In a major development signaling India’s growing influence on the global innovation map, HT Labs—the product and innovation arm of HT Media—has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Doers Company, the European innovation powerhouse behind flagship events like Reflect Festival and the upcoming Doers Summit.

The MoU, formalised at a high-profile gathering at Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), under the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), is being described as a catalyst for a new tri-national innovation corridor connecting India, Cyprus, and the UAE. The event saw participation from top-tier stakeholders, including government dignitaries, investors, and tech leaders from all three regions. According to an official press release from HT Media, this partnership comes at a crucial juncture of renewed global engagement following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Cyprus and a return diplomatic mission led by the Cypriot Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation & Digital Policy to Dubai.

The collaboration enables HT Labs to scale globally by tapping into The Doers Company’s extensive innovation network across Europe. Cyprus is being positioned as the gateway to Europe, while Dubai’s Silicon Oasis will act as a launchpad for real-world testing in media-tech, digital infrastructure, and smart city development. With HT Labs’ flagship product OTTplay—India’s first AI-powered OTT aggregator—leading the charge, the partnership is poised to deliver AI-driven, scalable innovations with international relevance.

Demetris Skourides, Chief Scientist of Research, Innovation & Technology, Republic of Cyprus, welcomed the collaboration: “I would like to thank Mr. Avinash for his trust in our ecosystem and look forward to further profiling how Cyprus and other investors can benefit from bidirectional value creation. Such collaborations are the foundational pillars that build the future.”

Echoing the sentiment, Badr Buhannad, Deputy Director General, Dubai Silicon Oasis, said, “The Doers Summit and this new MoU perfectly align with Dubai’s Economic Agenda D33 and our broader goal of being a global innovation and digital economy hub.”

Speaking at the signing, Avinash Mudaliar, Co-Founder and CEO of HT Labs, said, “At HT Labs, this isn’t just an expansion—it’s a strategic leap into the future. Dubai Silicon Oasis offers the ideal launchpad to take India’s most disruptive, AI-driven innovations to the world. With OTTplay leading our media-tech push, we’re excited to align with DSO’s smart city vision and deliver transformative experiences in entertainment and data intelligence.”

He added, “What truly elevates this journey is the camaraderie we’ve built—especially with visionaries like Demetris Skourides, whose insights and collaboration have made him not just a strategic ally, but a trusted friend in our cross-border mission.”

Dusan Duffek, Co-Founder, The Doers Company, also shared his vision for the partnership: “With India’s young, tech-savvy population and growing global relevance, startups like OTTplay offer some of the world’s most exciting opportunities. It’s time to build bridges, not borders.”

Stylianos Lambrou, Co-Founder and CEO, The Doers Company, noted, “Our strong presence in Cyprus, Greece, and now Dubai positions us perfectly to open the gateway for Indian startups into Europe, while also enabling European tech ventures to find a route into India.”

The MoU lays the foundation for a long-term innovation platform aimed at fostering co-development, deal flow, talent mobility, and cross-border capital infusion. The goal is clear: to build globally scalable, AI-powered platforms and unlock a new wave of internationalisation for Indian tech ventures.

OTTplay, HT Labs’ flagship product, currently aggregates over 30 OTT platforms into a single subscription, powered by personalised AI-driven recommendations. The company is also behind Slurrp, a growing recipe aggregator, and several other deep-tech, content-first initiatives.

The Doers Company, with events like Reflect Festival in Cyprus and the upcoming Doers Summit in Dubai, continues to build bridges between innovators across Europe, the Middle East, and now India. The new MoU stands as a landmark step toward that mission.