India Accelerates Deep-Tech Leadership with DST–NIDHI Centre of Excellence at IIM Ahmedabad
The Centre will support early-stage startups, deep-tech founders, students, investors and institutional partners, strengthening India’s pipeline from laboratory research to market-ready ventures.
- Country:
- India
India’s transition from a technology adopter to a global technology leader received a major push today with the launch of the DST–NIDHI Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A)—a flagship initiative aimed at accelerating deep-tech entrepreneurship and science-to-market translation.
The Centre of Excellence, supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) with an investment of approximately ₹40 crore, was dedicated to the nation by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh.
Envisioned as a national hub for deep-tech innovation, the CoE is housed in a newly constructed, dedicated block within the IIM Ahmedabad campus and is designed to bring together technology experts, management professionals, industry leaders and investors under a single, integrated ecosystem.
From Incremental Growth to Science-Led Transformation
Addressing the gathering, Dr Jitendra Singh underlined that India has decisively moved beyond incremental, technology-adopting growth to deep science-led, technology-driven development over the past decade.
“Deep technology is not a passing trend; it is a national imperative. India’s future growth, strategic autonomy and global competitiveness will depend on how effectively we translate science into real-world solutions,” the Minister said.
He emphasised that institutions like IIM Ahmedabad, with their strong management foundations and national orientation, are critical to ensuring that scientific breakthroughs are supported by robust commercialisation strategies. Technology without management, he noted, cannot scale impact, while management without technology risks stagnation—making integrated centres like the DST–NIDHI CoE essential for sustainable innovation.
A Purpose-Built Venture Creation Ecosystem
Spanning 59,000 square feet, the DST–NIDHI Centre of Excellence has been designed as a comprehensive venture-creation space, featuring:
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Venture creation and prototyping labs
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Collaborative workspaces
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Meeting rooms and boardrooms
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Training and capacity-building facilities
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Networking and investor engagement zones
The Centre will support early-stage startups, deep-tech founders, students, investors and institutional partners, strengthening India’s pipeline from laboratory research to market-ready ventures.
Democratising Innovation Beyond Metro Cities
Highlighting a key structural shift in India’s innovation landscape, the Minister noted that nearly 50 percent of Indian startups now originate from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, challenging the long-held belief that innovation is confined to metropolitan hubs.
Affordable digital access, expanding incubation networks and supportive government policies, he said, have enabled talent from across the country to participate meaningfully in India’s startup and innovation ecosystem.
Strengthening India’s Global Innovation Standing
Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that India today ranks among the top three startup ecosystems globally, with rapid growth in patent filings, scientific publications and resident-led innovation. These gains, he said, reflect sustained public investment in scientific capacity-building and ecosystem development over several years.
Launch of “Translation Endeavours”: Breaking Silos in Deep Tech
The launch of the CoE also marked the unveiling of “Translation Endeavours”, a multi-institutional collaborative platform aimed at addressing one of India’s most persistent challenges—technology translation in deep-tech domains.
The initiative brings together leading academic and research institutions to bridge gaps between academia, industry, government and investors, leveraging shared infrastructure, coordinated incubation and industry-aligned innovation pathways.
Backed by Patient Capital and Policy Support
The Minister highlighted that government mechanisms such as the Research, Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF) and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) are specifically designed to provide patient, risk-tolerant capital for deep-tech ventures, including early-stage startups, enabling them to scale responsibly and sustainably.
Call to Action: Building India’s Deep-Tech Future
Concluding his address, Dr Jitendra Singh called upon researchers, students, entrepreneurs, industry leaders and investors to collaborate closely in shaping India’s innovation future.
“Dream boldly, but build responsibly. The nation is backing your ideas—with policy, funding, institutions and trust,” he said, stressing that India’s success will depend not just on ideas, but on persistence, integrity and the effective translation of science into societal impact.
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