Tamil Nadu moves to commercialise deep tech at inaugural IN2TN IP Conclave

CHENNAI: 

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated Tamil Nadu’s first Innovate in Tamil Nadu (IN²TN) Intellectual Property Conclave on Wednesday, emphasising the state’s ambition to transform into an innovation capital and intellectual powerhouse.

“This conclave will help researchers, startups, industries, and policymakers enhance intellectual property awareness. It will build a culture where IP is seen as both a creative and economic asset,” Stalin said. He highlighted Tamil Nadu’s emergence as a leader in building a structured, statewide innovation ecosystem.

The event, held at the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai, attracted over 1,500 participants from academia, industry, and government, featuring a showcase of 16 deep-tech inventions developed by researchers across the state.

Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, noted that Tamil Nadu accounts for nearly 17% of India’s patent filings, demonstrating how the state balances growth with social justice.

The conclave marked a shift from policy announcements to implementation, unveiling multiple technology transfers, funding support, and industry-academia partnerships.

Four patented innovations—including a gesture-controlled UAV, a medical drone, and a pregnancy monitoring device—were licensed to private firms through the newly launched Tamil Nadu Technology Transfer Facilitation Centre (TNTTFC) at the iTNT Hub.

Five startups in AI, robotics, space tech, and cleantech received grants totaling ₹53 lakh under the iTNT Foundation Fund, supporting ventures such as eco-friendly aluminium batteries and robotic surgical tools.

To scale up its deep-tech commercialisation efforts, the state also announced strategic partnerships with national and international organisations, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) India, the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), Bosch India, Mahindra & Mahindra, C-DAC Bengaluru, and I-STEM. These tie-ups are expected to bolster Tamil Nadu’s innovation infrastructure and connect its start-ups to global technology ecosystems. Legal partners also handed over Letters of Intent to support IP filing, awareness and commercialisation efforts across Tamil Nadu, including in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

The conclave also celebrated the graduation of 53 innovators from the BEACON idea-validation programme and welcomed 43 startups into new incubation cohorts.

Organised by the iTNT Hub under the Department of Information Technology and Digital Services, the event positioned Tamil Nadu as a national leader in technology commercialisation. With operational technology transfer systems and new partnerships in place, Tamil Nadu aims to become a hub for deep-tech entrepreneurship by connecting research with markets through a structured, collaborative approach.