STPI’s Centres of Entrepreneurship (CoEs): Redefining the Tech Startup Landscape
By Arvind Kumar
India is rapidly emerging as a global hub for technological innovation, fuelled by the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, which are set to reshape the country’s economic landscape, driving advancements across industries and fostering a new wave of entrepreneurship. Indian startups are at the forefront of this revolution, leveraging these innovations to develop groundbreaking solutions that address real-world challenges. From revolutionizing healthcare through MedTech solutions, enhancing agricultural productivity with AgriTech innovations, disrupting financial services through FinTech, to transforming education with EduTech, Indian startups are redefining new frontiers and positioning the country as a leader in global tech innovation.
Government programs such as Startup India and Digital India have been instrumental in creating a conducive environment for tech startups. The government’s proactive stance, evident through recent initiative like IndiaAI Mission wherein IndiaAI Startup Financing pillar is conceptualized to support and accelerate deep-tech AI startups and provide them streamlined access to funding to enable futuristic AI Projects.
The Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) through its various Centres of Entrepreneurship (CoEs), aims to foster innovation by mentoring, nurturing and supporting the tech startup ecosystem in India. STPI has established domain and sector focused 24 Centres of Entrepreneurship (CoEs) across India, focusing on emerging technologies and fostering collaboration between industry, government, and academia to propel the country’s startup ecosystem. These domain-specific CoEs are designed to optimize technological expertise, empower youth, and drive innovation, particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Each STPI CoEs has been strategically designed to bridge the gap between innovative ideas and market-ready products by offering an integrated support system that includes funding, IP facilitation, and regulatory guidance. By offering crucial resources such as funding, mentorship, technical support, lab infrastructure and market access, the CoEs enable startups to develop solutions using cutting-edge technologies like AI, ML, Blockchain, AR-VR, Deep Tech and Industry 4.0. The impact has been transformative, with 665 startups supported, 707 new products created, and 399 IPR filings. STPI CoEs are at the forefront of driving technological innovation across various industries.
Quintessential examples include STPI NEURON in Mohali is leading advancements in AI and IoT solutions, supporting startups in these areas to disrupt industries. The MedTech CoE in Lucknow focuses on developing affordable medical electronics, fostering startups that create portable diagnostic devices and remote patient monitoring systems. Meanwhile, Bengaluru’s STPI AIC STPINEXT supports innovation in healthcare, IoT, and e-commerce, nurturing startups that develop groundbreaking IoT-based healthcare systems and AI-driven platforms. In agriculture, STPI Fasal in Akola is empowering Agri-tech startups with IoT-enabled devices to optimize farming processes and increase productivity.
In the FinTech sector, STPI FinBlue in Chennai and STPI FinGlobe in Gandhinagar are cultivating AI, Blockchain and other emerging technology driven financial tools that revolutionize transparency, efficiency, and personalized services in banking and supply chain logistics. Similarly, STPI Apiary in Gurugram focuses on blockchain innovations in finance and supply chain management, positioning startups for global leadership. Other significant CoEs like STPI IoT OpenLab in Bengaluru and STPI Kalpataru in Visakhapatnam drive advancements in IoT and Industry 4.0 technologies, respectively, supporting startups with connected devices and industrial automation solutions. Hyderabad’s STPI IMAGE CoE, in collaboration with Government of Telangana, nurtures startups in gaming, VFX, and AR/VR, providing resources to develop immersive learning experiences and AI-driven gaming platforms. Each CoE is contributing to India’s evolving technological landscape, offering startups the necessary infrastructure, mentorship, and funding to innovate and scale. The initiatives undertaken by STPI’s CoEs mark the beginning of a transformative journey that promotes disruptive and inclusive growth.
By empowering the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs STPI has laid the foundation for a future where India becomes a global innovation hub. Through its various technology-centric CoEs, STPI continues to galvanize technological advancements and bolster economic growth in India. Looking forward, STPI is strategically positioned to democratizing entrepreneurship, streamline India’s startup ecosystem and nurture local talent by expanding its CoEs into Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, providing a national platform to unlock the potential of the country’s youth. This expansion will further drive innovation, foster world-class tech startups, and accelerate inclusive growth and equitable prosperity in the nation. With plans to support large number of tech startups, STPI is set to bolster India’s global leadership in the digital economy. As India continues to embrace emerging technologies, the startup ecosystem fostered by STPI is set to be a game changer, propelling the country into a new era of sustainability, innovation and global leadership in software products and technology-driven solutions.
(The author is Arvind Kumar, Director General, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), and the views expressed in this article are his own)
