From incubation to acceleration — how access to India’s premier research ecosystem is shaping Jarbits’ deep-tech trajectory.
Where It Began
Every startup has a defining moment — a juncture where the idea crystallizes into conviction and the path forward becomes clear. For Jarbits, that moment arrived when we were accepted into the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at IIT Kanpur under the Udaan Startup Acceleration Program. What started as an incubation has become the foundational ecosystem powering our evolution from a services company into a product-led deep-tech innovator.
Today, as we build flagship platforms —the SIIC ecosystem touches virtually every dimension of our work. This post is our attempt to share what that experience has been like, and why we believe IIT Kanpur’s incubation model is one of the most valuable assets available to Indian deep-tech founders.
What is SIIC, IIT Kanpur?
The Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre at IIT Kanpur is one of India’s premier technology incubators. SIIC provides startups with more than office space — it offers access to IIT Kanpur’s research laboratories, faculty expertise, student talent pool, and a network of investors and industry partners that few incubators in the country can match.
The Udaan program, specifically, is designed to accelerate early-stage startups through structured mentorship, milestone-driven guidance, and access to grant funding. For a deep-tech venture like ours — where the path from research to product is long and capital-intensive — this structured support has been invaluable.
The Ecosystem Effect: More Than Office Space
When people think of incubation, they often picture a co-working desk and a mailing address. The reality at SIIC is fundamentally different. Here is what the ecosystem actually provides:
Access to World-Class Research Infrastructure
Building a physics-informed geospatial AI platform like TerraLux requires deep domain expertise at the intersection of computational geotechnics, remote sensing, and machine learning. At IIT Kanpur, we are surrounded by faculty and researchers working at the frontier of these fields. The ability to engage with experts in finite element methods, terrain modeling, and satellite data processing has directly shaped the scientific rigour of our platform.
Our approach to landslide susceptibility mapping — which combines object-based image analysis with dynamic material modeling and Factor of Safety calculations — was refined through conversations and consultations that are only possible in a research-dense environment like IIT Kanpur.
A Talent Pipeline Like No Other
IIT Kanpur produces some of India’s finest engineers, data scientists, and researchers each year. Being physically present on campus gives us access to interns and collaborators who bring fresh perspectives and cutting-edge skills. Several members of our extended team have come through this pipeline, bringing expertise in areas ranging from computer vision to geospatial data processing.
Credibility and Institutional Trust
In India’s deep-tech ecosystem, institutional affiliation matters. When we approach private, or government stakeholders, the IIT Kanpur association provides a layer of credibility that is difficult to build independently. It signals scientific rigor, institutional backing, and a commitment to quality that opens doors that might otherwise remain closed.
The Bootstrapped Deep-Tech Journey
It is worth noting that Jarbits is a bootstrapped venture. We have not raised external equity funding. Every milestone we have achieved has been powered by revenue, grants, and the sweat equity of a founding team with over 18 years of combined experience in aerospace, technology, and business strategy.
In this context, the SIIC ecosystem is not a luxury — it is a lifeline. For bootstrapped deep-tech startups, the gap between research and revenue can feel impossibly wide. Structured incubation narrows that gap by providing the infrastructure, mentorship, and network that would otherwise require significant capital to access.
Our founding team brings an IIT Kanpur and IE Business School pedigree, with experience spanning corporate product development, international business, and technology startup building. The Udaan program has helped us channel this experience into a focused, milestone-driven growth trajectory.
What SIIC Means for Indian Deep-Tech
India’s deep-tech ecosystem is at an inflection point. The government’s push through initiatives like IndiaAI, TIDE 2.0, and sector-specific Centres of Excellence is creating infrastructure that did not exist even five years ago. Incubators like SIIC are at the heart of this transformation, translating world-class academic research into commercially viable products that address India’s most pressing challenges.
For founders considering the incubation path, our experience offers a simple insight: the right ecosystem does not just support your startup — it shapes it. The questions we ask, the problems we choose to solve, and the standards we hold ourselves to have all been influenced by being part of the IIT Kanpur community.
Looking Ahead
As Jarbits enters its next phase of growth — SIIC remains central to our strategy. The relationships we have built here, the research access we enjoy, and the institutional credibility we carry forward will continue to compound over time.
To the SIIC team, the Udaan program mentors, and the broader IIT Kanpur community: thank you for believing in what we are building. And to fellow founders navigating the deep-tech journey — find your ecosystem. It will change everything.
About Jarbits: Jarbits Pvt Ltd is a deep-tech startup building AI-powered platforms for geospatial intelligence, enterprise AI, and autonomous aerial platforms. Incubated at SIIC, IIT Kanpur | Recognized by MeitY, Government of India | LowCarbon.Earth 2026 Cohort | 5G/6G CoE, IIT Kanpur.Interested in the Udaan program? Learn more at SIIC IIT Kanpur: siic.iitk.ac.in