In a significant step towards strengthening India’s startup and innovation ecosystem, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a digital entertainment company to support startups, innovators, and entrepreneurs across the country.

The collaboration aims to foster the growth of product startups working in areas such as digital entertainment, online gaming, esports, interactive media, and artificial intelligence-driven technologies. It seeks to enable startups to develop scalable and industry-relevant solutions through structured industry engagement.

As part of the initiative, startups will be provided access to mentorship, industry insights, knowledge exchange platforms, and curated engagement opportunities. The partnership will also facilitate startups in achieving key milestones such as Proof-of-Concept (PoC) development, market access, and integration into industry ecosystems, wherever feasible.

Speaking on the occasion, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, Shri Sanjiv stated that the collaboration represents an important step towards strengthening India’s digital and creative economy. He noted that such partnerships enable startups to innovate, scale, and build globally competitive solutions in emerging technology domains.

Under this collaboration, DPIIT will work with KRAFTON India Pvt. Ltd. to explore the organisation of innovation challenges under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge, along with targeted hackathons, workshops, and masterclasses across domains such as game design, animation, immersive technologies, esports management, and artificial intelligence applications.

The collaboration will also facilitate industry interactions, knowledge exchange, and exposure to global best practices. Selected startups may gain opportunities for pilot collaborations, with potential for further engagement based on outcomes.

Additionally, the initiative will support ecosystem-building through outreach efforts and participation in Startup India programmes to enhance engagement across the startup landscape.

The MoU was signed by Deputy Secretary, DPIIT, Shri T. L. K. Singh and Head of Government Relations, KRAFTON India Pvt. Ltd., Shri Vibhor Kukreti, in the presence of senior officials from both sides.

Startup ecosystem support gains momentum through industry mentorship, innovation challenges, and market access for emerging technology startups. Startup ecosystem support is being advanced through a Memorandum of Understanding between DPIIT and a digital entertainment company to promote product startups in digital entertainment, online gaming, esports, interactive media, and AI-driven technologies. The collaboration is intended to provide structured industry engagement, mentorship, knowledge exchange, curated opportunities, Proof-of-Concept development, market access, and integration into industry ecosystems wherever feasible. It also contemplates innovation challenges, hackathons, workshops, masterclasses, pilot collaborations, and outreach through Startup India programmes.