IIT Madras has incubated 567 startups under its 100 Startups a Year mission, with 25 percent featuring women co-founders. The figure has held steady above 25 percent over the past two years, according to the incubation cell chief.
Tamaswati Ghosh, chief executive of the IITM Incubation Cell, said the trend reflects growing diversity in deep-tech entrepreneurship. Women founders have joined cohorts in healthtech, biotech, artificial intelligence, sustainability and agritech.
The cell has released more than 20 crore rupees in grants to 100 early-stage startups over the last two financial years. Each typically receives between 15 and 20 lakh rupees to develop products and reach markets. Nearly 60 percent of all founders come from outside the IIT system and represent regions across India.
In the current financial year the cell received over 1,200 applications and selected 112 startups. Ghosh noted that the ecosystem now includes more revenue-generating and externally funded ventures, shifting the portfolio toward market-ready companies.