AIM SUMVAAD Central India Edition Positions Incubators as Engines of India’s DeepTech and Startup Revolution

A central theme of the summit was the growing role of incubators as strategic institutions driving entrepreneurship, commercialization of research, and startup scalability across India.

In a major push to strengthen India's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, on Monday successfully organised the Regional AIM SUMVAAD – Central India Edition at the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The high-level regional conclave brought together policymakers, startup leaders, incubators, investors, industry representatives, academia, and innovation ecosystem enablers to accelerate collaboration and build a stronger incubator-driven startup landscape across Central India.

The initiative marked another significant step in AIM's broader mission to foster innovation-led economic growth and deepen Centre-State collaboration under the vision of Viksit Bharat. Representatives from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh participated in the conclave alongside startup councils, CSR partners, incubation centres, technology institutions, and emerging entrepreneurs.

The gathering focused on creating a robust regional innovation architecture capable of supporting startups in emerging sectors such as DeepTech, advanced manufacturing, AI, clean energy, biotechnology, agritech, and digital technologies.

Incubators Emerging as Backbone of India's Startup Economy

A central theme of the summit was the growing role of incubators as strategic institutions driving entrepreneurship, commercialization of research, and startup scalability across India.

Delivering the keynote perspective, Deepak Bagla, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, described incubators as the "cornerstone of a thriving startup ecosystem" capable of transforming innovative ideas into scalable and impactful enterprises.

"Through strategic collaborations with DST, DBT, and DPIIT, Atal Innovation Mission is strengthening the innovation landscape by enabling world-class infrastructure, mentorship, market access, and collaborative platforms like AIM SUMVAAD. These efforts are fostering entrepreneurship, accelerating innovation, and contributing meaningfully towards the vision of Viksit Bharat," Bagla said.

His remarks come at a time when India has emerged as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem, with more than 1.5 lakh DPIIT-recognized startups, over 110 unicorns, and rapidly growing investments in innovation-driven sectors. Policymakers increasingly view incubators as critical institutions that can bridge the gap between research, industry, funding, and commercialization.

India Transitioning from "Service Mindset" to "Science Mindset"

One of the most significant discussions during the conclave centered around India's evolving startup identity and the rise of DeepTech entrepreneurship.

Speaking at the event, Himanshu Rai, Director, IIM Indore, observed that India's startup ecosystem is entering a transformative phase.

"India is moving from a service mindset to a science mindset," Rai said, emphasizing that the next era of startup growth would depend heavily on DeepTech innovation, scientific research, intellectual property creation, and advanced technology commercialization.

He stressed that the ecosystem must increasingly embrace patient capital, long-term institutional support, and research-oriented entrepreneurship instead of prioritizing only rapid commercial returns.

Experts at the conclave noted that sectors such as semiconductors, quantum technologies, aerospace, advanced materials, AI, robotics, defence technologies, and clean energy are expected to shape India's next wave of startup growth. However, sustained investment in incubation ecosystems, university-industry collaboration, and technology transfer mechanisms would be essential to unlock their full potential.

RRCAT and AIC π-Hub Highlight Collaborative Innovation

Addressing the gathering, Viraj Bhanage, Director of Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) and Chairman of AIC π-Hub, emphasized the importance of incubation centres in mentoring and handholding the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.

He said the AIM SUMVAAD platform would play a crucial role in strengthening institutional partnerships and enabling collaborative innovation between academia, startups, government bodies, and industry stakeholders.

Bhanage noted that initiatives such as the SUMVAAD are helping build a culture of innovation where scientific institutions and entrepreneurial ecosystems work together to create scalable technologies and commercially viable solutions.

He added that such collaborative models would open new avenues for youth entrepreneurship, industrial partnerships, and technology-led employment generation.

Incubators Called "Beating Heart" of Startup Ecosystem

Highlighting the strategic role of incubation centres, Dr. Abha Rishi, Executive Head of Madhya Pradesh Startup Centre, stated that incubators remain the "beating heart" of India's startup ecosystem.

She stressed that strengthening incubator capacity, institutional governance, and long-term sustainability is essential for creating a resilient national innovation framework.

Industry experts at the summit observed that India's startup ecosystem is no longer concentrated only in metro cities, with Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions increasingly emerging as innovation hubs due to expanding digital infrastructure, startup policies, academic institutions, and entrepreneurial talent pools.

The Central India edition of AIM SUMVAAD was therefore seen as a strategic intervention to unlock regional innovation potential and create more geographically inclusive startup growth.

From "Grants to Growth": Incubators Enter New Phase

A key policy-oriented discussion during the event focused on the future sustainability of India's incubation ecosystem.

Speaking on the evolution of incubation models in India, Sandeep Gupta, Director, CFA Institute India, emphasized that the next frontier for incubation centres lies in transitioning "from grants to growth."

He highlighted the need for incubation centres to adopt financially sustainable and professionally managed operational models capable of attracting private capital, industry partnerships, and long-term investments.

Experts noted that while government-backed incubation initiatives have significantly expanded over the past decade, the next phase would require stronger revenue models, startup equity participation, corporate collaboration, and global partnerships to ensure long-term impact.

Special Session Focuses on Building Entrepreneurial Culture

The conclave also featured a dedicated session on "Building Effective People and Culture in Incubation Centres", led by Shri Manish Verma, Growth Expert and Mentor at IIM Lucknow's Enterprise Incubation Centre.

The session emphasized that successful incubation ecosystems are built not only through infrastructure and funding but also through organizational culture, mentorship quality, leadership development, and ecosystem trust.

Participants discussed the importance of fostering resilient entrepreneurial mindsets capable of adapting to rapidly changing market dynamics and technological disruptions.

Verma highlighted that strong people-centric incubation frameworks are essential for creating sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems that can withstand economic and market volatility.

Major Boost for Regional Innovation Networks

One of the major announcements during the event was the formal launch of two regional incubation alliances:

• Madhya Pradesh Incubation Consortium

• Thar Incubation Alliance for Rajasthan

The launch of these state chapters is expected to significantly strengthen regional collaboration among incubators, academic institutions, investors, startups, and policy stakeholders.

Officials noted that such regional alliances would facilitate:

• Resource sharing,

• Cross-incubator mentorship,

• Startup exchange programs,

• Investor access,

• Joint acceleration initiatives,

• Knowledge transfer,

• Regional policy coordination.

The move aligns with AIM's broader strategy of building decentralized innovation ecosystems capable of nurturing entrepreneurship beyond traditional startup clusters.

AIM SUMVAAD Emerging as National Innovation Dialogue Platform

The Regional AIM SUMVAAD series is increasingly being recognized as an important national platform for innovation policy dialogue, ecosystem networking, and institutional collaboration.

By bringing together government departments, industry leaders, incubators, academic institutions, and entrepreneurs under one umbrella, the initiative aims to create stronger regional innovation pipelines capable of contributing to India's long-term economic transformation.

The conclave reinforced AIM's commitment to strengthening India's entrepreneurial infrastructure through localized innovation strategies supported by national partnerships and policy coordination.

Among the other dignitaries present at the event were:

• Prateek Deshmukh, Program Director, AIM

• Dr. C.P. Paul, Head, AIC Pie Hub and Secretary DIA

• Prasad Menon, President, ISBA

• Chandra Shekhar Yadav, Department of Science and Technology (DST)

• Ravi Pandey, Startup Head, Start in UP

• Dhawal Singhal, Program Lead, iStart Rajasthan

• Manish Verma, Growth Expert and Mentor, IIM Lucknow EIC

• Sandeep Gupta, CFA Institute India

As India accelerates its ambitions to become a global innovation powerhouse, events like AIM SUMVAAD are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of startups, incubators, and DeepTech enterprises that will drive the country's future economic growth.