London-based consumer technology company Nothing has signed two strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with leading Indian academic and research institutions: the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) and the Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
The agreements were formalized during Bharat Innovates 2026, a global deep-technology exhibition organized by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, held ahead of the G7 Summit. The MoUs were signed by Akis Evangelidis, Co-founder and India President of Nothing, alongside Prof. K.K. Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, and Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, Director of IISc.
According to the company, the partnerships are designed to bridge gaps between academia, the startup ecosystem, and consumer technology manufacturing.
Key Initiatives and Collaborations
The two MoUs outline distinct areas of cooperation tailored to the strengths of each institution:
- IIT Roorkee Integration: Nothing will contribute to student mentorship through guest lectures, case studies, and knowledge-sharing sessions centered on entrepreneurship, deep-tech innovation, product development, and electronics manufacturing. Additionally, the two entities plan to explore a joint Industrial Design Challenge to provide students with practical exposure to consumer technology design.
- IISc & FSID Engagement: The collaboration with IISc’s innovation arm, FSID, will focus on supporting incubated deep-tech startups. Nothing intends to offer mentorship, networking opportunities, and startup programs, while exploring potential pilot or commercial collaborations with these nascent ventures. The agreement also includes provisions for industrial exposure, training initiatives, and potential visits to Nothing’s facilities for students and founders.
Context and Outlook
The announcements come at a time when industry players are increasingly collaborating with academic institutions to accelerate research commercialization and talent development. For Nothing, which operates as a prominent player in the highly competitive consumer tech sector, the move strengthens its institutional footprint in India—a core market for manufacturing and design talent.
By aligning with prominent research centers like IIT Roorkee and IISc, the initiative aims to provide industry-ready skills to the next generation of engineers, designers, and tech entrepreneurs while fostering localized innovation in deep tech and hardware design.
Speaking on the MoU, Akis Evangelidis, Co-founder and India President, Nothing, said:
India’s next wave of innovation will emerge from stronger collaboration between academia, entrepreneurs, and industry. At Nothing, we’ve always believed that great ideas can come from anywhere, but they need the right ecosystem to scale. Through our partnerships with IIT Roorkee and IISc-FSID, we’re excited to contribute our experience in building global technology products while creating more opportunities for students, researchers, and startups to turn ambitious ideas into meaningful impact.
Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, Director, Indian Institute of Science, spoke about the MoU:
IISc has a long history of fostering innovation and impact, alongside fundamental research and higher education. At the Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID), IISc, we provide a unique incubation environment that nurtures deeptech startups seeking to solve problems with a global outlook. We are delighted to partner with Nothing to foster deeper interactions with industry for our startups, which will benefit enormously from the mentorship, networking, and training opportunities planned under this collaboration.
Prof. K.K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, said:
The signing of this MoU with Nothing at Bharat Innovates 2026 reflects IIT Roorkee’s commitment to building strong bridges between academia and industry. By combining IIT Roorkee’s research ecosystem with Nothing’s global product development expertise, we aim to create new opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology-led impact. Bharat Innovates provides an ideal platform to foster such collaborations and strengthen India’s position as a global hub for deep-tech innovation and talent development.