This is aimed at fostering the growth of product startups working in areas such as HVAC technologies, digital solutions, advanced manufacturing processes and supply chain innovation
In a step towards strengthening India’s manufacturing and innovation ecosystem, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Blue Star, an 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.
Under this collaboration, DPIIT will work with Blue Star 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 Proof-of-Concept (PoC) programmes, with selected entities being considered for pilot deployment and further engagement.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that as part of the initiative, startups will be provided access to mentorship from industry experts, infrastructure support including research and development laboratories and testing facilities, pilot opportunities and market linkages. The partnership will also facilitate startups in achieving key milestones such as product validation, PoC development, and integration into industry value chains.
Earlier, DPIIT signed a MoU with Voltas to facilitate industry–start-up collaboration in the cooling and smart appliance ecosystem. Focus areas may include energy-efficient cooling systems, air-quality monitoring and filtration technologies, advanced inverter controls, predictive maintenance solutions, refrigerant safety systems and digital tools for installation and servicing.
The ministry noted that selected start-ups may also participate in structured PoC programmes with Voltas engineering teams for product validation and technology integration. The collaboration may also facilitate field trials through Voltas’s service network to support testing and refinement of solutions.
