New Delhi, January 20, 2026 – SanchiConnect, India’s leading DeepTech enablement network, announced a strategic partnership with the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil Nadu Technology Hub (iTNT) to accelerate the growth of deeptech startups across the state, with a strong focus on enabling innovation from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The partnership agreement was signed in the presence of the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin, reaffirming the state’s commitment to building a decentralised and inclusive deeptech ecosystem.
The collaboration aims to create structured, long-term programmes for deeptech founders, offering access to curated mentorship, industry networks, markets, and investors from the SanchiConnect ecosystem. Beyond metro hubs, the initiative will focus on strengthening regional innovation capacity, supporting founders in technology validation, commercialization readiness, and scalable growth.
Commenting on the partnership, Sunil Shekhawat, Co-Founder and CEO, SanchiConnect, said, “Tamil Nadu has consistently demonstrated a strong vision for nurturing innovation. This partnership with the State Government and iTNT allows us to take structured deeptech enablement into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where entrepreneurial talent is abundant but access to markets, capital, and mentorship is often limited. By combining SanchiConnect’s ecosystem of investors, corporates, and domain experts with the state’s institutional support, we aim to create a sustainable pipeline of globally competitive deeptech startups. Our focus is not just acceleration, but long-term capacity building that enables founders to scale responsibly, and contribute meaningfully to India’s deeptech leadership.”
“We are proud to see SanchiConnect formalize this strategic partnership with the Government of Tamil Nadu’s deep tech initiative. Sanchi has consistently focused on widening access to the deep tech ecosystem by taking investors, mentors, and industry engagement beyond the metros and closer to founders, where innovation is emerging. This MoU marks an important step in unlocking deep tech potential from smaller towns and enabling these startups to build for national and global markets,” said Manoj Agarwal, Managing Partner at Seafund, an investor in Sanchi Connect.
Through this partnership, startups will gain exposure to national and global market opportunities, enabling them to move from prototype development to enterprise adoption and investment readiness. The program will also focus on building sustainable pipelines of innovation talent within Tamil Nadu, empowering local entrepreneurs to address critical challenges across sectors such as climate tech, mobility, healthtech, advanced manufacturing, and emerging digital technologies.
About SanchiConnect
Founded in 2022, SanchiConnect is India’s leading deeptech enablement network dedicated to bridging innovation and market impact for technology startups. The organisation has built one of the largest deeptech communities in the country, connecting 4,000+ active startups, 470+ investors, 150+ corporates, and 50+ mentors to accelerate growth and deployment of breakthrough solutions. Through structured accelerator programs, mentorship frameworks, and technology-led ecosystem tools, SanchiConnect empowers founders with early capital, strategic guidance, and investor access, fostering scalable innovation across sectors such as AI, biotech, clean energy, robotics, and advanced manufacturing.
