IIT Madras in France: Institute to show Hyperloop, 6G and AI at Bharat Innovates

IIT Madras will showcase Hyperloop, 6G and AI innovations at Bharat Innovates 2026 in France, an international technology showcase being organised by the Ministry of Education in Nice from June 14 to 16.

The event is a national initiative aimed at identifying and promoting technology ventures emerging from higher education institutions and centrally funded technical institutes.

It will bring together investors, policymakers, industry leaders, research organisations and technology partners from across the world.

IIT Madras will lead two of the event's 13 thematic areas and will showcase 15 startups incubated at the institute. Its pavilion will also feature five major research projects covering Hyperloop technology, lab-grown diamond marking systems, 5G and 6G communications, port automation and a low-compute indigenous artificial intelligence ecosystem.

Speaking about the event, IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti said the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 and Bharat Innovates 2026 could open new opportunities for collaboration with French universities, research laboratories, startups and industries.

He said the institute sees potential for partnerships in areas such as 6G technologies, startup collaborations, technology transfer, standards development and talent exchange programmes.

Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research), said the platform would help showcase India's work in deep-tech innovation and research-driven entrepreneurship while providing exposure to startups and creating opportunities for collaborations with French institutions.

The two thematic areas being led by IIT Madras are Blue Economy and Next-Generation Communications. These are headed by Prof. K. Murali of the Department of Ocean Engineering and Prof. Radhakrishna Ganti of the Department of Electrical Engineering.

Under the communications theme, IIT Madras will highlight work related to 5G and 6G technologies. The institute says the next phase of communication systems will support ultra-low latency networks, intelligent automation, sensing technologies and distributed AI applications.

Startups including REIO Systems, Astrome Technologies and WiSig Networks will showcase technologies such as software-defined radio platforms, wireless backhaul systems and Open RAN-based 5G solutions.

In the Blue Economy segment, IIT Madras will present technologies aimed at addressing challenges in maritime infrastructure, shipping and sustainability.

Among the startups being showcased is Planys Technologies, which uses remotely operated vehicles, autonomous systems and AI-based diagnostics to inspect underwater infrastructure. Another startup, Zerocircle, has developed seaweed-based natural polymer materials that can serve as an alternative to conventional plastic packaging.

One of the major attractions at the IIT Madras pavilion will be Hyperloop technology. IIT Madras has been designated as the Centre of Excellence for Hyperloop Technology by the Ministry of Railways. The institute's startup TuTr Hyperloop has developed and demonstrated technologies including electromagnetic levitation, linear induction motor propulsion and vacuum tube operations at the IIT Madras Discovery Campus.

The institute will also showcase research from the Indian Centre for Lab Grown Diamonds (InCent-LGD). Researchers have developed laser-based technologies that can embed invisible QR codes and customised markings inside diamonds without affecting their structure or clarity. The technology is expected to support authentication and traceability in the diamond industry.

Other exhibits include smart port automation systems developed by the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) and work by IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation on small language models designed for low-cost and energy-efficient AI applications.

Through its participation, IIT Madras aims to present India's growing capabilities in telecommunications, maritime technologies, transportation systems and artificial intelligence to a global audience.