iTNT Hub starts operations in Coimbatore

Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services Palanivel Thiaga Rajan inaugurated on Saturday the Tamil Nadu Technology (iTNT), Coimbatore regional hub.

The hub, located at the Government College of Technology, is the first regional centre of iTNT Hub in western Tamil Nadu and third in the State to support deep and emerging tech startups and researchers.

There is more monopolistic control by technology majors, be it platform providers or internet companies. It is starting to reach its limits, mainly for regulatory reasons. Historically, the big employers that used to recruits thousands of freshers are under pressure to employ AI engines and reduce the number of employees. All of this comes back to a phase of cycle where there should be a lot more startups, innovators, ideas, and MSMEs for solving problems felt daily in local communities.

The government efforts are to bring as many IPs (new ideas and innovations) together with resources to convert them into functional products by providing access to labs, resources, mentorship, and capital to nurture the ideas so that there are meaningful outcomes. The government has a big role to play in this. “We are striving to expand our network, facilities,” he said.

The Minister also launched the “Bosch Innovation Challenge”, which is organised jointly by iTNT Hub and Bosch Global Software Technologies, to support breakthrough ideas from researchers, innovators and startups that can build a “Foundational Security Strategy for IoT Products” for easy adoption by startups and MSMEs.

He also launched the “IP Nexus 2026” jointly organised by Karpagam Innovation and Incubation Council and iTNT Hub to bring together Intellectual Property Rights holders, industry partners, and incubation networks to promote commercialisation, technology transfer, and explore opportunities to turn their ideas into market-ready solutions.

The PSG-STEP exchanged a MoU with iTNT Hub to establish the Hub’s satellite office in Coimbatore. A co-incubation agreement was exchanged between iTNT Hub and Karpagam Innovation and Incubation Council, making it the Hub’s 27 th co-incubation partner in the State.

iTNT Hub CEO Vanitha Venugopal said, “The Regional Hub will extend the benefits of the iTNT Hub to a wider range of researchers, startups, academia, industry and other stakeholders. In addition to the co-working spaces and physical infrastructure, startups and researchers will gain access to all the programmes and initiatives of the hub, including technology transfer,” she said.