Why IITs Produce Some of India's Most Successful Startup Founders

As per industry data, between 2015 and early 2025, India saw 113,360 tech startups being founded. Of these, 7,141 startups, close to 6.3 percent, came from IIT alumni

- BY SAUMYANGI YADAV

Why do IITs, the top engineering institutes of the country, produce some of India's most successful founders, deep-tech ventures, and unicorn leaders? A closer look at their curriculum, infrastructure, incubation machinery, alumni networks, and evolving campus culture shows how these institutions have quietly transformed into one of the country's largest and most dependable startup generators.

As per industry data, between 2015 and early 2025, India saw 113,360 tech startups being founded. Of these, 7,141 startups, close to 6.3 percent, came from IIT alumni. This makes IITs not just centres of technical education but among the most productive startup factories in India's innovation ecosystem. From deep-tech and climate-tech to biotech, EVs, AI, and agritech, IIT campuses now anchor a pipeline of ventures that move from lab research to real-world markets at record speed.

In fact, according to the IDFC FIRST Private & Hurun India's 'Top 200 Self-made Entrepreneurs of the Millennia 2024', nearly one-third of the featured entrepreneurs were IIT graduates.

CLOSER LOOK AT NUMBERS

Across the IIT system, the numbers speak for themselves. For example, IIT Madras has crossed 450 incubated startups, recording 103 in the last year alone, its second consecutive year of triple-digit output.

IIT Bombay has supported close to 300 startups, including multiple listed companies, unicorns, and deep-tech leaders.

IIT-BHU has nurtured nearly 200 innovators and 78 incubated ventures, generating over Rs 30 crore in cumulative revenue and over 400 jobs across Uttar Pradesh.