India to Establish 15-20 World-Class Startup Accelerator Centers Nationwide
In a significant boost to India's entrepreneurial ecosystem, plans are actively underway to establish 15 to 20 world-class startup accelerator centers across the country. Ashish Pandey, the innovation lead of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), revealed this ambitious initiative on Monday, highlighting that Coimbatore could potentially host one or two such centers with robust industry support.
AIM's Decade of Innovation and Future Vision
Speaking at the 6th Start-up Onboarding and Success Meet held at the Coddissia Trade Fair Complex in Coimbatore, Pandey detailed AIM's impressive track record. The mission has successfully established more than 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs and 100 incubation centers nationwide. Furthermore, AIM has provided crucial support to over 500 startups, directly contributing to the generation of more than 40,000 jobs in the innovation sector.
"AIM is completing 10 years, and AIM 2.0 will introduce 12 new programmes focusing on scaling up and industrial integration," Pandey announced. This next phase aims to deepen the impact of India's startup landscape by fostering greater collaboration between emerging businesses and established industries.
Boosting Private Sector Participation in R&D
Pandey emphasized the critical need to increase private sector involvement in research and development. He pointed out that India's private companies currently contribute only around 37% to the nation's innovation and R&D efforts, a figure that lags behind several developed economies.
"The Atal Acceleration Centre for Scale-up of Startups (ACCESS) programme aims at enhancing private sector involvement in innovation," he stated. Additionally, AIM's Deep Tech Reactor Programme is designed to support advanced technologies from the seed stage all the way to full deployment, utilizing a comprehensive framework of incubation, acceleration, and policy enablement.
Coimbatore's Unique Defence Innovation Hub
A key highlight of the discussion was the CDIIC (CODISSIA Defence Innovation and Atal Incubation Centre), which Pandey described as India's sole defence innovation hub where "industry capabilities meet national security needs." This unique facility provides both early-stage and late-stage support to startups operating in the defence sector.
V Sundaram, the director of CDIIC, provided detailed insights into the hub's operations. Currently, CDIIC houses 33 startups, with an impressive 18 of them having received iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) recognition. Each startup admitted to the hub is granted a three-year incubation period, during which it receives comprehensive support, including mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities.
"Once the startup reaches maturity and establishes its market presence, it is required to graduate from the hub," Sundaram explained. To date, five startups have successfully exited CDIIC after completing their incubation cycles, marking significant milestones in their growth journeys.
Recent Developments and Infrastructure
Codissia president Karthikeyan provided updates on recent activities, noting that ten new startups were onboarded during the event. He also confirmed that the dedicated infrastructure for the innovation hub has been fully completed, providing a state-of-the-art environment for entrepreneurial development.
This series of announcements underscores a concerted national effort to strengthen India's position as a global innovation leader. By expanding accelerator networks, enhancing private sector collaboration, and supporting specialized sectors like defence, AIM is paving the way for a more dynamic and self-reliant entrepreneurial economy.
