CHENNAI, 14th March 2026: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) students showcased their innovations and tech inventions at Delta Expo 2026, the flagship innovation and startup expo of the institute held on March 14 and 15, 2026, on the campus.
Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Hon’ble Governor of Tamil Nadu, inaugurated the expo in the presence of Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, along with faculty members and students.
Organised by the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE), IIT Madras, the two-day event, formerly known as Open House, featured over 45 student innovation teams from Centre for Innovation (CFI), the largest student-run tech body in India, and more than 30 early-stage startups from Nirmaan, the pre-incubation programme of the Institute.
The startups that have emerged from this ecosystem includes Ather, which went public recently, GalaxEye, Arctus Aerospace, Inbound Aerospace, Sukoon, Folium Sensing, Green Aadhar, Grow Your Farms, Plenome, and SlateMate, with many of them having secured funding, national innovation awards and global technology recognition.
Governor quote
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Hon’ble Governor of Tamil Nadu, said, “This is my first public appearance in Tamil Nadu... It is a great thing to be here among you. This whole journey of Viksit Bharat is not possible without your presence, contribution and expertise. You are all partners to this vision. For you, innovation in not only working on labs but you have to come out and put your ideas before the people. You are working not only for yourself but it is for the people of this State, the country and for the overall humanity. That is how we are inspired and why we are here.”
Addressing the expo, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “I am extremely pleased to note the Himalayan growth of Centre for Innovation (CFI) and Nirmaan, our pre-incubator, with a target of incubating at least 100 deep tech startups every year. The role of these organisations are pivotal in achieving these targets.”
The School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the IIT Madras Incubation Cell also announced their partnership with other leading institutions in India to co-create ‘Translation Endeavors.’
The partnership will support the translation of science-based innovations into commercial ventures through acceleration, seed investment, and access to infrastructure and technical expertise. Initial focus areas include decarbonization, AI and advanced manufacturing.
The Expo also features live demonstrations of cutting-edge technologies, engineering prototypes and emerging ventures across domains such as robotics, AI, biotechnology, aerospace, electronics, product design and sustainability.
Highlighting how such events can drive innovations leading to Deep Tech Start-ups, Prof. Satyanarayanan Seshadri, Head, School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, IIT Madras, said, “IIT Madras is the best place to build, and the Delta Expo is where it all comes together for display. It represents a deep ecosystem for next-generation technology development and venture building. It is a unique platform that integrates the entire innovation and entrepreneurship stack within a single institution.”
Further, Prof. Murugaiyan Amirthalingam, Faculty Advisor, Nirmaan, IIT Madras, said, “We welcome budding entrepreneurs, students, faculty members, venture capitalists and industry leaders to Delta Expo where we showcase the startup innovations emerging from our ecosystem. The event includes demonstrations from student clubs, panel discussions and exhibitions. Come to Delta Expo to iterate, integrate and innovate.”
Prof. Manish Anand, Faculty Advisor, Centre for Innovation (CFI), IIT Madras, added, “CFI embodies student ingenuity, curiosity and the drive to imagine and innovate. We invite students and visitors to engage with our community, be inspired by the technologies on display and contribute to building a diverse and unconstrained innovation ecosystem.”
Achievements and statistics
The Expo celebrates the spirit of ‘Delta’ (
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