NEW DELHI, MARCH 26:
In a move aimed at strengthening India’s rapidly evolving startup landscape, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has entered into a strategic partnership with KRAFTON India Pvt. Ltd. to support emerging entrepreneurs and foster innovation across digital sectors.
The collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), is expected to create new opportunities for startups working in areas such as digital entertainment, online gaming, esports, interactive media, and artificial intelligence-driven technologies. With India’s digital economy expanding at a rapid pace, the initiative is being seen as a timely intervention to nurture talent and encourage scalable innovation.
Officials said the partnership is designed to bridge the gap between industry and early-stage startups by offering structured engagement, mentorship, and access to domain expertise. Startups selected under this initiative will benefit from industry insights, knowledge-sharing platforms, and curated opportunities that can help them refine their ideas and bring them closer to market readiness.
Speaking on the occasion, Joint Secretary DPIIT, Sanjiv, highlighted the importance of such collaborations in building a resilient innovation ecosystem. He noted that partnerships between government bodies and private industry can accelerate the development of globally competitive solutions while also strengthening India’s position in emerging technology sectors.
The MoU also outlines plans to organise innovation-driven programmes under initiatives like the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge. These will include hackathons, workshops, and masterclasses focusing on areas such as game design, animation, immersive technologies, esports management, and AI applications. Such platforms are expected to encourage creative problem-solving and provide startups with exposure to real-world industry challenges.
A key focus of the collaboration will be helping startups achieve critical growth milestones. This includes support for Proof-of-Concept (PoC) development, improving market access, and enabling integration into broader industry ecosystems. Select startups may also get opportunities to collaborate on pilot projects, opening doors for long-term partnerships and commercial expansion.
Beyond direct startup support, the initiative aims to strengthen the overall innovation ecosystem by promoting wider participation in programmes under Startup India. Through outreach and engagement efforts, the collaboration seeks to connect entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and regions, ensuring inclusive growth across the sector.
The agreement was signed by Deputy Secretary DPIIT, T. L. K. Singh, and Head of Government Relations at KRAFTON India, Vibhor Kukreti, in the presence of senior officials from both sides.
Industry experts believe that such collaborations are crucial for sustaining India’s momentum as one of the world’s fastest-growing startup ecosystems. By combining policy support with industry expertise, the initiative is expected to provide startups with the tools and environment needed to innovate, scale, and compete on a global stage.
As digital technologies continue to reshape industries, partnerships like this highlight the growing emphasis on innovation-led growth. With a focus on creativity, technology, and entrepreneurship, the DPIIT-KRAFTON collaboration marks another step forward in building a future-ready startup ecosystem in India.
