Quick Answer: The IIT Indore startup incubator, LAUNCHPAD, selected five startups from 104 applications for its inaugural cohort at Sinhasa IT Park. The companies work in healthcare, precision agriculture, assistive care, immersive training and defence technology. Selected founders receive mentorship, industry connections and business development support to take their technologies to market.
If you're building an early-stage deep-tech company in central India, the IIT Indore startup incubator just gave you a useful benchmark. Only five of 104 applicants made it into the first LAUNCHPAD cohort, a selection rate of about 4.8 percent by my arithmetic. The number matters less than what it reveals about the filter. This programme isn't rewarding the loudest pitch. It's rewarding technology that survives several rounds of scrutiny. Here's who got in, what the screening probably tested, and what it means for your next application.
What LAUNCHPAD Is and Who's Behind It
LAUNCHPAD Incubation & Innovation Centre operates from Sinhasa IT Park in Indore. It was established by the IITI DRISHTI Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) Foundation in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation (MPSeDC). As Free Press Journal reported, the centre received 104 applications for its first cohort.
The two-partner structure matters. The CPS Foundation brings academic research depth from IIT Indore, while MPSeDC brings links to the state's electronics sector. In practice, that combination tends to favour companies with a hardware or sensing component. Pure software plays may find the screening harder to clear, though the source doesn't spell out the criteria, so treat that as an informed reading rather than a confirmed rule.
Here's where it gets interesting: the cohort itself tells you more about what the panel valued than the press release does.
The Five Startups and What They Actually Build
The selected companies cover very different problems, but a pattern runs through them. Each pairs a physical or sensing layer with an AI or software layer.
- GoUrbano Services Pvt Ltd develops AI-powered augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR) and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for medical, clinical and STEM training simulations.
- Remote Physios enables remote physiotherapy through IoT-enabled therapy devices, AR-based gamified rehabilitation and AI-driven clinical support.
- PragyanikAI Pvt Ltd builds AI, robotics and IoT systems for precision agriculture, automating spraying, seeding, weeding and irrigation.
- Few Good Humans Services Pvt Ltd runs a digital healthcare marketplace that connects users with verified, medically qualified attendants for on-demand assistive care.
- Rages India Revolution Pvt Ltd develops AI-powered autonomous surveillance drones with swarm intelligence for defence, security and industrial monitoring.
Notice that none of these is a generic app. Each one has to work in the physical world, whether that's a farm field, a physiotherapy room, or an airspace.
Why 5 Out of 104 Is a Stronger Signal Than It Looks
The table below compares the five companies by domain, core technology and stated application. Every entry comes from the source report.
| Startup | Domain | Core Technology | Stated Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoUrbano Services | Immersive training | AI, AR/VR/XR, IoT | Medical, clinical and STEM simulations |
| Remote Physios | Healthcare | IoT devices, AR, AI | Remote physiotherapy and rehabilitation |
| PragyanikAI | Precision agriculture | AI, robotics, IoT | Spraying, seeding, weeding, irrigation |
| Few Good Humans | Assistive care | Digital marketplace, verification | On-demand medically qualified attendants |
| Rages India Revolution | Defence technology | AI, autonomous drones, swarm intelligence | Defence, security and industrial surveillance |
The screening process is where the real signal lives. According to the report, applicants went through multiple rounds of screening, interactions, pitching and Investment Committee recommendations. Each stage tests something different.
The common advice is to polish your pitch deck and apply early. That advice is incomplete. The pitch is the cheapest filter to pass. The expensive one is the technical interaction with experts from industry, academia and research. A common failure mode in deep-tech incubators is a founder with a strong deck who can't demonstrate the core technology live when a domain expert asks a pointed question. That founder clears the pitch stage and stalls in the technical rounds.
Your takeaway: before you apply, have a working demo, a data set, or field test results ready to show, not just slides.
The Defence and Healthcare Mix Is a Self-Reliance Signal
Most readers will see the "AI" label in the headline and assume the cohort is chasing trends. I think that reading is wrong.
The report says IIT Indore Director Prof. Suhas S Joshi encouraged the founders to develop indigenous technologies for real-world challenges. He stressed strengthening domestic capabilities, promoting self-reliance and turning research into scalable solutions. That's a mission statement about capability, not about hype. A defence drone company and a physiotherapy platform fit that mission equally well, because both address domestic needs that are currently met by imports or unmet entirely.
There's a real trade-off here. Defence and healthcare have long validation cycles. Procurement is slow, trials are expensive, and regulators have strong opinions. Consumer apps can iterate in weeks because distribution is the main bottleneck. When you build for regulated sectors, validation cost is usually the constraint. When you build for consumers, customer acquisition is.
That said, there's a catch with dual-use technology. Autonomous surveillance drones sit under India's drone regulations, and any company in that space needs to check permissions and export controls before it scales. Other companies on the list will face their own compliance questions, especially in clinical settings. Ask about these early, not after you've signed.
What Incubation Support Includes (and What the Report Leaves Out)
The report describes support in broad terms. Selected startups receive:
- Structured incubation support to strengthen their technologies
- Mentorship from experts across industry, academia and research
- Industry connections for pilots and partnerships
- Business development assistance to prepare for commercial deployment
- Introductions to investors, financial institutions and technology transfer professionals
- Support for technology validation, funding opportunities and market access
What's missing matters just as much. The source doesn't disclose funding amounts, equity terms, incubation duration, or whether the centre takes a stake in participating companies. Those details change the economics of joining, so don't assume an answer. Put these questions in writing during any onboarding discussion, and get the answers before you sign anything.
This next part matters more than it looks. Support is only as useful as your ability to use it. If you walk in with a clear validation plan, a named pilot partner and a defined funding need, mentorship becomes a fast accelerator. If you walk in without those, it becomes a series of generic conversations.
How to Prepare for the Second Cohort
The report says LAUNCHPAD will invite applications for a second cohort, with eligibility criteria and timelines to be announced separately. Until those are published, you can't confirm specifics. You can still prepare the evidence most incubators look for.
A useful starting point is the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale, originally developed by NASA and now widely used in government and defence programmes. TRL ranges from 1 (basic principles observed) to 9 (system proven in operational environment). Most early-stage applicants overstate their level. Be honest about yours, because a panel will test it.
Ask yourself a blunt question: what would a domain expert ask in the first five minutes of your pitch, and can you answer it with evidence? If the answer is no, that gap is your preparation list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IIT Indore startup incubator called?
The IIT Indore startup incubator is called LAUNCHPAD Incubation & Innovation Centre. It is based at Sinhasa IT Park in Indore and was set up by the IITI DRISHTI Cyber-Physical Systems Foundation with the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation. Its inaugural cohort selected five startups from 104 applications.
How do startups apply to the IIT Indore incubator?
Applications for the second cohort will be invited, but eligibility criteria and timelines have not been announced yet. Watch official IIT Indore and LAUNCHPAD channels for the notice. Prepare a working prototype, validation data and a clear commercial plan so you can move quickly once applications open.
Why was the selection rate so low for LAUNCHPAD?
Only five of 104 applicants, about 4.8 percent, were selected. Applicants went through multiple screening rounds, interactions, pitching and Investment Committee recommendations. Technical depth and the ability to validate claims under expert questioning likely mattered as much as the pitch.
Which sectors does the IIT Indore startup incubator focus on?
The inaugural cohort covers healthcare, precision agriculture, assistive care, immersive training and defence technology. Each company combines a physical or sensing component with AI or software. The director's emphasis on indigenous technology and self-reliance suggests the programme values domestic capability in these areas.
Turn This Into Your Next Move
The most useful takeaway is simple: a selective incubator rewards evidence, not just ambition. Before you apply to any programme, including the next LAUNCHPAD cohort, get your technology demonstrable, your validation plan written and your funding questions answered. Try running one live demo for a colleague outside your team this week, then ask them the hardest question they can think of and note how you handle it. Pass this to any founder wrestling with how to get into an IIT Indore startup incubator, and ask them to check their readiness first.