To fulfill the Government of India’s mission to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship in the country, Startup India launched the Startup Academia Alliance programme, a unique mentorship opportunity between academic scholars and startups working in similar domains.

The Startup Academia Alliance aims to reduce the gap between scientific research and its industrial applications in order to increase the efficacy of these technologies and to widen their impact. By creating a bridge between academia and industry, the Alliance strives to create lasting connections between the stakeholders of the startup ecosystem and implement the third pillar on which the Startup India Action Plan is based - Industry Academia Partnerships and Incubation.

The first phase of Startup Academia Alliance was kick started through partnering with Regional Centre for Biotechnology, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Council on Energy, Environment and Water, and TERI School of Advanced Studies. Renowned scholars from these institutes, in fields such as renewable energy, biotechnology, healthcare and life sciences were taken on board to provide mentorship and guidance to startups working in relevant arenas.

The applications for Startup Academia Alliance were hosted on the Startup India Hub, a one-stop destination for startups to apply for opportunities such as incubator and accelerator programmes as well as challenges organized by corporate stakeholders, with a user base of more than 2 lakh entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs from over 433 districts in India. A total of 133 applications from relevant startups were received through the Startup India Hub, out of which,43 were shortlisted by institutes on the basis of operational areas and technological relevance.Emphasis was placed on finding startups that employ innovative solutions to pressing problems in diverse areas.

The mentorship sessions have commenced and it is expected that startups will greatly benefit from the expertise and insights brought forth by experienced research scholars working in pertinent fields.

Industry Academia Partnerships bridge research and startups through mentorship to accelerate commercialisation and ecosystem collaboration nationwide. The Startup India Academia Alliance institutionalises mentorship linking academic researchers with startups to reduce the gap between scientific research and industrial application, support commercialisation, and implement Industry Academia Partnerships and Incubation. The first phase engaged partner research institutes to provide domain mentors in renewable energy, biotechnology, healthcare and life sciences; applications were hosted on the Startup India Hub and shortlisted by institutes based on operational area and technological relevance, with mentorship sessions now commenced.