FITT Forward 2025: IIT Delhi Summit Charts India’s Deep-Tech Decade

IIT Delhi’s FITT Forward 2025 Signals India’s Shift from Prototype to Scalable Deep-Tech

FITT Forward 2025, the flagship innovation summit of IIT Delhi’s Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), brought together startups, investors, policymakers and industry leaders over two days. Positioned as a launchpad for India’s deep-tech decade, the event showcased market-ready solutions across health, mobility, robotics and smart materials, while also facilitating policy dialogues, investor connects and SME collaborations.

FITT IIT Delhi and AIC IIT Delhi Sonipat, in partnership with Cadence, launched a 24-month incubation program to groom fabless semiconductor startups in chip design, IP, EDA innovations and edge-AI hardware. Announced at FITT Forward by FITT MD Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, the initiative targets building India’s next generation of semiconductor champions. The program offers startups access to Cadence’s EDA tools, IIT Delhi’s labs and prototyping facilities, as well as technical and business mentorship, investor connects, legal/IP support and milestone-based grants. A national selection process will shortlist 15–20 teams for a bootcamp, with up to two ventures taken forward for full incubation. Focus areas include fabless SoCs, NPUs and AI accelerators, RISC-V, AI-driven design tools, supply-chain intelligence and energy-efficient design workflows. The effort aligns with the India Semiconductor Mission and MeitY priorities, targeting indigenous IP creation, skilled jobs and stronger supply chains in line with Make in India and Viksit Bharat 2047. “India is at a pivotal moment in semiconductors. This program provides the missing bridge—from brilliant design talent to globally competitive deeptech companies,” Dr. Agarwal said at the launch.

Speaking at the TechFront panel, Rajat Taneja, President of Technology at Visa, said trust and security must remain at the core of innovation. As technology becomes smarter and more borderless, he noted, regulators, academia, researchers and industry need to work together to ensure it is developed responsibly, ethically and transparently. He added that Visa is committed to building a secure, seamless and future-ready financial ecosystem that enables safe commerce for everyone, aligned with India’s Viksit Bharat goals.

At FITT Forward, the session “Unity in Diversity – Embassies in Dialogue” brought together diplomats from Germany, Australia, Switzerland and the UK alongside NITI Aayog to discuss global collaboration in science, technology and innovation. Speakers highlighted how cross-border partnerships in deeptech, space tech, AI and startup exchanges are strengthening ecosystems, underscoring that unity in diversity is not just a principle but a strategy for resilience.

At the FITT Forward award ceremony, Honeyloop Technologies won a ₹3 lakh cash prize, while Earth Sense Labs received ₹5 lakh. Green Aero Propulsion was recognised as the most promising startup, and Vecmocon Technologies was named the most impactful startup. The awards highlighted FITT’s focus on backing ventures that can translate deep-tech innovation into scalable, high-impact solutions.

Over two days, FITT Forward 2025 at IIT Delhi spotlighted deep-tech startups reshaping daily life—from fabrics that killed bacteria within minutes to India’s first autonomous pool-cleaning robot. Innovations ranged from herbal wellness textiles and antimicrobial fabrics to AI tools for traffic management, auto simulation software, portable diagnostic kits, predictive wearables, and nutrient-delivering smart patches. The robotics aisle drew attention with the underwater cleaning robot, while drone makers unveiled new roles for UAVs in rescue and logistics.

FITT Forward 2025 wrapped up as a clear signal: India’s deep-tech ecosystem is moving from prototypes to practical solutions set to define the coming decade.