IBM, MeitY Startup Hub Sign MoU to Accelerate Startup Growth in India

Mumbai: IBM and MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with plans to accelerate India’s deep tech startup ecosystem by enabling startups with access to IBM’s technology expertise, mentorship, enterprise engagement opportunities, skilling programs, and ecosystem development initiatives.

The collaboration brings together MeitY Startup Hub’s nationwide innovation network and IBM’s enterprise AI, hybrid cloud and quantum computing expertise to help high potential startups build, validate and scale technologies for India and global markets. It complements IBM Ventures’ ongoing engagements in India by expanding pathways for enterprise technology startups to connect with customers, investors and industry experts.

Dr. Panneerselvam Madanagopal, CEO, MSH said, "India's startup ecosystem is emerging as a global engine for technology innovation. Through this collaboration with IBM, we aim to strengthen indigenous deep tech capabilities, foster technology-led entrepreneurship and create greater opportunity for innovators to build solutions that contribute to a Viksit Bharat."

As part of this collaboration, startups will get access to IBM’s portfolio of enterprise technologies and innovation platforms to solve business use cases. This includes technical guidance and enablement on technologies such as IBM watsonx, an enterprise ready AI and data platform; IBM Bob, an AI coding agent for enterprises; IBM Sovereign Core, an AI-ready software stack for digital sovereignty; technical orientation on IBM’s hybrid cloud, and quantum computing; and security and automation solutions.

Under the MoU, IBM and MSH will jointly explore initiatives that support startups across multiple stages of growth and across sectors such as banking, finance, government, industrial and more. The collaboration will focus on enterprise proof of concepts, sovereign AI innovation, open-source ecosystem development, founder mentorship, technical skilling and opportunities for startups to showcase their solutions to enterprises and investors. A key priority will be identifying and nurturing promising innovators from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, broadening access to India’s growing deep tech ecosystem.

“This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to fostering innovation and strengthening our country’s deep-tech startup ecosystem. These startups are playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of technology-led growth for India and the world,” said Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India & South Asia. “Together with MeitY Startup Hub, we aim to help founders innovate faster, scale responsibly, and build solutions that address both national and global challenges – turning promising innovation into real-world impact.”

This MoU builds on IBM’s continued effort to support startups, entrepreneurship, and innovation in India. Over the years, IBM has worked closely with founders, developers, academic institutions, and ecosystem partners, to help startups with cutting-edge technologies, technical mentorship, and skills development opportunities. This includes engagements through IBM Ventures, which backs visionary founders building the next generation of enterprise technology through its capital-plus model, leveraging IBM's global reach and vast ecosystem of experts to help startups scale.