Wadhwani Foundation, IISc Launch Deep-Tech Innovation Centre

India-West News Desk

BENGALURU- The Indian Institute of Science and the Wadhwani Foundation have launched the Wadhwani-IISc Innovation Centre and a new quantum startup acceleration platform aimed at supporting India’s deep-tech and research commercialization ecosystem.

The initiatives were unveiled during Quantum Pitch Fest 2026 at IISc, where researchers, startups, and innovators presented ideas focused on quantum computing, communication, and sensing technologies.

Former ISRO chairman A. S. Kiran Kumar inaugurated the Wadhwani-IISc Innovation Centre in the presence of Dr. Ajay Kela, CEO and board member of the Wadhwani Foundation, and Dr. Shirshendu Mukherjee, managing director of the Wadhwani Innovation Network India.

The center has been established to support deep-tech innovation, startup incubation, and industry collaboration. It is part of the Wadhwani Innovation Network, a broader initiative announced last year through a collaborative investment involving the Wadhwani Foundation, the Anusandhan

During the event, IISc also launched InQubate, a startup acceleration platform focused on early-stage quantum ventures. The platform will operate through IISc’s quantum ecosystem, including the Quantum Research Park, the Wadhwani-IISc Innovation Centre, FQCI, and INUP.