Hyderabad-based T-Hub and Honda Digital Innovation India (HDII) have launched Honda Innovation Challenge 2.0, a year-long programme aimed at co-building digital mobility and customer experience solutions with startups across India.
The programme will feature three challenges with total funding of up to ₹4.8 crore. Each challenge will select four startups, with each selected startup eligible for up to ₹40 lakh to develop proof-of-concept (PoC) projects with Honda teams.
The funding represents a significant increase from the ₹10 lakh available under the first Honda Innovation Challenge.
From PoC to potential pilots
Selected startups will work directly with Honda’s engineering and business teams through a 12-week sprint to develop solutions for real-world mobility and customer experience applications.
Startups will gain access to Honda’s operational insights, testing environments and deployment support, along with T-Hub’s mentorship, network and resources.
Successful PoCs can subsequently progress to pilots and potential integration with Honda’s products or services.
The programme will also conduct industry mixers bringing together startups, Honda teams, customers, subject matter experts, venture capital investors and other industry stakeholders. The initiative is aimed at incorporating diverse perspectives into the co-development process and shaping solutions around real-world mobility requirements.
Honda seeks new digital value
Honda Digital Innovation India CEO Toshiyuki Yanagisawa said the initiative is focused on bringing together digital technology and Honda’s ambition to create new value for customers.
“Honda Digital Innovation brings together two important elements: the transformation of people’s lives through digital technology, and the value that we want the Honda brand to create. Our mission is to explore and deliver new forms of value that can make people’s lives better,” said Yanagisawa.
He added that the Honda Innovation Challenge provides a platform for people with new ideas, technologies and the ambition to create a better future for customers.
Building solutions in India
T-Hub CEO Kavikrut said startups can help industries address complex challenges with greater speed, agility and specialised capabilities.
“Industries are solving increasingly complex problems, but building every solution in-house can take significant time and resources. Startups bring speed, agility and specialised capabilities to address these challenges,” said Kavikrut.
He added that T-Hub’s partnership with Honda would enable startups and the automotive industry to co-build solutions around real business needs and move them towards deployment.
“With automotive being an early adopter of technology, our partnership with Honda creates an opportunity to build in India and take these solutions to the world,” he said.
Four startups selected in first challenge
Honda Innovation Challenge 2.0 follows the first edition, which selected four startups Attento Technologies, Xane AI, SenSight Technologies (AutoBeacon) and AppTestify, in May 2026.
Their solutions were validated in collaboration with Honda teams, supported by insights from dealership data from across India.
The PoCs addressed areas including driver behaviour, vehicle resale value, customer understanding and customer experience. The solutions are now being evaluated for potential pilots and commercial integration with Honda.
Challenge open to Indian startups
Honda Innovation Challenge 2.0 is now open to startups across India. The programme offers founders an opportunity to work directly with Honda, validate their solutions against real business requirements and potentially progress towards commercial integration.
Through the expanded programme, T-Hub and HDII aim to strengthen the connection between India’s startup ecosystem and the automotive industry while developing digital solutions for future mobility and customer experiences.