Indian Institute of Science (IISc) marked a significant milestone in India’s innovation journey with the inauguration of the Wadhwani-IISc Innovation Centre and the successful hosting of Quantum Pitch Fest 2026, reinforcing the institute’s commitment to advancing deep-tech research, translational innovation, and entrepreneurship on May 28.
The Wadhwani-IISc Innovation Centre was inaugurated recently by Shri AS Kiran Kumar, former Chair of ISRO and Chair of the Apex Committee, ISRO. The ceremony was attended by Dr Ajay Kela, CEO and Board Member of the Wadhwani Foundation, and Dr Shirshendu Mukherjee, Managing Director of the Wadhwani Innovation Network (WIN) India.
The Centre has been established to catalyse deep-tech innovation, startup incubation, and industry collaboration, further strengthening IISc’s position as a leading hub for scientific research, translational innovation, and entrepreneurial excellence.
The Wadhwani-IISc Innovation Centre is part of the Wadhwani Innovation Network (WIN) – a national initiative launched as part of the Rs 1,400+ crore collaborative investment announced last year by the Wadhwani Foundation in collaboration with ANRF, premier academic institutions, and government partners to strengthen India’s deep-tech innovation and research commercialisation ecosystem.
“Quantum technologies represent one of the most transformative frontiers of science and innovation. Through the Wadhwani-IISc Innovation Centre, Quantum Pitch Fest, and the InQubate platform, IISc is creating a collaborative ecosystem to help researchers and entrepreneurs translate cutting-edge quantum research into scalable technologies and globally competitive ventures,” said B Gurumoorthy, Director, Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID), IISc.
“India has world-class research talent and scientific capability. The next frontier is accelerating the translation of research into scalable products, startups, and societal impact. Through the Wadhwani Innovation Network, we are working closely with leading institutions like IISc to help build stronger innovation ecosystems that can take breakthrough ideas from lab to market faster,” said Dr Ajay Kela, CEO and Board Member, Wadhwani Foundation.
Shri AS Kiran Kumar remarked: “Technology alone is not important; how these technological capabilities are used for developing society and country matters more.” He further emphasised the importance of translating research into tangible outcomes and acknowledged the crucial support from the government and philanthropists in fostering indigenous, demonstrable competence and capabilities in quantum technology. To illustrate this vision, he drew parallels with India’s remarkable achievements in space technology under Dr Vikram Sarabhai and in nuclear energy under Dr Homi Bhabha, underscoring how visionary leadership and sustained support can build national capabilities of global significance.
In parallel, IISc hosted Quantum Pitch Fest 2026, where researchers, startups, and innovators presented breakthrough ideas in quantum computing, communication, and sensing. The pitches were evaluated by experts and investors, with select teams earning mentorship and incubation opportunities through IISc’s entrepreneurship programmes.
The event also marked the launch of InQubate – a comprehensive quantum startup acceleration platform designed to nurture early-stage ideas and propel them into impactful enterprises. InQubate is powered by IISc’s quad ecosystem – the Quantum Research Park (QuRP), Wadhwani-IISc Innovation Centre, FQCI, and INUP – creating a seamless continuum from lab to market.
With a mission to provide world-class mentorship, infrastructure, and collaborative opportunities, InQubate aims to empower innovators to transform quantum concepts into market-ready solutions while helping establish India as a globally competitive hub for deep-tech entrepreneurship.
Together, these initiatives reflect IISc’s vision of building a robust innovation pipeline – from foundational research and institutional infrastructure to startup creation and industry collaboration – positioning India at the forefront of deep-tech and quantum innovation.
