Startup India and CarDekho Group Join Hands to Boost Startup Ecosystem

In a significant step to accelerate India’s startup revolution, Startup India, under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CarDekho Group, a leading autotech and finance solutions platform. The collaboration aims to strengthen the startup ecosystem in sectors such as mobility, fintech, insurtech, and emerging technologies.

Accelerating Startup Growth

The partnership is designed to empower DPIIT-recognised startups by offering them:

• Strategic mentorship from CarDekho’s leadership and experts.

• Market access through CarDekho’s diverse digital platforms.

• Technology infrastructure to scale innovative solutions.

• Funding opportunities including co-investment through the Girnar Vision Fund (GVF).

Startups will also have opportunities to integrate with CarDekho’s established platforms like CarDekho, InsuranceDekho, rupyy, BikeDekho, ZigWheels, PowerDrift, Revv, CollegeDekho, and Crack-ED, opening up vast customer bases and collaborative ventures.

Driving Innovation through Challenges and Skill Development

The collaboration will host innovation challenges under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge, focusing on key areas such as electric mobility, sustainability, auto-tech, and financial innovation. These challenges aim to spark entrepreneurial problem-solving at scale, giving startups real-world issues to address.

Additionally, CarDekho brands will support skill development programs, enhancing entrepreneurial and technical capabilities among founders and their teams. This focus on human capital development is expected to strengthen India’s innovation pipeline.

Voices from the Collaboration

Speaking at the signing, Shri Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, highlighted the importance of bringing corporates and startups together:

“Connecting the expertise of leading corporates with the innovation potential of Indian startups will unlock powerful solutions for mobility, finance, and sustainability. The partnership with CarDekho will create opportunities for collaboration, capacity building, and market access across the country.”

On behalf of CarDekho Group, Amit Jain, Co-founder & CEO, emphasized the company’s commitment to co-creating with startups:

“We are committed to working alongside India’s most promising entrepreneurs to drive innovation that impacts millions of lives. Partnering with DPIIT and integrating with the Startup India platform will enable us to mentor, fund, and provide market access to startups in mobility, fintech, and beyond.”

Strengthening Startup India’s Vision

The MoU was signed by Dr. Sumeet Jarangal, Director, DPIIT, and Amit Jain, Co-founder & CEO, CarDekho Group, in the presence of senior officials from both organizations.

This collaboration reflects Startup India’s broader vision of building a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem that fosters innovation, self-reliance (Atmanirbharta), and global competitiveness. With over 1.25 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups across India, partnerships like this are crucial in bridging the gap between policy support and industry expertise.

By leveraging CarDekho’s reach and DPIIT’s institutional backing, the initiative is set to unlock new opportunities for startups, particularly in emerging areas that combine technology, finance, and sustainability.