India's No: 1 Institute IIT Madras deepens UAE engagement Through IIT Madras Global Research Foundation (IITM Global) to advance innovation, R&D and startup growth
CHENNAI, India, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- India's top-ranked educational institution, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), had already signed a strategic partnership MOU with Dubai Economy & Tourism in fall of 2024 mapped into the Dubai D33 Economic Agenda.
It has now established a new entity, IIT Madras Global Research Foundation (IITM Global) with a charter to take its very strong research and Innovation ecosystem to global markets.
IITM Global was launched by Dr. S. Jaishankar, Hon'ble Minister of External Affairs, Government of India. IITM Global supports IIT Madras' vision to become the world's first multinational university.
Pivoting on the DET partnership, IITM Global's engagement with Dubai's Research & innovation Landscape has been accelerated through a USD 3 million research and development grant from Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), funded by the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) program. The grant is focused on shaping Dubai's long-term innovation agenda through emerging technologies, strategic foresight and advanced R&D, with the objective of developing breakthrough ideas and advancing research, development and innovation across the emirate.
As part of its Dubai expansion, IITM Global has partnered with MCA Gulf as an ecosystem partner for strategic research and commercialization. The IITM Global–MCA Gulf collaboration will create a UAE launchpad for deep-tech startups, enabling access to investment, business networks and commercialization pathways.
In addition, the collaboration will deliver executive education and workforce upskilling programs aligned with the UAE's Vision 2030, strengthening the talent pipeline for future-ready industries.
Addressing the IITM Global launch event at IIT Madras Campus on 2nd Jan 2026 Dr. S. Jaishankar said, "An IIT Madras Campus in Tanzania is a way by which Indian Foreign Policy has leveraged the capabilities of an Institution here to make a huge impact. In ten years from now, think how many Students of Africa would have passed through its portals. Look at the impact that we would have on the minds of people who, in their own countries, would be economic and technology leaders. We are a human resource power and we should play to our strengths. We now have the capability to start doing so. When institutions of excellence in the country start going abroad, the business of foreign policy gains a huge addition to our arsenal. This is something very transformational."
IITM Global has also entered into a memorandum of understanding with Agna Capital to accelerate deep-tech ventures and strengthen the innovation ecosystem. The partnership focuses on structured mentorship, startup advisory support and market access, along with coordinated processes to assess and enable investments.
Ranked #1 Overall and #1 in Engineering in India's National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), #180 in QS World University Rankings and #56 in QS Asian University Rankings, IIT Madras brings a strong research ecosystem to its global partnerships.
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