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The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, organized a one-day national conference on “From Patent to Product: Accelerating IP Commercialization in Electronics & IT” at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on 12 May 2026. The conference, brought together policymakers, innovators, industry leaders, startups, MSMEs, academia, researchers, and R&D institutions to deliberate on strengthening India’s intellectual property and innovation ecosystem in the Electronics and IT domain

During the inaugural session, IP Catalyst initiative along with its digital platform (https://cipie.in) was formally launched by Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, in the presence of Shri Amitesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary, MeitY & CEO, India Semiconductor Mission, Smt. Sunita Verma, Group Coordinator & Scientist G, MeitY Prof. (Dr.) Unnat P. Pandit, Registrar of Copyrights, CGPDTM, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and Shri Sanjay Wandhekar. Sc-G & Centre Head, CDAC Pune along with senior government officials and key stakeholders.

The IP Catalyst

The IP Catalyst initiative is being implemented by CDAC Pune, supported by MeitY that aims to enable comprehensive digital ecosystem supporting the complete innovation lifecycle  from research and IP creation to technology transfer, commercialization, and market deployment. It aims to bridge the gap between publicly funded R&D and industry adoption by enabling stronger collaboration among MeitY organizations, startups, MSMEs, academia, and industry.

Key features and support under IP Catalyst include:

• Financial support for IP filing for MeitY organizations and grantee institutions
• International patent filing support for startups and MSMEs
• Unified digital access to technology commercialization and IP support services
• Prior-art search and IP advisory services
• Technology readiness and maturity assessment
• IP valuation and commercialization support
• Technology transfer and licensing facilitation
• Industry–academia–startup collaboration opportunities
• Access to MeitY-supported technologies and indigenous solutions
• Support for prototype-to-product development and market deployment

The Platform (cipie.in)

The digital platform https://cipie.in will function as a unified online gateway for IP and commercialization support services. It will also serve as a national digital repository of technologies developed through MeitY-supported R&D initiatives, enabling startups, MSMEs, and industry to identify deployable indigenous technologies and explore collaboration opportunities.

Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY in his inaugural address said ““India today stands at a defining moment in its innovation journey towards the vision of Viksit Bharat. In FY 2024–25, India crossed a historic milestone with 1,10,375 patent applications filed, with the Electronics and IT sector contributing nearly 44% of these filings. In FY 2025–26, patent filings further increased to 1,43,729, with the Electronics and IT domain recording a remarkable 52% rise in patent filings. This clearly reflects the growing strength of India’s technology and innovation ecosystem.” He highlighted that India is at a defining moment in its innovation journey towards the vision of Viksit Bharat, highlighting the significant rise in patent filings in Electronics and IT. He emphasized that IP Catalyst is an important step to ensure innovation translates into technologies, products, and societal impact by accelerating the journey from prototype to product.

Shri Amitesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary, MeitY & CEO, India Semiconductor Mission emphasized the growing importance of strategic technologies and intellectual property in India’s ecosystem, especially in semiconductors, electronics manufacturing, AI, and emerging technologies. He stated that IP Catalyst will enable startups, MSMEs, and industry to access indigenous technologies, collaborate with research institutions, and accelerate innovation-led growth.

Smt. Sunita Verma, Group Coordinator (GC) highlighted that the IP Catalyst initiative is designed to strengthen collaboration among key stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem. She emphasized that the platform will support technology commercialization by enabling structured and digitally accessible IP services for stakeholders.

Prof. (Dr.) Unnat P. Pandit, Registrar of Copyrights, CGPDTM, RoC&GI, DPIIT highlighted that India must now move beyond increasing patent filings and focus on deriving economic and technological value from IP. He stressed the need to shift from a “Patent Filing” mindset to a “Patent → Product → Profit” approach, making patents the foundation for globally competitive products and wealth creation.

The conference featured multiple panel discussions on themes including lab-to-market acceleration, startup and MSME enablement, technology transfer, global patenting strategies, and measuring the real value of IP. The IP Catalyst initiative is aligned with the Government of India’s vision of strengthening indigenous innovation capabilities and enhancing technology commercialization under the vision of Viksit Bharat, and accelerate the lab to market journey in the Electronics and IT domain.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) convened the National Consultative Workshop on “Strengthening Cyber Security Frameworks for State Data” at The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi on 11 May 2026. The Workshop was chaired by Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, MeitY, and was attended by Principal Secretaries, Secretaries and senior officers from State and Union Territory Governments, along with representatives from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the National Informatics Centre (NIC), and senior officials of MeitY and NeGD.

The workshop constituted stage II of a four-stage departmental summit on “Strengthening Cyber Security Frameworks for State Data,” initiated by MeitY pursuant to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directions at the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries. The Workshop, conducted in partnership with NeGD, aims to produce a comprehensive national cybersecurity policy framework for State governments through structured consultations with all 36 States and Union Territories of India.

Addressing the Workshop, Secretary MeitY Shri S. Krishnan underscored the imperative of building a resilient and secure digital governance ecosystem through sustained, coordinated effort between the Government of India and State governments. He emphasised that the protection of citizen data, such as health records, land titles, educational credentials, and welfare databases, held in trust by State governments through the digitisation of public services, is a fundamental governance responsibility, not an administrative formality. With the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, becoming fully enforceable from 13 May 2027, he noted that cybersecurity preparedness is no longer a best-effort commitment but a legal obligation for every State department that holds citizen data. Genuine cybersecurity resilience, he stressed, rests on institutional commitment and not on technological investment alone.

Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said “India’s digital governance ecosystem must be not only expansive but resilient. The protection of citizen data held in trust by State governments is a governance responsibility and not merely a technical obligation. Every State must put in place the institutional architecture to discharge this responsibility: a notified policy, an empowered CISO, an operational Security Operations Centre, and a Crisis Management Plan that reaches every department. Cybersecurity is not an IT function. It is a governance imperative.”

Secretary Krishnan outlined four foundational requirements for every State and Union Territory: (i) a formally notified Cyber Security Policy, periodically reviewed in alignment with national guidelines; (ii) an appointed and empowered Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at the State level, with mandate and accountability cascaded to departments; (iii) an operational State Security Operations Centre (SOC), integrated with the Government SOC at NIC; and (iv) a Cyber Crisis Management Plan (CCMP) deployed, tested and known across all departments.

He drew attention to the need for regular review of Disaster Recovery systems and endpoint security, stressing that operational vigilance must be continuous rather than periodic. He reiterated the principle of Secure by Design, that cybersecurity must be embedded from the earliest stages of application development and procurement, not retrofitted after deployment.

Secretary Krishnan highlighted the growing and evolving threat posed by AI-enabled cyber attacks and called for proactive, forward-looking risk management frameworks in State IT systems. He underlined that the human and behavioural dimensions of cybersecurity are as consequential as any technical control. The awareness, discipline and cyber hygiene of government officials who operate public systems are critical determinants of security outcomes, and must be addressed through sustained capacity building, not technology deployment alone.

On building India’s cybersecurity human capital, he highlighted the role of structured training and certification programmes for State officials, delivered through platforms including NeGD, the ISEA Project and iGOTKarmayogi, alongside regular cyber drill exercises to test and strengthen incident response readiness. Secretary Krishnan reiterated the Government of India’s direction to prefer indigenously developed cybersecurity solutions meeting prescribed technical standards, in alignment with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

The workshop deliberated upon six national thematic areas identified through the consultative process:

1. Risk-based assessments and continuous security monitoring of State IT assets
2. Securing State Data Centres (SDCs) and State Wide Area Networks (SWAN) with modern perimeter, endpoint and cloud security controls
3. Strengthening incident detection, response and recovery through dedicated SOCs and State Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs), under the technical umbrella of CERT-In
4. Legacy application modernisation, Secure-by-Design principles and Zero Trust Architecture
5. Data classification, compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, and alignment with MHA’s National Information Security Policy and Guidelines (NISPG)
6. Appointment of CISOs across State departments, capacity building, skilling and citizen cyber awareness programmes

Shri K. K. Singh, Joint Secretary, Cyber Security, MeitY, briefed participants on the four-stage Departmental Summit framework and the national cybersecurity policy architecture, and presented the initiative’s overall mandate and objectives.

Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director General, CERT-In, presented an overview of the national cybersecurity threat landscape, including sustained ransomware campaigns targeting government data repositories, AI-enabled phishing attacks, supply-chain compromises and risks arising from misconfigured cloud environments. He reaffirmed CERT-In’s commitment to extending technical support, threat intelligence and incident response assistance to State governments and called for every State to establish a formal State CSIRT under CERT-In’s technical umbrella.

Shri V. T. V. Ramana, Head of Group, Cybersecurity, NIC, outlined the security architecture of NIC-managed State systems, including the Government Security Operations Centre (GSOC), VAPT programmes and Zero Trust integration and underscored NIC’s ongoing commitment to being a continuous security partner to State governments.

Ms. Savita Utreja, Group Coordinator, Cyber Security, MeitY, anchored the policy framework briefing in Session II, presenting the evidence base for the six national themes and the regulatory framework governing State cybersecurity obligations, including those arising from the DPDP Act, 2023 and NISPG.

The Workshop also provided a dedicated platform for all participating States and Union Territories to present their current cybersecurity status, operational challenges and priority action areas across the six national themes. These presentations gave the Ministry a direct, granular account of ground-level implementation realities and inputs that will directly shape the national policy framework to be finalised at the August Summit.

Next Steps: State-Level Workshopsand National Summit

Following the National Consultative Workshop, all States and Union Territories will conduct internal State-Level Workshops (Stage III) which is to be completed by June 30, 2026. Thereafter, as an outcome of State-level internal workshops, structured State inputs are to be submitted to MeitY within a stipulated timeline. Based on inputs received from all States/UTs,the comprehensive Final Note on “Strengthening Cyber Security Frameworks for State Data”shall be prepared. The comprehensive final note, including key action points and priority reform areas, will be deliberated in the National Departmental Summit (Stage IV), scheduled for August 2026. A report of the National Departmental Summit (Stage IV), including the key action points and priority reform areas agreed upon by States and Union Territories, will be submitted to the Cabinet Secretariat.

Invest India, the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has facilitated the grounding of 60 projects worth over USD 6.1 billion during Financial Year 2025–26. These investments span 14 states and are estimated to generate more than 31,000 potential jobs, reflecting sustained and deepening global confidence in India as a preferred investment destination.

Approximately 42 per cent of the total grounded investment value originates from European nations, reinforcing strengthening India-Europe economic linkages. Continued participation from the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and other key source markets affirms broad-based international confidence in India’s regulatory environment and manufacturing capabilities. Emerging source nations such as Brazil, New Zealand, and Canada indicate diversification in the country’s investment base.

Commenting on India’s policy environment, Secretary, DPIIT, Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia said, “India’s investment momentum is a direct outcome of policy clarity, institutional commitment, and the trust global investors place in our systems. The USD 6.1 billion grounded by Invest India in FY 2025–26 reflects the strength of India’s regulatory environment and the depth of its economic transformation. DPIIT remains committed to further simplifying processes and ensuring that investments translate into jobs, innovation, and long-term value.”

Invest India has strengthened end-to-end facilitation across the investment lifecycle, from early-stage advisory to post-investment aftercare. It has adopted a network-led ecosystem approach by engaging with investors’ suppliers, buyers, and extended value chains to build integrated industrial ecosystems. The agency is also supporting foreign companies exploring alternate entry routes such as joint ventures by facilitating partnerships with credible domestic players.

These interventions have resulted in improved investment conversion and scale. Grounded investments have registered nearly threefold growth over FY 2024–25, while the average deal size has increased by 1.8 times, indicating a shift towards higher-value investments.

MD & CEO, Invest India, Ms. Nivruti Rai said, “These outcomes reflect a shift in Invest India’s role towards becoming a strategic investment partner. The threefold growth in grounded investments and the creation of over 31,000 jobs demonstrate the impact of coordinated policy support, institutional agility, and investor confidence. Invest India remains committed to sustaining this momentum as India progresses towards Viksit Bharat 2047.”

Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology, and Food Processing sectors account for approximately 65 per cent of grounded investments, driven by high-value projects aligned with India’s manufacturing and value-addition priorities. Emerging sectors such as Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM), Aerospace & Defence, and Auto/EV also recorded significant activity.

FY 2025–26 witnessed continued geographic diversification of investments across states. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh emerged as key hubs driven by high-value projects, while Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh recorded strong grounding activity. Established destinations such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Haryana, and Delhi continued to anchor major investment inflows. The grounding of projects in Assam, Bihar, and Sikkim indicates the broadening of the investment landscape. In terms of employment generation, Madhya Pradesh emerged as the leading state, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Maharashtra.

These trends reflect the cumulative impact of India’s landmark policy initiatives, including Make in India, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes across 14 key sectors, and sustained infrastructure development programmes, which have strengthened India’s position as a globally competitive and reliable manufacturing destination.

About Invest India

Invest India is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of the Government of India, established in 2009 as a not-for-profit company under DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Supported by a unique partnership between the Central and State Governments and industry associations, Invest India serves as the first point of contact for global and domestic investors, providing comprehensive end-to-end support across the investment lifecycle — from pre-investment advisory and project facilitation to aftercare and expansion support. The agency focuses on high-impact sectors, including Electronics & Semiconductors, Renewable Energy, Electric Vehicles, Capital Goods, Textiles, Food & Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals & Critical Minerals, and Infrastructure. For further information, please visit: www.investindia.gov.in

The conclusion of the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) marks a significant milestone in India’s global outreach in traditional medicine and holistic healthcare, placing Ayush systems at the centre of a new framework for international cooperation. The forward-looking Agreement not only expands India’s trade footprint but also opens unprecedented opportunities for global recognition, mobility, and institutional collaboration for India’s traditional systems of medicine. The landmark Agreement was formally signed by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Todd McClay, New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment, underscoring the shared commitment of both nations to deepen economic and knowledge partnerships.

For the first time, New Zealand has agreed to a dedicated Health and Traditional Medicine Annexe under an FTA with India, creating an enabling environment for trade in Ayurveda, yoga, and other traditional medicine services. This landmark provision formally acknowledges India’s rich wellness heritage and positions Ayush as a contemporary, globally relevant healthcare solution, alongside indigenous Māori health practices.

Global Recognition and New Markets for Ayush Services

The Agreement facilitates market access across a wide range of service sectors, creating new opportunities for Indian Ayush practitioners, wellness institutions and service providers to engage with the New Zealand market. By promoting cooperation in Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy, the FTA strengthens India’s leadership in preventive, promotive and integrative healthcare models.

The framework is expected to boost medical value travel, foster institutional partnerships, encourage research collaboration and support the international expansion of India’s wellness ecosystem.

Mobility Pathways for Ayush and Wellness Professionals

A key outcome of the Agreement is the creation of structured mobility pathways for skilled Indian professionals. A dedicated visa quota will enable Ayush practitioners and Yoga instructors, along with other Indian cultural and knowledge professionals, to work in New Zealand for extended durations. This provision reinforces India’s emergence as a global supplier of skilled wellness professionals while creating new employment avenues rooted in India’s traditional knowledge systems.

Strengthening Cooperation in Traditional Knowledge and Wellness

The FTA also institutionalises technical cooperation in Ayush and traditional knowledge systems, laying the foundation for long-term collaboration in education, training, standards development and wellness services. By integrating traditional medicine into a modern trade framework, the Agreement reflects a shared commitment to sustainable health practices and people-centric development.

The India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement represents a defining step in taking Ayush from national heritage to global healthcare mainstream. By opening international markets, enabling professional mobility and fostering cross-cultural collaboration, the Agreement reinforces India’s vision of positioning Ayush as a pillar of global wellness and holistic health.

The India New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was signed on 27 April, 2026 in New Delhi.  The Ministry of Textiles welcomes the landmark trade agreement, reflecting a future ready partnership built on trust , growth and shared prosperity.

The New Zealand market provides an opportunity for India’s exports of textiles, apparel and madeups.  New Zealand’s global imports in these three sub categories is $0.33 billion, $1.27 billion and $0.33 billion respectively. With a population of 5.3 million, concentrated around large urban centres and around a $52,000 per capita income, there is immense scope for high value exports.

The apparel sector comprises 65% share of global imports of New Zealand. The key sub sectors of imports under the apparel sector are casual wear (jeans, T-shirts, hoodies, relaxed tops, casual dresses), jackets, formal wear and sports wear. Cotton apparel comprises 45% of these imports followed by MMF at 36%.

Currently, New Zealand has 575 dutiable MFN tariff lines with a 5% duty on some wool, MMF and madeups and a 10% duty on carpets, some MMF and apparel.  Hence an FTA would lower the cost of Indian exports.

India’s bilateral exports to New Zealand stands at $0.65 billion with the textiles sector accounting for $0.1billion. India’s exports in the textiles, apparel and made up sector to New Zealand has shown a positive trend over the last decade. Positive growth was shown in all the sub sectors namely apparel, made ups, carpets, fibre, yarn and fabrics.  Based on the trends in the sector, some of the potential areas of growth in the sector for Indian exports are apparel (MMF,jute, linen,wool), Madeups (MMF, Jute,linen), Carpets (MMF), fibres (MMF, silk), yarn (MMF, cotton), Fabric (wool,jute,linen), handicraft and handloom.

The FTA also opens up the door to collaborate with textile design houses and fashion technology institutes. There is a need to leverage this FTA by participating in major textile fairs and exhibitions. New Zealand remains an important market and the FTA would enable India to enhance its exports.

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, chaired a meeting with Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and industry associations at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 27th April 2026, to deliberate on strategies for strengthening India’s export ecosystem in the context of evolving global trade dynamics. The meeting was held in continuation of the India–New Zealand FTA signing ceremony in Bharat Mandapam and was attended by representatives of 30 EPCs and apex industry chambers, along with senior officials from the Department of Commerce and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

Addressing the gathering, Shri Goyal highlighted that India’s total merchandise and services exports reached a record USD 860.09 billion in FY 2025–26, registering a 4.22% year-on-year growth. He noted that sectors such as engineering goods, electronics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, gems & jewellery and agri-based products have sustained export momentum despite global disruptions.

The Minister emphasised that this milestone should serve as a springboard for achieving USD 2 trillion in exports by 2030 under the Viksit Bharat vision. He urged exporters and industry bodies to fully leverage India’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with developed economies to expand market access, boost exports and create employment opportunities, noting that timely utilisation of these agreements is critical.

During the meeting, the Director General of Foreign Trade made a detailed presentation on export performance, ongoing reforms and a structured framework for achieving measurable export outcomes. The presentation outlined a comprehensive export reform framework covering sectoral export performance, a KPI-based framework for EPCs, promotion of e-commerce exports, Districts as Export Hubs, the proposed Digital Trade Academy, the Government’s response to the West Asia crisis, progress under the Export Promotion Mission, and the ongoing special drive for expediting the Export Obligation Discharge Certificate (EODC). The DGFT stressed that EPCs must act as equal partners with the Government in driving market diversification, bringing more MSMEs into the export ecosystem, greater use of technology, and ensuring that policy measures translate into measurable outcomes at the national level.

Industry representatives raised issues relating to compliance costs, testing requirements, and challenges faced by MSMEs in entering export markets. The Minister assured continued Government support, including facilitation under ongoing schemes and targeted interventions to reduce entry barriers and enhance ease of doing business.

Key bodies participating in the meeting included the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO); Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC); Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC); Council for Leather Exports (CLE); Engineering Export Promotion Council of India (EEPC India); Basic Chemicals, Cosmetics & Dyes Export Promotion Council (CHEMEXCIL); Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL); Manmade and Technical Textiles Export Promotion Council (MATEXIL); other major textile EPCs; Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC); Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH); agriculture & allied bodies including the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI); Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA); Shellac & Forest Products Export Promotion Council (SHEFEXCIL); Indian Oilseeds and Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC); Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (PHARMEXCIL); National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM); Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI); Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM); PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI); and several other leading sectoral associations.

Discussions also highlighted progress under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM), the Government’s flagship scheme to support exporters. The Minister encouraged EPCs to take steps to increase the number of active exporters. He also emphasised Government support to exporters for entering new markets and increasing their presence in existing markets to accelerate export growth.

The Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening a facilitative trade ecosystem through ongoing reforms, targeted support measures and close collaboration with industry, to accelerate export growth and position India as a trusted global supply partner.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) organized a one-day Hydrogen Startup Exhibition. The aim of the exhibition was to promote the vibrant hydrogen startup ecosystem in the country.

The exhibition brought together 18 promising startups working across various segments of the green hydrogen value chain, including electrolyser technologies, fuel cell applications, biomass-to-hydrogen production, and digital solutions for hydrogen systems. The participating startups demonstrated their technologies and products and interacted with key stakeholders from government, industry, and the research community.

It may be noted that as per Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), there were 249 startups in the hydrogen area as of September 2025. The participating companies included five electrolyzer startups (electrolyzers and associated stack components), two hydrogen production startups, one fuel cell startup, one hydrogen applications startup, one safety startup (MEMS-based sensor), two drone startups, three hydrogen cooking startups, one artificial intelligence/machine learning startup, and two bio-hydrogen startups.

Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Sood, graced the occasion and interacted with the startup founders. Other dignitaries included MNRE Secretary Shri Santosh Sarangi, Scientific Secretary in the PSA Office Dr. Parvinder Maini, and NGHM Director Shri Abhay Bakre. MNRE had launched the scheme for New and Novel Uses of Hydrogen Production and Applications last year, under which Part B of the scheme earmarked Rs. 100 crores for startup funding (pilot projects), with a maximum grant of Rs. 5 crore per startup.

Following the scheme launch, NISE had issued a call for proposals (CfP) in September 2025. A total of 111 applications were received, out of which 58 were shortlisted for presentation before the Project Appraisal Committee earlier this year. The results of the presentations will be declared in the coming weeks. It may be recalled that MNRE had organized a similar startup expo as part of the R&D Conference last September at Dr. Ambedkar Centre in New Delhi, in which more than 25 startups had participated. This second event was a successor to the first event.

The Government has notified the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 (Startup India FoF 2.0) with a total corpus of ₹10,000 crore for the purpose of mobilizing venture and growth capital for the startup ecosystem of the country.

The Startup India FoF 2.0 builds upon the strong performance of the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS 1.0), which was launched in 2016 under the Startup India Action Plan to address funding gaps and catalyse the domestic capital for startups.

Startup India FoF 2.0 will have a total corpus of ₹10,000 crore for commitments to eligible Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) spread across the 16th and 17th Finance Commission cycles. Investments under Startup India FoF 2.0 will focus on Alternative Investment Funds supporting priority segments including deep tech startups, early growth stage startups supported by smaller AIFs, technology-driven and innovative manufacturing startups, and sector or stage agnostic startups.

Startup India FoF 2.0 will follow a structured selection process for AIFs involving screening by a Venture Capital Investment Committee (VCIC) comprising of veterans from the startup ecosystem, and the Scheme incorporates robust monitoring and oversight mechanisms, while an Empowered Committee (EC) will also be constituted to monitor implementation and performance of the Scheme, and provisions for co-investment by Government and institutional investors under an umbrella framework have been included with appropriate governance safeguards.

The operational guidelines and the composition of VCIC will be issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Startup India FoF 2.0 is expected to play a critical role in advancing India’s innovation-led growth agenda, and by supporting startups that build globally competitive technologies, products, and solutions, the Scheme will contribute to strengthening India’s economic resilience, boosting manufacturing capabilities, generating high-quality jobs, and positioning India as a global innovation hub.

The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will commence operationalization of the scheme as the Implementation Agency (IA) with effect from the date of notification, and in addition, another domestic Implementation Agency will also be selected to implement the proposed Scheme. The Startup India FoF 2.0 will contribute to the corpus of SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) for investing in entities recognised as ‘startups’ by the Central Government.

Aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, the Fund represents the Government’s continued commitment to empowering entrepreneurs, fostering innovation, and unlocking the full potential of India’s startup ecosystem.

The notification is available at the following link: https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/2026/271764.pdf

In a significant step towards strengthening India’s manufacturing and innovation ecosystem, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a leading air conditioning company to support startups, innovators, and entrepreneurs across the country.

The collaboration aims to foster the growth of product startups working in areas such as HVAC technologies, digital solutions, advanced manufacturing processes, and supply chain innovation. It seeks to enable startups to develop scalable and industry-relevant solutions through structured industry engagement.

As part of the initiative, startups will be provided access to mentorship from industry experts, infrastructure support including R&D laboratories and testing facilities, pilot opportunities, and market linkages. The partnership will also facilitate startups in achieving key milestones such as product validation, Proof-of-Concept (PoC) development, and integration into industry value chains.

Speaking on the occasion, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, Shri Sanjiv stated that the collaboration represents an important step towards fostering industry-driven innovation in the manufacturing sector. He noted that such partnerships enable startups to engage with real-world problem statements and scale solutions with tangible outcomes.

Under this collaboration, DPIIT will work with Blue Star Limited to explore the organisation of innovation challenges under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge, along with targeted hackathons focused on HVAC, digital technologies, and manufacturing domains. Startups will have opportunities to participate in structured PoC programmes, with selected entities being considered for pilot deployment and further engagement.

The collaboration will also enable startups to access testing facilities, R&D infrastructure, and technical support, along with structured mentorship programmes and periodic engagement sessions to align innovations with industry requirements.

The MoU was signed by Deputy Secretary, DPIIT, Shri T. L. K. Singh and Managing Director, Blue Star Limited, Shri B Thiagarajan, in the presence of senior officials from both sides.

India’s trade performance has remained robust and resilient, with exports recording a steady upward trajectory both in the current fiscal year (FY 2025–26, Apr–Jan) and over the longer term (FY 2021–25). Despite persistent global uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and volatile commodity prices, India’s exports have continued to expand in a broad-based manner. During Apr–Jan of FY 2025–26, total exports of merchandise and services rose by USD 36 billion, registering a growth of 5.26% from USD 679.02 billion in FY 2024–25 (Apr–Jan) to USD 714.73 billion. Over the period 2021–22 to 2024–25, exports achieved a compound annual growth rate of 6.9%, with values increasing sharply from USD 497.90 billion in 2020–21 to USD 828.25 billion in 2024–25. This consistent expansion underscores India’s ability to sustain diversified and resilient export growth, positioning the country as a strong player in global trade even under challenging external conditions.

The Government is consistently working to boost exports and expand the country’s global footprint, combining traditional strengths with emerging technology‑driven sectors. Central to this ambition is the creation of a supportive ecosystem where exporters, particularly MSMEs, can compete confidently in international markets. This effort is reinforced by a dynamic policy framework, strong financial incentives, a growing digital infrastructure, improved trade facilitation, and a determined push to secure deeper market access through next‑generation trade agreements.

The Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023, designed as a flexible and evolving framework to adapt to global shifts, has emerged as a key enabler of India’s export momentum. Built on four core pillars – trade facilitation, export promotion, state‑level partnerships, and digital integration – the FTP is further reinforced by targeted export promotion schemes that collectively enhance India’s competitiveness in global markets.

The RoDTEP scheme plays a central role by neutralizing embedded taxes on exports and enabling Indian goods to remain competitive worldwide. The recently launched Export Promotion Mission (EPM) 2 further reinforces this effort through two targeted pillars: expanding access to affordable trade finance and upgrading quality, logistics, branding, and market‑readiness across the export value chain. The Government has approved the EPM with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 25,060 crores (FY 2025–26 to FY 2030–31). It operates through Niryat Protsahan (focusing on trade finance and credit enhancement) and Niryat Disha (focusing on export logistics, warehousing, and market access), specifically targeting MSME competitiveness.

The Government has recently notified a time-limited “RELIEF” Scheme, an intervention under the Export Promotion Mission, to be implemented through the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (ECGC), is operationalised to address elevated export risks arising from geopolitical disruptions in the Gulf and West Asia maritime corridor.

Together with the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC), which provides critical risk‑mitigation support for exports, and schemes like Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) that build export‑linked infrastructure across the country.

Running parallel to these financial and policy instruments is India’s accelerating shift toward technology‑enabled trade governance. A strong digital backbone powered by platforms such as the 24×7 EIC interface, the Trade Intelligence & Analytics platform, the Common Digital Platform for Certificates of Origin, and the Trade e-Connect portal has transformed how exporters access information, approvals, and global markets. These systems enable fully online processing, real‑time compliance updates, digital certification, faster turnaround times, and easier access to global market intelligence. The outcome is a trade ecosystem that is more transparent, data‑driven, efficient, and equitable.

Proactive trade diplomacy complements policy measures and expanding digital infrastructure, reinforcing the country’s efforts to strengthen global market access and enhance export competitiveness. With 19 FTAs and a renewed push since 2021 wherein India has concluded or advanced eight major agreements with key partners. The India-EU FTA, a landmark pact offering access to almost the entire EU tariff universe, marks a significant step in integrating India more deeply into global value chains. The India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) is India’s first FTA to include a dedicated commitment aiming to increase FDI from their investors. Trade agreements with New Zealand, Oman and UK will broaden market access, enhance services mobility, secure long‑term investments, and create predictable regulatory environments for businesses. Meanwhile, ongoing negotiations with Israel, Canada, GCC nations, Chile, and Peru indicate India’s determination to expand high‑value trade corridors across regions.

India’s export strategy reflects a decisive whole‑of‑government approach, moving beyond transactional support to building a resilient, competitive, and future‑ready ecosystem. By combining targeted financial incentives, technology‑enabled trade facilitation, institutional reforms, and proactive market‑access initiatives, the focus is on embedding digital governance, expanding global reach, and strengthening exporter capabilities across sectors and regions. This integrated approach positions India not just as a participant, but as a trusted, technology‑driven partner in global trade.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Shri Jitin Prasada, in Lok Sabha today.