IIT Madras opens first US centre in California to boost deep-tech innovation ecosystem

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Global Research Foundation has announced the establishment of its first centre in the United States, expanding India's deep-tech innovation footprint into global ecosystems. The announcement of the centre at Menlo Park in California, which was launched on April 24, was made at the SelectUSA Investment Summit at National Harbour in Maryland near here on Tuesday.

"The Menlo Park centre, enabled through our partnership with CA Startups, is a strategic anchor for IITM Global's US operations," Thirumalai Madhavnarayan, CEO of the IIT Madras Global Research Foundation, told PTI. "With a focused investment approach, we aim to build a platform that accelerates deep-tech ventures from lab to global markets, while also attracting global innovation into India," he said.

The centre will be developed with a total planned investment of USD 7.5 million, including a greenfield investment of USD 4.5 million from IITM Global, Narayan said. Strategically located near Silicon Valley, the IITM Centre is envisioned as a launchpad for Indian deep-tech startups to access global capital, markets, mentorship, and partnerships.

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The Menlo Park centre will focus on advancing deep-tech research and commercialisation, while also serving as a hub for startup incubation and global market access. It aims to strengthen industry–academia partnerships and enable venture engagement to support the scale-up of high-potential innovations.

The IITM Global also announced plans to establish a second centre on the US East Coast, further strengthening its presence across key innovation corridors. The East Coast centre will complement these efforts by connecting with leading policy, financial, and academic ecosystems, creating a more comprehensive US presence. The IIT-Madras Global delegation comprising founders of the IIT-M incubated deep-tech start-ups met Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra.

"Had an insightful conversation with Thirumalai Madhavnarayan, Head of IITM Global, and the brilliant founders of five IIT Madras-incubated deep-tech startups - Atri AI, Zerowatt, Satori XR, Greenvironment, and @ePlaneCompany - on the sidelines of the #SelectUSASummit," Kwatra said in a post on X. "Truly inspired by the impressive work these young tech leaders showcased. We spoke about exciting new opportunities in India and the US tech ecosystem. The future of India-US innovation collaboration is bright," Kwatra said.