India’s iCreate and the Hauts-de-France Regional Council have signed an agreement to create a bilateral corridor aimed at boosting deep tech collaboration between the two regions…reports Asian Lite News Desk
India’s leading deep tech startup incubator, iCreate, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Hauts-de-France Regional Council to establish the India-Hauts-de-France Bilateral Corridor for Deep Tech Innovation, creating a direct pathway for startup collaboration, market access, pilot deployments and technology commercialisation between the two regions.
The partnership was announced in Nice at Bharat Innovates 2026, the Government of India’s flagship innovation initiative, which was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron on 14 June. The MoU forms part of a wider set of India-France institutional agreements being concluded at the summit.
The corridor will focus on sectors including HealthTech, ClimateTech, AgriTech, FoodTech, e-Mobility, aerospace and defence, and Physical AI and Deep Tech Systems. It is designed to help startups from both regions access new markets, industry partnerships, research collaborations and pilot opportunities.
The initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of innovation, strengthen supply chain resilience and unlock co-funded investment opportunities across strategic industries.
Over the next 18 months, the partnership aims to support more than 12 startups pursuing cross-border expansion, facilitate at least three joint pilot deployments across Indian and European markets, and launch the first bilateral startup cohort featuring innovators from both ecosystems.
The corridor will be delivered through an implementation-focused structure. While iCreate and the Hauts-de-France Regional Council are the principal partners, execution will be supported by EuraTechnologies, one of Europe’s leading startup and innovation hubs, and Nord France Invest, the region’s investment promotion agency.
A Joint Steering Committee comprising representatives from both sides will oversee implementation and monitor progress against agreed objectives.
Speaking at the announcement, Avinash Punekar, Chief Executive Officer of iCreate, said: “As India and France deepen their collaboration in technology and innovation, there is a unique opportunity to connect talent, research, and entrepreneurship across borders. This corridor is more than a partnership; it is a platform to help deep tech startups access global markets, forge meaningful industry collaborations, and accelerate the journey from innovation to impact. We believe it will empower entrepreneurs from both ecosystems to solve global challenges and build globally competitive ventures.”
Francois Decoster, Regional Vice-President of Hauts-de-France, said: “Hauts-de-France has built a strong ecosystem for deep tech innovation, backed by world-class research, industrial capabilities, and investment networks. Through this partnership with iCreate, we are creating new opportunities for startups from both regions to collaborate, scale internationally, and accelerate the commercialisation of cutting-edge technologies. We believe this corridor can serve as a model for future innovation partnerships between France and India.”
According to the partners, the collaboration combines Hauts-de-France’s strengths in research, industry, investment, and access to European markets with iCreate’s deep-tech ecosystem and India’s manufacturing capabilities.
The initiative also builds on iCreate’s record of supporting startups across mobility, energy, healthcare, aerospace, defence, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing. Since its inception, the incubator has supported more than 900 innovations and 100 patents through incubation, acceleration programmes, mentorship, market connections, and funding.
The India-Hauts-de-France corridor is described as the first bilateral deep tech partnership between an Indian incubator and a French region. Organisers say the model could be expanded to support future India-Europe innovation partnerships, helping startups, researchers, investors and industry leaders collaborate across borders and accelerate the growth of emerging technologies.
