IHFC, IIT Delhi

I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC) is the Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) of IIT Delhi, established in June 2020 as a Section 8 not-for-profit company. It operates under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, with an initial outlay of ₹116 crore over five years.

IHFC focuses on collaborative robotics (cobotics), developing robotic systems that work safely alongside humans. The hub integrates research in robotics, AI, sensor fusion, autonomous systems, and cyber-physical systems across four application domains: Medical, Agriculture, Industry, and Defence. Its work is organised around four mandates: R&D, Entrepreneurship & Startups, Skills & Training, and International Collaborations.

IHFC runs several startup programmes. The READY Program (Research, Entrepreneurship and Development for You) is a six-month pre-seed incubation track for early-stage founders and researchers in cobotics, AI, robotics, drones, and autonomous systems, offering financial support, mentorship, access to IIT Delhi labs, and IP co-creation opportunities. Startup Incubation provides full support for seed and early-stage deep-tech startups, including physical lab space at IIT Delhi, access to the IIT network, investor connects, and technology development support. Startup Acceleration is a growth-stage track for startups ready to scale commercially, with market access, corporate partnerships, and follow-on funding support. KrishiTech Synapse is a specialised programme for agri-robotics startups with grants up to ₹5 crore. IHFC has also partnered with 10 leading institutions across India to launch Co-Innovation Centres (CiC) for distributed deep-tech, AI, and robotics innovation.

IHFC programmes are open to Indian startups, researchers, and students working in deep-tech domains including cobotics, robotics, autonomous systems, AI, drones, precision agriculture, and medical devices. The READY program suits pre-revenue founders with a validated concept; full incubation requires a more developed prototype or MVP. Founders building in robotics, AI-enabled autonomous systems, drone technology, precision agriculture, medical robotics, industrial automation, or defence-adjacent deep-tech are encouraged to apply. Both IIT Delhi-affiliated and external founders are eligible, with a particularly strong fit for hardware-intensive deep-tech startups seeking lab access and government grant support.