The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, in collaboration with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, launched the API integration of DPIIT's Startup India Portal with the Indian Science, Technology and Engineering Facilities Map (I-STEM) Portal on November 6, 2026. The launch occurred under the chairmanship of Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser, with attendance from Dr. Parvinder Maini (Scientific Secretary, Office of PSA) and Shri Ateesh Kumar Singh (Additional Secretary, DPIIT), along with technical staff from both organizations.
This integration represents an institutional convergence that connects startup requirements with scientific infrastructure and technical capabilities available across India. The initiative aims to strengthen linkages between the startup ecosystem and the country's research infrastructure by enabling DPIIT-recognized startups to discover and access existing scientific and testing facilities. As of November 6, 2026, I-STEM listed 31,540 equipment items across 4,044 registered institutions, providing a substantial national resource base for researchers and innovators.
The integration facilitates seamless, API-enabled interoperability between the two portals, with proposed incorporation of Single Sign-On functionality in subsequent phases. This enables DPIIT-recognized startups to directly access I-STEM's scientific infrastructure through the Startup India Portal. The system includes automated verification of DPIIT recognition status and seamless linking to streamline onboarding and facilitate discovery of scientific equipment and research facilities.
Key benefits highlighted by officials include lowering R&D costs, avoiding duplication of capital-intensive facilities, enhancing utilization of publicly funded infrastructure, and strengthening industry-academia linkages. The integration is particularly significant for deep-tech startups across technology development, prototyping, testing, and validation phases. While the integration simplifies the process of identifying and requesting access to infrastructure, individual requests will continue to be evaluated and approved by respective host institutions based on technical suitability, availability, applicable charges, safety requirements, and institutional permissions.