IIT Madras WSAI sets up ‘AI Studio’ to help researchers, entrepreneurs develop research-based ventures

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI) will launch an ‘AI Studio’. This venture-building programme will try to support researchers and entrepreneurs in developing research ideas in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and data science into viable businesses.

The AI Studio will be open to researchers from IIT Madras and WSAI, academic founders from other institutions and entrepreneurs working on AI, ML or data science ventures. The selected ventures will receive seed funding, access to research laboratories, cloud and computing credits, and mentoring from faculty and industry experts. 

Highlighting the unique aspects of this initiative, Balaraman Ravindran, Head, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, IIT Madras, said, “At the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, our mission has always been to move AI from the lab to the real world. The AI Venture Studio takes that mission a decisive step further. With the depth of our research and the strength of the IIT Madras ecosystem behind each venture, we are uniquely placed to do this at scale.”

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IIT Madras AI Studio: Six-month venture programme

The ventures selected for the Studio will learn from a six-month development and evaluation programme. The duration can be extended by up to three months for ventures that are opting for the initial institutional funding round. The programme will be scheduled for winter and spring seasons. 

Applications for the inaugural batch will open on October 3, 2026. The selection process will start with an initial training programme and bootcamp. Out of these, a smaller number of ventures will then be selected for the full AI Studio programme.

According to the institute, it has supported the incubation of hundreds of deep-tech startups with a combined valuation of around 8 billion dollars and also contributed to the creation of more than 11,000 direct jobs.

On the occasion of the AI Studio Lab launch, Roopa Karemungikar, CEO, AI Studio, WSAI, IIT Madras, said, “We are at a rare moment where AI, world-class research, and India's ambition are converging. I'm honoured to lead it, and excited to help India's next generation of deep-tech founders turn their ideas into reality.”