Can startups from smaller cities gain access to the research facilities, expert mentorship and investor networks available at leading institutions like IIT Bombay? The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay is taking a step in this direction by launching a national Hub-and-Spoke initiative through its incubation centre, the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE). The initiative aims to strengthen India’s startup ecosystem by connecting institutions, sharing incubation expertise and supporting promising technology-driven ventures across the country.
Nagpur selected as the first regional startup hub
Under this initiative, Nagpur has been selected as the first regional ecosystem. IIT Bombay’s SINE will serve as the central hub, providing incubation expertise, mentoring resources, institutional connections and access to investors. Meanwhile, partner institutions will function as spokes, helping startups access specialised infrastructure and support beyond their respective campuses.
As part of this effort, IIT Bombay and SINE organised a stakeholder meeting at Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Nagpur, on October 12, 2026. Representatives from 10 colleges and associated incubation organisations participated in discussions to identify opportunities and challenges in the regional startup ecosystem.
SINE also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with VNIT Ventures Vault Foundation, marking the first institutional partnership under the initiative.
Focus on deep-tech, healthcare and other emerging sectors
The initiative aims to extend quality incubation support to promising technology and deep-tech startups emerging outside established startup centres. In addition, the discussions identified opportunities across several sectors, including deep technology, healthcare and medical technology, agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, mining, veterinary sciences and fisheries.
The participating institutions also highlighted key gaps in the regional startup ecosystem, particularly limited access to early-stage investors, specialised mentorship, technology commercialisation support and collaborative funding networks.
Strengthening collaboration and startup support across India
Moving forward, SINE plans to expand the Hub-and-Spoke model to more cities and states through partnerships with academic institutions, research organisations and technology business incubators.
The next phase will focus on formalising institutional partnerships, identifying potential pilot startups and establishing regular coordination mechanisms. Proposed activities include monthly interactions between incubators, institutional visits and knowledge-sharing sessions for students and faculty.
Commenting on the initiative, Prof. Milind Atrey, Deputy Director (Academics, Research and Translation), IIT Bombay, highlighted the importance of connecting research capabilities across institutions with incubation expertise, industry engagement and access to capital. He noted that such collaborations could strengthen innovation, technology commercialisation and entrepreneurship across the country.
Through this national network, IIT Bombay’s SINE aims to empower regional incubators, improve access to specialised resources and help emerging startups turn innovative ideas into successful ventures. As reported by The Times of India, Nagpur marks the first step in IIT Bombay’s efforts to build a connected national startup ecosystem through institutional collaboration and shared incubation resources.