connects, and corporate-pilot opportunities
• Pre-Incubation Programme — 3-month sprint for student entrepreneurs and aspiring founders, helping them validate problem statements and build MVPs before formal incubation
• Sector cohorts — periodic verticalised cohorts in deep-tech, climate, healthcare, and defence

Sectors

Primarily deep-tech: hardware, robotics, defence & aerospace, semiconductors, healthtech, medtech, agri-machinery, IoT, advanced materials, and climate hardware.

Eligibility

Open to founders nationally, with priority for:

• Technology-driven startups working on innovative products/processes
• Startups in the first 5 years since inception (at time of application)
• IIT Delhi students, alumni, and faculty-led ventures

Funding

Incubated startups receive seed grants of ₹10–50 lakh through AIM seed funding, milestone-linked, with potential top-up through partner schemes (BIRAC, DST NIDHI-PRAYAS, Defence iDEX, etc.).

Who Should Apply

Hardware, deep-tech, and prototype-stage founders looking for a serious makerspace, IIT Delhi ecosystem access, and AIM seed funding.