Honda Digital Innovation India (HDII) and T-Hub, the World’s largest home for startups, announced the official launch of HondaInnovation Challenge 1.0, India’s first Honda-backed startup co-development program. The program marks a significant milestone in Honda’s deepening commitment to the Indian market, bringing together four high-potential Indian startups to co-develop real solutionsfor Honda’s vehicles and customers.
The launch event, held at T-Hub’s Phase 2 campus in Hyderabad, brought togetherHonda’s senior leadership, investors, mobility founders, industry stakeholders, and the broader startup ecosystem.
A New Chapter for Honda in India
The launch comes on the heels of Honda’s announcement of Honda Digital InnovationIndia, a dedicated innovation entity built specifically for the Indian market. Toshiaki Tanaka, COO of HDII and Takuro Yoshimura, General Manager of HDII in their remarks outlined HDII’s founding ethos, built on three pillars of Experience, Connection, andInnovation.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Kunal Behl, Director, Honda Digital InnovationIndia and also Vice President – Marketing and Sales, Honda Cars India Limited said, “At Honda, we believe the future of mobility will be shaped through collaboration with bold thinkers and agile start-ups. The Honda Innovation Challenge is an opportunity toco-create real world solutions that enhances customer experience. We are excited to engage with start-ups that bring fresh ideas, digital capabilities and disruptive thinking to create impactful use cases for Honda.”
Mr Kunal Behl handed each of the four selected startups a co-developmentcheque of up to INR 10 lakh.
Each startup will co-develop and validate their solution for Honda’s realvehicles, real Indian roads, and real data, over the next 60 days. The program culminates in a Demo Day on 31 July 2026.
From 300+ Applications to 4: The Cohort Curation Story
Honda Innovation Challenge 1.0 received over 300 applications from startupsacross India and beyond, spanning six use cases. Every application was carefully evaluated on technology maturity, India-market fit, and the ability to deliver a working Proof of Concept within 60 days. 25 were shortlisted and pitched directly to Honda’s globalteams across three pitch days. Four were selected!
The four cohort startups are: XANE AI, Attento Technologies, AppTestifyand Sensight Technologies (AutoWiz).
The evening closed with a panel discussion on How Startup-Corporate Collaborationis Transforming Indian Mobility, moderated by Sudhanshu Chaturvedi, Vice President Innovation, T-Hub. Panelists included Gopinath Raja, Head of Innovation at Honda Digital Innovation India, and T-Hub alum, Srikanth Reddy, Founder of Hala Mobility.
