New Delhi, 24 March, (PIB): 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.