IIT Roorkee, FSID, IISc partner with London tech company Nothing to boost innovation, academia-industry links

The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee), the Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID), and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have joined hands with London-based consumer technology giant Nothing to boost India’s innovation ecosystem by creating links between academia, startups, and industry.

As part of the agreement, Nothing will provide mentorship, expert lectures, industry case studies, and knowledge-sharing engagements in entrepreneurship, deep-tech innovation, product engineering, and electronic design.

Notably, the collaboration will also organise a joint industrial design challenge to provide students with hands-on exposure to consumer technology design and innovation, according to the press release.

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Nothing to conduct industry visits, training classes for students

KK Pant, director, IIT Roorkee said: “The signing of this MoU with Nothing at Bharat Innovates 2026 reflects IIT Roorkee's commitment to building strong bridges between academia and industry. By combining IIT Roorkee's research ecosystem with Nothing's global product development expertise, we aim to create new opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology-led impact. Bharat Innovates provides an ideal platform to foster such collaborations and strengthen India's position as a global hub for deep-tech innovation and talent development.”

Moreover, the London-based Nothing company will engage with startups incubated within the IISc ecosystem through mentorship, networking opportunities, startup programmes, and exploration of pilot collaborations.

The partnership will also unlock industry exposure and training initiatives for FSID students and founders, including guest lectures and potential visits to Nothing facilities.

“The partnerships reinforce Nothing's long-term commitment to India's innovation landscape and align with broader efforts to accelerate deep-tech entrepreneurship, research commercialization, and global collaboration,” it said.

“By combining academic excellence, startup ambition, and industry expertise, the collaborations aim to equip the next generation of innovators with the resources, exposure, and mentorship needed to build globally relevant technologies,” it added.