T-Hub, AWS partner to launch India’s first-ever drone-tech accelerator program

Hyderabad-based innovation hub and ecosystem enabler T-Hub, along with Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC) collaborated with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch India’s first-ever drone-tech accelerator program, AWS Dronetech Accelerator. Aiming to support public sector-focused startups, the program will equip entrepreneurs with the tools and skills needed to drive the adoption of drone technology in India.

It will commence on July 26, 2022, with selected startups that solve specific challenges in industries like defence, space, national security, healthcare, public safety, transportation, transit, citizen engagement, agriculture, and many other public sector verticals. AWS and T-Hub will select 10 startups from across the country after a focused and extensive screening process. The program was launched in the presence of Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the I&C and IT Departments of the Telangana government; MSR,CEO, T-Hub; Deepti Dutt, Head, Strategic Initiatives, Public Sector, AWS, India; and Dr Shanta Thoutam, Chief Innovation Officer of Telangana. It is now open for applications, and interested startups can apply on https://t-hub.co/aws/. Applications close on June 30, 2022.

“Drone-tech startups have enabled us to break through new blockades in various industries by reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and offering a simplified distribution model. Through this accelerator program, we aim to provide startups with an opportunity to mature and expand their businesses sustainably in a nurturing ecosystem. Our collaboration with AWS validates our commitment to continuing the advancement of these game-changing technologies and the entrepreneurs who are keen on tapping into the full potential of drone technology,” said MSR

The launch event also had engaging sessions and panel discussions from government officials and industry experts like P Sathish, Chief Engineer, Admin & QC, DNP, LWE, RSW, Officer of Engineer-in-Chief, Department of Roads & Buildings, Government of Telangana; A V Ranganath, IPS, Joint Commissioner, Traffic, Hyd, Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, Department of Home, Government of Telangana; Sanjiv Jha, Principal Smart Infra Solutions Architect, AWS; Vijay Nadiminti, CEO, AgHub - PJTSAU; Akanksha Balani, Country Lead, Intel Corporation; Rama Devi Lanka, CIO NCAM, Director Emerging Technologies Wing and OSD, ITEC Department, Govt of Telangana; Vignesh Santhanam, India-Lead of Aerospace and Drones, WEF; and Panneerselvam Madangopal, VP - Corporate Innovation, T-Hub.

“Our collaboration with T-Hub will help startups to get the right mentorship, technical support, market access, and resources at the right time which will help them scale at speed. Given the recent policy changes and multiple mission mode projects in the Geospatial domain, especially drones-based solutions, we are hoping this Innovation Pod will act as a catalyst in bringing together the right stakeholders and accelerating the adoption of innovative solutions to solve problems impacting every citizen,” said Deepti.

“From our purpose-built drones and trusted safety systems to our state-of-the-art animation and performance control software to the support for industry to develop the next generation of innovation – Intel is always excited with the power of such collaborations with AWS and T-Hub, with the mission of re-imagining the impact of technology that brings ideas from the startup ecosystem to reality and success,” added Akanksha.

Dr Shanta said, “We at TSIC are happy to collaborate with AWS and T-Hub for India’s first Drone Accelerator Program to facilitate the pilot procurement of drone startups with selected government departments. This would add to the state’s streak of drone-based medical delivery and seed plantation initiatives that were launched in the past.”

The five-month long program will provide the startups access to workspace and resources to refine their innovations with the support of a comprehensive curriculum, expert guidance, and market scaling opportunities. Startups will also be given a unique opportunity to co-create proof of concept (PoC) for both state and local governments thus finding new use cases for their products and solutions. In addition, the selected startups will receive AWS Promotional Credit up to USD 100K, specialised AWS training, and collaboration opportunities with AWS customers and members of the AWS Partner Network who are looking for innovative solutions.

The accelerator program will follow a dedicated structure including an acceleration phase, and a PoC development phase concluded by demo day. Selected startups will also receive access to collaborative resources listed on the AWS Partner Network portal.

The growth-stage technology startups will be selected based on the following criteria:

1. Providing solutions to aerospace, agriculture, urban development, oil and gas, geospatial, energy and utilities, disaster management, forest and wildlife, tourism, healthcare and any other public sector area.

2. Having initial traction in terms of pilots/users/paying customers

3. Have a working product and a clear product roadmap

4. Registered in India or the extended sub-continent

T-Hub’s programs have been successfully scaling startups in partnership with a strong ecosystem of partners. T-Hub to date has impacted over 1,800 startups through various programs and initiatives, has over 600 global and national corporate partners, and has provided 2,000 mentors connects to help the startup scale.