PNN
New Delhi [India], August 20: As India positions itself for a transformative deep-tech decade, FITT FORWARD 2025 (August 21-22, 2025, at FITT-IIT Delhi Campus) arrives at a pivotal moment. The Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi is convening this national summit, uniting deep-tech startups, policymakers, global investors, and research leaders to accelerate India's ascent on the global innovation map.
"At FITT, we have always been the bridge between cutting-edge research and real-world impact. With FITT Forward 2025, we are creating a platform where innovators, investors, and industry leaders converge to accelerate deep-tech breakthroughs. Our goal is to work collectively to transform promising ideas into scalable ventures-addressing pressing challenges and unlocking opportunities for India's startup ecosystem and beyond," said Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, Managing Director, FITT-IIT Delhi.
Envisioned as an annual flagship, FITT FORWARD 2025 is more than a showcase of ideas-it is a convergence of India's top innovation minds, focused on bridging cutting-edge research with real-world deployment and market readiness. Aligned with Startup India, Make in India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat, the summit provides a strategic platform to scale ideas into tangible impact. Anchored in IIT Delhi's legacy of research excellence, this edition is poised to define the next phase of India's startup ecosystem.
The two-day forum will feature senior government officials, including Smt. Nidhi Khare (Secretary, Dept. Of Consumer Affairs), Shri Sanjiv Singh (Joint Secretary, DPIIT, Head of Startup India), Shri Amit Satija (IAS, Joint Secretary, Department of Defence Production), Dr. Preeti Banzal (Adviser/ Scientist 'G', Office of PSA), Dr. Subhransu Sekhar Acharya (Chairman & MD, NSIC), Shri S. P. Singh (Chief General Manager, SIDBI), Shri S P Singh (Chief General Manager, SIDBI), and Dr. Arabinda Mitra (Hon. Distinguished Fellow & Former Scientific Secretary, PSA Office), alongside senior officials from the Ministry of MSME, Ministry of Skill Development, and NITI Aayog, underscoring corporate-government collaboration in innovation growth.
Over 30 early-stage and scaling startups from across India will pitch to leading venture capitalists, CSR foundations, and angel investors, including Indian Angel Network, 100X.VC, Microsoft for Startups, SIDBI Venture Capital Ltd., and Bharat Innovation Fund. Startups will benefit from FITT's ecosystem support-pre-pitch mentorship, EIR programs, post-event investor connections, and IP guidance-across sectors like AgriTech, AI/ML, MedTech, GreenTech, Cybersecurity, and Education. Prominent investors expected include Vikram Gupta (Founder & Managing Partner, IvyCap Ventures), Rajan Anandan (Managing Director, PeakXV Partners and Surge), HRH Paldem Namgyal (Prince of Sikkim & Ex-MD, JP Morgan New York), Addison Appu (Managing Partner, ThinKuvate), S.P. Singh (SIDBI), Dr. Subhransu Sekhar Acharya (NSIC), and Milan Roy (AVP, Pi Ventures).
FITT IIT Delhi's ReStartup initiative will support ventures facing operational challenges or founder fatigue. A mentor panel featuring Bipin Preet Singh (MobiKwik), Sameer Maheshwari (HealthKart), Neha Kant (Clovia), Vivek Srivastava (HCAH India), and Mohit Jain (Northwest Executive Education) will provide strategic guidance on pivots, GTM planning, and resilience-building.
TechFront 2035: Deeptech Leadership will bring together industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers to chart India's path in frontier technologies such as AI, quantum computing, biotech, and space. The panel features a keynote from Mr Rajat Taneja (VISA) Mr. Diwakar Mittal (Novo Nordisk), Mr. Pradip Bepari (Samsung), Mr. Sharad Goswami (Pfizer), and Dr. Apurva Chamaria (Google). Together, they will explore sector-specific opportunities, address innovation bottlenecks, and discuss strategies to align academia, startups, and industry for a collaborative, future-ready deeptech ecosystem by 2035.
The panel discussion "Velocity to Legacy" will feature chairpersons, founders, and CEOs from Zomato, Policy Bazar, Spinny, Moglix, TBO.com, Bharatpe, and Insurance Dekho.
"CSR 2.0: Using Tech for Good to Unlock India's SDG Promise" will see participation from FITT IIT Delhi, Visa Inc., Helping Soul Foundation, Microsoft, Kotak, DS Group, and Government Engagement.
"The Innovation Journey: Idea to Impact" will feature top officials from former PSA Office, Nokia India, Haier, Sun Pharma, and Yamaha Motor Solutions.
The panel "Mobility for Tomorrow: Clean, Smart, Inclusive" will include DMRC, Maruti Suzuki India, PSA Office, TDK Ventures, DS Group, Auto Network Strategy & Future of Mobility, and EY.
Additional highlights include panels on Raising Funds in 2025, Roundtable Innovation Circle: A Conversation with Startup Enablers, Statecraft & Startups, and masterclasses like Investor Meeting Decoded: What Drives a Yes or No and The Innovation Journey: Idea to Impact. An international dialogue, Unity in Diversity - Embassies in Dialogue, will feature Israel, Germany, and Australia.
The two-day conclave will conclude with the Award Ceremony & Valedictory Session, presenting FIF - SG Awards, DSCE Cohort 2 Graduation Awards, FITT Incubation Pitching Results & Awards, Highest Funds Raised (Startup) Award, and Strong IP Portfolio (Startup) Award.
FITT Forward stands out for its focus on inclusive innovation, showcasing student teams from IITs and NITs, rural innovators, and women-led startups (15% of the lineup). Media can see the interactive demo zone with live trials and immersive tech pods, connecting directly with products and investors.
"We at IIT Delhi believe that meaningful innovation happens when academia, industry, and policy move forward together. FITT Forward 2025 provides the space to unite diverse stakeholders-from global corporations to early-stage startups-and help them forge lasting partnerships. By combining our research strengths with corporate insights and resources, we can ensure groundbreaking technologies reach the market faster and with greater impact," said Prof. Preeti Ranjan Panda, Dean (Corporate Relations), IIT Delhi.
FITT FORWARD 2025 doubles as a storytelling platform, featuring fireside chats and masterclasses that trace founder journeys from lab breakthroughs to unicorn success. The agenda anticipates 20+ MoUs and collaboration discussions, over 30 startup-investor meetings, and 8-10 CSR-backed partnership announcements.
Programming tackles pressing themes such as climate-smart tech, AI for rural health, assistive technology, solar-powered agriculture, as well as digital infrastructure and AI-driven service transformation. Key focus sectors include HealthTech, GreenTech, Semiconductors, Quantum Computing, Smart Mobility, and GenAI for inclusive skilling, making the event both timely and impactful.
"At IIT Delhi, we are committed to building an ecosystem where research excellence seamlessly translates into societal and industrial value. FITT Forward 2025 reflects our vision to position both IIT Delhi and India at the forefront of global innovation. Through this platform, we aim to strengthen connections between innovators, funders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs-so that together, we can shape solutions driving progress in today's dynamic market," said Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi.
Adding depth, a whitepaper titled "Industry - Academia Expectation Mismatch: Technology Transfer Phenomenon for Resilient and Self-Reliant India", authored by Prof. Amit Mehndiratta, CBME, IIT Delhi, will be released.
FITT's impact is reflected in its numbers: over 280 startups incubated, ₹450+ crore in cumulative funding facilitated, 90+ technology transfers, and 25 global patents commercialized. CSR-driven innovation has generated ₹85 crore in value, benefiting thousands. Engaging more than 10,000 stakeholders annually, FITT provides sustained mentorship, incubation, IP support, and investor access beyond the event.
The summit is proudly supported by IIFL Capital, HS Foundation, Shannon Advisors, Singhania & Co., Cunomial, HDFC Bank, Kirtane & Pandit, and HSBC, whose collaboration plays a pivotal role in making FITT Forward 2025 a resounding success.
For more details, visit: www.fitt-iitd.in
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