BPCL Emerges as a Global Innovation Leader, Secures Spot in Top 100 Corporate Startup Stars 2025

For years, India’s startup boom has been powered by ambitious founders, deep-tech innovators, and a rapidly maturing ecosystem. But behind this growth, a quiet transformation has also been unfolding inside India’s largest corporations—where open innovation, startup partnerships, and technology-first thinking are becoming strategic priorities.

This week, that shift received global validation.

In a proud moment for India’s innovation landscape, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has been named among the Top 100 Corporate Startup Stars (CSS) 2025, a prestigious global ranking curated by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Mind the Bridge. BPCL is not only the first but also the only Indian organisation to make it to the global list this year, placing it alongside giants from the Forbes Global 2000 and Fortune Global 500.

The recognition was announced at a ceremony in Paris, and for India’s corporate-startup ecosystem, it marks a big milestone. It signals that Indian enterprises are no longer just catching up—they are now contributing meaningfully to global innovation networks.

A Global Nod to India’s Corporate Innovation Shift

The Corporate Startup Stars awards highlight companies that excel in collaborating with startups, building open innovation systems, and investing in next-generation technologies. For BPCL, the honour underscores a decade-long, deliberate shift toward encouraging entrepreneurship, technology adoption, and sustainable solutions.

Speaking on the recognition, BPCL Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Khanna said the award is a reflection of the company’s mission to drive future-ready innovation.

“This global accolade is a testament to Bharat Petroleum’s commitment to building an open innovation ecosystem that fosters entrepreneurship in the country. Through our startup initiative ‘Ankur’, we are catalysing solutions that will make energy cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable.”

His statement captures the essence of BPCL’s larger vision—innovation not for the sake of trend-spotting, but as a strategic lever for India’s clean energy future.

Inside ‘Ankur’: BPCL’s Innovation Engine

BPCL’s flagship programme Ankur, launched in 2016, is at the heart of its transformation story.

Over the past nine years, Ankur has supported 30 startups developing solutions in some of the most high-impact technology domains:

• Robotics and automation

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

• Industrial IoT

• Asset integrity and predictive maintenance

• Safety and industrial risk management

These focus areas align closely with BPCL’s operational needs—but also with India’s long-term energy priorities, from sustainability to smarter infrastructure and next-gen mobility.

To deepen this support, the company also created the BPCL Ankur Fund, designed to invest in early-stage ventures building technologies that could shape the future of energy and manufacturing.

Global Leaders Applaud BPCL’s Model

BPCL’s recognition was not just a tick on a list—it earned active praise from international industry leaders.

ICC Secretary General John W H Denton AO highlighted how collaboration-driven innovation is shaping tomorrow’s global economy:

“Businesses that collaborate with startups are shaping the future of global commerce.”

Meanwhile, Alberto Onetti, Chairman of Mind the Bridge, called BPCL a strong example of how large corporations can drive open innovation with purpose:

“BPCL is a strong case of how a corporation can strategically drive innovation by partnering with startups and investing in them. Through Project Ankur and the BPCL Ankur Fund, the company has created a platform that accelerates technology adoption while nurturing India’s energy entrepreneurs.”

Such endorsements place BPCL in a rare global league—one where corporate innovation isn’t just an experiment but a foundational strategy.

A Bigger Role in India’s Next Innovation Leap

Beyond the award itself, BPCL’s inclusion in the global Top 100 list signals something deeper for India.

As BPCL celebrates 50 years, the company is undergoing a decisive strategic shift—in sustainability, EV infrastructure, and its ambitious net-zero by 2040 roadmap. Startups will play a crucial role in this transition, and BPCL’s model of technology-led collaboration sets a template for other Indian corporates to follow.

The honour also bolsters India’s presence in global innovation circles at a time when the country is positioning itself as a hub for energy tech, AI-led industrial transformation, and deep-tech entrepreneurship.

BPCL’s achievement is more than a corporate milestone. It highlights:

• The growing maturity of India’s startup ecosystem

• The rise of deep-tech and energy-tech innovations

• The importance of corporate partnerships in driving large-scale transformation

As startups continue to build bold solutions and corporations embrace open innovation models, India’s innovation story is entering a new phase—more global, more collaborative, and more ambitious.

BPCL’s recognition as a Corporate Startup Star isn’t just a moment of celebration. It’s a signal of what India’s future innovation landscape could look like: connected, sustainable, and globally competitive.