IHFC, IIT Delhi
IIT Delhi
IIT Delhi's deep-tech hub for cobotics, robotics, and AI — incubating startups under India's NM-ICPS national mission.
Programs by IHFC, IIT Delhi
2 open now · 7 past
Programmes they run
Standing programmes at IHFC, IIT Delhi, separate from the funding calls above.
Schaeffler Social Innovator Fellowship
FellowshipA fellowship for early-stage startups and social enterprises building scalable solutions to India’s development challenges.
Seeks high-potential innovators with a working MVP or validated solution, pilot deployments or early traction, and potential for measurable social impact and scale. Priority focus areas include Healthcare, Education, Agriculture, Water, Sanitation & WASH, Clean Energy, Livelihoods, Manufacturing Safety, Mobility, Environment & Sustainability, Social Innovation, AI & Robotics. IHFC provides innovation support, technical guidance, and strategic partnerships.
Professional Certificate Program in Generative AI, Machine Learning & Intelligent Automation
ProgrammeA professional certificate program in GenAI, Machine Learning, and Intelligent Automation, designed by IHFC and powered by Simplilearn.
Program highlights include a certificate from IHFC, an industry-aligned curriculum with 12+ real-world projects, 20+ advanced tools, and 165+ practical exercises. Participants attend exclusive masterclasses led by IHFC-associated faculty and researchers and experience a 2-day on-campus immersion at IIT Delhi, gaining IHFC Executive Club membership.
Professional Certificate Program in Data Analytics, Generative AI & Adaptive Systems
ProgrammeA professional certificate program in Data Analytics, GenAI, and Adaptive Systems, offered by IHFC and powered by Simplilearn.
Program highlights include a recognized certificate from IHFC, an exclusive Adaptive Systems masterclass led by IHFC-associated faculty, practical expertise with 10+ industry tools (e.g., Tableau, Pandas, ChatGPT), and 40+ hands-on exercises and 15+ real-world projects.
Incubation tracks
The routes into IHFC, IIT Delhi, and what each one includes.
| Track | Type | Space | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| READY Program (Pre-seed Incubation) | Pre-incubation | — | mentoring, networking, technical development support, fundraising support |
| Startup IncubationSupports seed stage, early stage, growth stage and expansion phase startups. | Resident incubation | — | mentoring, networking, technical development support, fundraising support |
| Startup Acceleration | Acceleration | — | mentoring, networking, technical development support, fundraising support |
| Schaeffler Social Innovator FellowshipFor early-stage startups and social enterprises with a working MVP or validated solution and early traction. Priority focus areas: Healthcare, Education, Agriculture, Water, Sanitation & WASH, Clean Energy, Livelihoods, Manufacturing Safety, Mobility, Environment & Sustainability, Social Innovation, AI & Robotics. | Fellowship | — | technical guidance |
Labs & facilities
Equipment and space on campus.
Drone Technology Park (DTP)
Located at IIT Delhi Sonipat, a hub for drone testing, research, and training.
Co-Innovation Centres (CiC)
10 Co-Innovation Centres (CiC) promoting entrepreneurship and startups in Deep Tech Domains (Robotics, AI, Machine Learning, IoT, etc).
Research Innovation Park (R&I)
Located at IIT Delhi, new hub for startups and tech innovation, home to IHFC’s office and many of its incubated teams.
Co-working & Co-location space
Support services
Help offered alongside funding and space.
Recognitions & empanelments
Official approvals this incubator holds.
About IHFC, IIT Delhi
IHFC, IIT Delhi (I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics)
I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC) is the Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) of IIT Delhi, established in June 2020 as a Section 8 not-for-profit company. IHFC was set up under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, with an initial outlay of ₹116 crore over five years.
Overview
IHFC's core focus is collaborative robotics (cobotics) — robotic systems that work safely alongside humans. The hub integrates robotics, AI, sensor fusion, autonomous systems, and cyber-physical systems research into four application domains: Medical, Agriculture, Industry, and Defence. It operates four mandates: R&D, Entrepreneurship & Startups, Skills & Training, and International Collaborations.
Startup Programs
READY Program (Research, Entrepreneurship and Development for You): A pre-seed incubation programme for early-stage founders and researchers working in cobotics, AI, robotics, drones, and autonomous systems. Duration is six months. Participants receive financial support, mentorship, access to IIT Delhi labs, and IP co-creation opportunities.
Startup Incubation: Full incubation support for seed and early-stage deep-tech startups offering physical lab space at IIT Delhi, access to the IIT network, investor connects, and technology development support.
Startup Acceleration: A growth-stage track for startups ready to scale commercially, with market access, corporate partnerships, and follow-on funding support.
KrishiTech Synapse: A specialised programme for agri-robotics startups with grants up to ₹5 crore.
Co-Innovation Centres (CiC): IHFC has partnered with 10 leading institutions across India to launch distributed deep-tech, AI, and robotics innovation centres.
Eligibility
IHFC programmes are open to Indian startups, researchers, and students working in deep-tech domains including cobotics, robotics, autonomous systems, AI, drones, precision agriculture, and medical devices. The READY program suits pre-revenue founders with a validated concept; full incubation requires a more developed prototype or MVP.
Who Should Apply
Founders building in robotics, AI-enabled autonomous systems, drone technology, precision agriculture, medical robotics, industrial automation, or defence-adjacent deep-tech. Both IIT Delhi-affiliated and external founders are eligible. Particularly strong fit for hardware-intensive deep-tech startups seeking lab access and government grant support.
Who they work with
Stage
Sectors
Technology
Tags
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