Solving for Bharat: How MeitY-NASSCOM CoE is Fueling India's Innovation Engine?

As India strides confidently toward becoming a global tech powerhouse, there's a quiet revolution underway—one that doesn’t always make headlines but is powering transformative change from behind the scenes. At the heart of this revolution is the MeitY-NASSCOM Centre of Excellence (CoE)—a unique public-private partnership that's helping India's homegrown deep tech startups not just survive, but scale and thrive.

TICE sat down with Naman Kothari, Head of Innovation and Partnerships at MeitY-NASSCOM CoE, to understand how this initiative is helping startups move from prototypes to real-world impact—across sectors as diverse as agritech, healthcare, fintech, and even policing.

What is the MeitY-NASSCOM Centre of Excellence?

The CoE is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), NASSCOM, and multiple state governments. It operates out of four hubs across India—Bengaluru (HQ), Gurugram, Gandhinagar, and Visakhapatnam—to promote innovation in deep tech and bridge the gap between startups and large-scale industry adoption.

“You name any sector, you name any problem, and we have a readily available solution for it,” says Kothari. “But most startups fail not because their tech doesn’t work, but because they lack market access. That’s what we are solving here.”

What Sets This Incubator Apart?

India has no shortage of incubators. But what makes this CoE different is its laser-sharp focus on deep tech and market deployment.

Unlike many incubators that provide seed funding or workspace, MeitY-NASSCOM CoE works with fairly mature deep tech startups—those that have moved beyond ideation and are ready for scale. Through deep industry partnerships, regulatory support, lab access, and mentorship, the CoE helps startups land pilot projects and deployments with large enterprises and government agencies.

“This is a sector-agnostic program, as long as the startup falls under the deep tech umbrella—be it AI, IoT, AR/VR, or robotics. We’re not just here to nurture an idea; we help deploy solutions at scale,” Kothari explains.

Policing, AI, and Real-World Impact

A striking example of this sectoral versatility is the CoE’s work in law enforcement—a domain not typically associated with startup innovation.

“In Haryana’s Rewari district, one of our incubated startups is working with the police to digitize and analyze FIRs from the last five years using AI. Their algorithms predict future crime hotspots based on historical data. That’s real societal impact,” he shares.

This AI-powered crime mapping software is now being used by the broader Haryana Police, showing how technology and governance can come together for public good.

Democratizing Innovation: How Startups Can Engage

For startups wondering how to tap into this ecosystem, the process is refreshingly straightforward.

Startups can visit the MeitY-NASSCOM CoE website, fill out a short form, and initiate contact. However, there are eligibility criteria:

• The startup must be based in India.

• It should be working in deep tech with a demonstrable tech element (AI, IoT, etc.).

• It must be fairly mature—beyond just an idea.

Once screened, startups are mentored, fine-tuned, and reviewed by a steering committee before being onboarded into the program.

Challenges in the Ecosystem: What Needs to Change?

While India’s deep tech scene is buzzing with talent and ideas, Kothari points out that there's still a significant gap in enterprise adoption.

“We need more corporates and large enterprises to open their doors to startups. The model of co-creation and open innovation needs to become the norm. Bring startups, incubators, and corporates to the same table and build something together,” he says.

Kothari also believes that the narrative around innovation must shift—from building for elite markets to solving for Bharat. “There are massive opportunities in tier-2, tier-3 cities—if we empower the right tech and the right minds.”

The Bigger Vision

What’s most exciting about the CoE is that it is not just fostering unicorns; it’s building solutions for India’s real problems. From AI-enabled medical diagnostics to climate tech, from smart policing to precision farming, the CoE’s startups are applying tech where it matters most.

“We’re not just an incubator. We’re a national mission to catalyze change through deep tech,” Kothari affirms.

The MeitY-NASSCOM Centre of Excellence is more than a support system for startups—it’s an engine driving India’s transition from a service economy to a product-and-innovation-led economy.

As the startup ecosystem continues to evolve, platforms like this are not only bridging the innovation-to-impact gap but also ensuring that India's tech future is both inclusive and scalable.

If you’re a deep tech startup ready to make a measurable impact, the CoE might just be the launchpad you’re looking for.