IIT Madras Launches AI Startup Course for Innovators

IIT Madras launches a week-long AI startup programme to help students, researchers, and early-stage founders transform AI ideas into viable ventures, with the winning team receiving ₹4 lakh in startup support.

The Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras launches an intensive one-week programme aimed at equipping students, researchers, aspiring entrepreneurs, and early-stage startup founders with the knowledge and practical skills required to build successful artificial intelligence (AI) ventures. Titled ‘Building a Successful AI Startup’, the programme is scheduled to take place from August 10 to 14, 2026, at the IIT Madras campus.

Designed as an immersive, in-person learning experience, the course focuses on helping participants transform innovative AI concepts into commercially viable businesses. Applications remain open until July 27, after which shortlisted candidates will be selected through an evaluation process. The initiative reflects IIT Madras continued efforts to strengthen India’s AI innovation ecosystem by fostering entrepreneurship alongside technical excellence.

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The programme offers hands-on exposure to every stage of the AI startup journey. Participants learn how to identify market opportunities, develop a minimum viable product (MVP), validate business ideas, refine product-market fit, and prepare effective fundraising strategies. The curriculum also covers customer discovery, user acquisition, revenue models, term sheet negotiations, and techniques for scaling AI-driven enterprises. Classroom sessions are complemented by practical workshops and discussions based on real-world startup case studies.

The course is led by Lakshmi Shankar, General Partner at Together Fund and former Vice President of Google Search. Drawing on his extensive leadership experience at Google, Twitter, IBM, and EY, he guides participants through the commercial and strategic aspects of building technology ventures while sharing practical insights into startup growth and investment readiness.

A key highlight of the programme is the Pitch Day, where participants present their AI startup ideas before a panel of investors. The top-performing team receives ₹4 lakh to support the development of its venture, providing an opportunity to convert promising ideas into market-ready solutions.

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The programme is open to final-year BTech, MTech, and PhD students, faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, engineers, product managers, aspiring entrepreneurs, and early-stage AI startups. By combining technical learning with business mentoring and investor engagement, IIT Madras seeks to nurture the next generation of AI innovators capable of creating scalable, impactful technology enterprises in India and beyond.