A mild and efficient one-pot method has been developed for the stereoselective synthesis of structurally diverse novel iminosugar C-alkynylglycosides. The generality of this methodology has been demonstrated with a wide variety of amines and copper acetylides. This one-pot method has been exploited in the synthesis of new class of DNA cross-linking agents, polyhydroxy 1-vinyl-tetrahydroindolizine derivatives. © 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.