T-Hub, French region tie up to build Indo-French startup corridor

NEW DELHI: From Hyderabad to northern France, a new startup bridge is taking shape. India’s startup ecosystem took another step towards global expansion on Wednesday as T-Hub entered into a strategic partnership with the Hauts-de-France region to deepen cooperation between Indian and French startups and investors.

Announced on Thursday at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the partnership aims to create a structured, long-term corridor for startup-led economic collaboration between the two countries. The agreement focuses on easing market entry for startups, enabling cross-border investments and building strong links between incubators, academia, investors and corporates on both sides.




Under the partnership, startups from India and France will get access to structured immersion programmes, market access support and assistance with registration in new geographies. Investor networks from both ecosystems will also be connected to facilitate syndication and co-investment opportunities. The long-term target is to help at least 10 French startups enter the Indian market and 10 Indian startups expand into France.

A key pillar of the collaboration is the creation of an Indo-French Startup Consortium. The consortium will function as a formal bilateral platform bringing together incubators, universities, venture capital firms and large companies to ensure sustained engagement and knowledge exchange. By institutionalising cooperation, the partners aim to create steady capital flows and coordinated growth opportunities for startups.

The partnership also includes jointly designed acceleration and market-readiness programmes to help startups localise products, refine business models and scale internationally. Founder exchanges through demo days, pitch sessions, bootcamps and mentor interactions will further strengthen ties between the two ecosystems.

The collaboration aligns with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision and complements national initiatives such as the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme and the revised deep-tech framework, which focus on strengthening early-stage funding and global competitiveness.

Based in Hyderabad, T-Hub has supported over 2,000 startups through funding access, market linkages and infrastructure. Hauts-de-France, one of France’s most populous regions, hosts over 17,000 digital companies and a strong talent base, positioning it as a key gateway for Indian startups looking at Europe.