MeitY Startup Hub and Startup Policy Forum Join Forces to Boost AI and Deeptech Innovation in India

MeitY startup hub, startup policy forum partner to bolster tech startups

MeitY Startup Hub and Startup Policy Forum have joined forces to boost deeptech, AI, and emerging tech in India's startup ecosystem. The collaboration will focus on joint R&D, policy shaping, and knowledge exchange. SPF's partners include DPIIT and IIT-Madras, with members like Swiggy, CRED, Zerodha, Dream11, and OYO.Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) startup hub (MSH) and startup policy forum (SPF) have partnered in an effort to drive greater focus and momentum around deeptech, AI, and emerging technologies across India's startup landscape. Through this collaboration, MSH and SPF will engage in joint research and development, shaping policies that enable the startup ecosystem to grow and flourish. "Through this collaboration, SPF seeks to support R&D, drive policy research, and facilitate knowledge exchange to advocate for progressive regulatory and policy frameworks," a company statement said. This collaboration is about bringing the best of government support, industry experience, and startup energy together to build that future, SPF president and CEO Shweta Rajpal Kohli said. SPF has also partnered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and IIT-Madras's Centre for Research on Start-Ups and Risk Financing (CREST). SPF's members include CRED, Groww, Zerodha, Pine Labs, OYO, Acko, Swiggy, Dream11, Mobile Premier League (MPL), Livspace, Cars24, CarDekho, MobiKwik, among others.

MeitY Startup Hub Partners SPF To Foster Deeptech Innovation MeitY Startup Hub Partners SPF To Foster Deeptech Innovation

MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) has partnered with Startup Policy Forum (SPF) to foster technological innovation and promote startups operating in the deeptech sector. The partnership will focus on startups across sectors, including artificial intelligence, deep technology and other emerging technologies. Under this partnership, SPF will assist MSH in several initiatives, including conducting joint research, policy analysis and organising stakeholder engagement, among others. On the other hand, MSH will bolster SPF's initiatives, including TIDE 2.0 Centres, incubators, and Centres of Excellence. The government-led organisation will also facilitate networking opportunities. MeitY Startup Hub chief executive officer Panneerselvam Madanagopal said, "This partnership with the Startup Policy Forum aligns policy, innovation, and entrepreneurship to unlock that potential. By uniting diverse expertise across sectors, we aim to create new economic opportunities and establish India as a global technology leader." Meanwhile, Startup Policy Forum president and CEO Shweta Rajpal Kohli added that AI and deeptech is not only the next step towards innovation but also the foundation of future industry transformation. Founded by Kohli in December 2024, SPF is a startup body which aims at fostering constructive collaboration between founders, policymakers and regulators. The founding members of SPF include startups and unicorns such as Razorpay, CRED, Pine Labs, Groww, Acko, OYO, Swiggy, Practo, Dream11, MPL among others. Besides, SPF is actively collaborating with government bodies such as The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to promote the Indian startup ecosystem. In January, SPF partnered with DPIIT to curate specialised immersive programmes, designed to connect global investors with India's vibrant startup ecosystem. The startup body also recently joined hands with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to conduct research on startup financing. As per DPIIT data till January 31, 2025, India is home to more than 1.61 Lakh startups. Meanwhile, the government is also rolling out several initiatives to bolster the growth of the deeptech sector in the country. For instance, during her budget speech for the financial year 2025-26 (FY26), finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government will explore setting up a fund of funds (FoF) for the deeptech sector to support the next generation of startups. Besides, the Budget also highlighted allocation of INR 20,000 Cr to boost research and innovation.