Bengaluru to get Israeli innovation centre

India’s technology hub, Bengaluru, which is home to a large number of multinational research and development centres and startup hubs, will soon be home to yet another mega innovation facility from Israel.

Israel will set up an India-Israeli Innovation Centre (IIIC), the first startup incubation facility in India. This facility by Israel will be only its fourth in the world after the US, the UK and China.

The facility, spread across 10,000 square feet, will be set up in the central business district and will be operated by startup hub MESH (Modiin Entrepreneurs’ Startup Hub).

Interacting with DH, MESH founder and CEO Moshe Porat said the startup incubator in Benglauru is a step towards achieving greater synergy between Indian and Israeli startup companies.

“We have many startup companies in India, especially in Bengaluru, involved in deep technology and they are looking at leveraging by aligning with global startups and incubation centres. We expect by starting MESH in Bengaluru, we can bring synergy in this endeavour,” he said.

Porat added that the India-Israeli Innovation Centre will give access to Israeli investors and frontier tech talent.

He said the incubation centre will be ready by mid-December and two more will be opened soon. “We are aligning our gameplan around government initiatives like Startup India and Digital India. Israel has also identified six cities for starting these kind of incubation centres,” he said.

Each incubation centre will have around Rs 2 crore investment. MESH is a startup hub started in 2014 and is located in Israeli municipality of
Modiin.

Varadarajan Krish, who will head the incubation centres in India, said it will bring on board both Israeli and Indian educational institutions for collaboration and co-research.

“Israel’s Technion, Ben-Gurian and Tel Aviv Universities will join hands with IITs and IIIT in India. Also, it will team up with NITI Aayog and Atal Innovation Mission.

Federation of Indo-Israeli Chambers of Commerce vice chairman David Keynan said the innovation centre is one more move to connect the tech industry in both countries. “Porat is a long-time industry veteran in Israel, and his abilities will contribute to the centre’s success,” said Keynan.