IHFC, IIT Delhi

I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC) is the Technology Innovation Hub at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, set up in June 2020 under the Department of Science and Technology's National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS). IHFC specializes in collaborative robotics (cobotics), which enables safe, intuitive, and efficient human-robot interactions. The hub operates from the IIT Delhi campus in New Delhi and extends its footprint through satellite facilities including the Drone Technology Park at IIT Delhi Sonipat and the Medical Cobotics Centre in partnership with AIIMS.

IHFC has four core application areas: medical, agriculture, industry, and defence. Its four mandates span R&D, entrepreneurship and startups, skills and training, and international collaborations with partners including the US National Science Foundation and Japanese institutions.

Role in the Startup Ecosystem

IHFC fills a critical gap in India's deeptech startup landscape by providing domain-specific support for robotics and AI ventures. Unlike generalist incubators, IHFC offers founders access to specialized labs, testing infrastructure, and a community of researchers working at the intersection of robotics, AI, and real-world applications. Its Co-Innovation Centres (CiCs) across 10 leading institutions nationwide extend this support beyond Delhi.

Programs and Initiatives

IHFC runs the READY (Research Entrepreneurship and Development for You) program, which incubates and accelerates startups in cobotics and related deeptech domains. The 10 Co-Innovation Centres promote entrepreneurship in robotics, AI, machine learning, and IoT across India. The Drone Technology Park at IIT Delhi Sonipat serves as a hub for drone testing, research, and training. The Medical Cobotics Centre, built in partnership with AIIMS, focuses on healthcare devices, medical robotics R&D, and startup support. IHFC also runs skills and training programs and maintains active international research collaborations.

Who Benefits

Deeptech founders building in robotics, collaborative robotics, AI for industrial applications, drones, medical devices, and agricultural automation. Researchers looking to commercialize their work and student entrepreneurs from IIT Delhi and partner institutions also benefit from IHFC's programs and infrastructure.

Strategic Impact

IHFC is building the institutional infrastructure that India needs to compete in the global robotics and AI market. By connecting academic research with startup commercialization and providing testing facilities that individual startups could not afford, it reduces the time and cost of bringing deeptech products to market. Its national network of Co-Innovation Centres ensures that this support is not limited to Delhi alone.