AIC-IIIT-H Foundation, the social tech incubator of IIIT-H, in partnership with EPAM Systems, has selected 6 high-impact GreenTech startups for its 4th cohort for the Akash EPAM-SIIP. Following a rigorous selection process, 11 applicants out of 130+ national applicants pitched to a distinguished jury, with 6 ventures selected for their potential to advance India’s UN SDG commitments focused on Climate Action (SDG 13). By bridging the gap between academic research and market-ready innovation, the program empowers startups to solve critical environmental challenges in sectors like Green Energy, Circularity and Climate Action. It offers a comprehensive growth platform, including a ₹5 lakh grant, access to IIIT-H labs, faculty and the Smart City Lab Test Bed for validation, along with mentorship and business coaching from EPAM experts and industry veterans to refine models for large-scale social impact.

IIIT-H convened an industry–academia roundtable and workshop on “Quantum Technologies for Life Sciences” in association with NITI Aayog. Bringing together researchers, industry leaders, startups, and policymakers to explore how quantum computing and sensing to understand the opportunities and use cases for Quantum Computing in life sciences can address complex challenges in healthcare, biology, and drug discovery. The event had brainstorming sessions, invited talks, and panel discussions among experts from academia, industry, and government, with the broader vision of understanding the potential impact of quantum technologies on various life science challenges where quantum technologies could fundamentally reshape research paradigms and enable next-generation innovations.

A global award, a UN case study, presence in 8 Indian metros, 4 countries, 15 million plastic bags saved and speed tracked for foreign government collaboration. What makes the AIC-IIITH incubated startup BioReform, a great newsmaker is that it was also founded by a 21-year-old entrepreneur, with a fisheye lens of the world. BioReform, a rising star on the sustainability landscape, is making your life and mine, more mindfully impactful. The Greeny bag is a fully biodegradable alternative to the bane of modern civilization – the ubiquitous plastic bag. Manufactured from plant-based raw materials like corn starch and biopolymers, it will decompose naturally within months, assures startup founder Mohammed Azhar Mohiuddin, a young engineer from Hyderabad. BioReform came second among 300 startups from 40 countries at the international competition in Saudi Arabia, under the aegis of the Ministry of Haj and Umra.