Date: 2026-01-12Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
India Moves from Technology Adoption to Technology Leadership: Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates ₹40 Crore DST (Ministry of Science & Technology) funded NIDHI Centre of Excellence at IIM Ahmedabad
**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Science & Technology launched the DST-NIDHI Centre of Excellence (CoE) at IIM Ahmedabad, funded with ₹40 crore. The Centre, dedicated to the nation by Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on January 12, 2026, aims to promote deep-tech entrepreneurship and technology translation. It will operate within a newly established 59,000 sq ft space at IIM Ahmedabad, fostering collaboration between technology experts, management professionals, and industry stakeholders.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Centre of Excellence (CoE) Details:**
* DST-NIDHI Centre of Excellence (CoE) launched at IIM Ahmedabad with ₹40 crore funding.
* Spans 59,000 sq. ft., featuring venture creation labs, collaborative workspaces, and networking zones.
* Supports early-stage startups, deep-tech founders, investors, students, and institutional partners.
* **Strategic Objectives:**
* Promote deep-tech entrepreneurship, technology translation, and venture creation.
* Enable collaboration between technology experts, management professionals, and industry stakeholders.
* Transition India from technology adoption to technology leadership.
* Focus on deep tech-driven growth translating fundamental research into scalable, market-ready solutions.
* **Innovation and Ecosystem Development:**
* Emphasize the importance of democratizing innovation, expanding beyond metropolitan centers.
* Acknowledge India's top-three ranking in the global startup ecosystem.
* Unveil "Translation Endeavours," a multi-institutional collaborative platform.
* Utilize government support mechanisms like RDIF and ANRF for risk-tolerant support for deep-tech ventures.
**Impact Analysis**
**Startups and Entrepreneurs**
* **Impact:** Gain access to a dedicated innovation hub with resources and support for deep-tech ventures.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the facilities and collaborative environment to develop and scale innovative solutions.
**Researchers, Students, and Institutions**
* **Impact:** Access to funding, infrastructure, and collaborative platforms to translate research into practical applications.
* **Action Required:** Collaborate closely, translate science into societal impact, and leverage available funding and resources.
**Investors**
* **Impact:** Opportunity to invest in early-stage deep-tech ventures with government backing and institutional support.
* **Action Required:** Engage with the CoE and affiliated startups to identify promising investment opportunities.
**IIM Ahmedabad**
* **Impact:** Strengthening its role as a national hub for deep-tech entrepreneurship and innovation
* **Action Required:** To continue providing necessary resources and expertise to the CoE and its associated ventures.
Key Entities Referenced
Department of Science and Technology (DST): The primary funding and supporting agency for the Centre of Excellence, indicating its key role in promoting scientific innovation.
NIDHI Centre of Excellence: A newly established center at IIM Ahmedabad designed to foster deep-tech entrepreneurship and technology translation.
IIM Ahmedabad: The location of the NIDHI Centre of Excellence, indicating its role as a management and research institution involved in the program.
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): A government support mechanism designed to provide risk-tolerant support for deep-tech ventures.
Research, Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF): A government support mechanism designed to provide patient, risk-tolerant support for deep-tech ventures.
Ministry of Science & Technology
India Moves from Technology Adoption to
Technology Leadership: Dr Jitendra Singh
inaugurates ₹40 Crore DST (Ministry of Science &
Technology) funded NIDHI Centre of Excellence
at IIM Ahmedabad
India Sets Up 59,000 Sq Ft Deep-Tech Nerve Centre at IIM
Ahmedabad for Startups and Technology Translation
From Incremental Growth to Deep-Tech Transformation: Dr
Jitendra Singh highlighted India’s New Innovation Path
Good Science Alone Is Not Enough; Startups Need
Management to Survive, Says Union Minister Dr Jitendra
Singh
प्रव तथ: 12 JAN 2026 6:00PM by PIB Delhi
India’s journey from technology adoption to technology leadership received a significant boost today with
the launch of the DST–NIDHI Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the Indian Institute of Management,
Ahmedabad (IIM-A).
The Centre of Excellence, supported and funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST)
with an investment of approximately ₹40 crore, was dedicated to the nation by Minister of State
(Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh.
The newly established Centre of Excellence is housed in a dedicated new building and block within the
existing IIM Ahmedabad campus, envisioned as a national hub for deep-tech entrepreneurship, technology
translation, and venture creation. The Centre aims to provide StartUps and entrepreneurs with a unique
interdisciplinary advantage, enabling close collaboration between technology experts, management
professionals, and industry stakeholders under one integrated ecosystem.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted that India has decisively transitioned from
incremental, technology-adopting growth to deep science-led, technology-driven development over the
past decade. He emphasised that the country is now focused on deep tech-driven growth, where innovation
rooted in fundamental research is translated into scalable, market-ready solutions.
“Deep technology is not a passing trend; it is a national imperative. India’s future growth, strategic
autonomy, and global competitiveness will be determined by how effectively we translate science into
solutions,” the Minister said.The Minister noted that institutions like IIM Ahmedabad, with their strong grounding in management
excellence and national ethos, have a critical role to play in ensuring that scientific innovation is supported
by robust commercialisation strategies. He underlined that technology without management cannot
achieve optimal outcomes, just as management without technology risks stagnation, making such
integrated centres essential for sustainable innovation.
The DST–NIDHI Centre of Excellence at IIM-A has been designed as a comprehensive venture-creation
space, spanning 59,000 sq. ft., with facilities including venture creation labs, collaborative workspaces,
meeting and board rooms, training areas, and networking zones. It will support early-stage startups, deep-
tech founders, investors, students, and institutional partners, strengthening the pipeline from lab to market.
The Minister also highlighted the importance of democratising innovation, noting that nearly half of
India’s startups now emerge from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, dispelling the myth that innovation is limited to
metropolitan centres. Affordable digital access, expanding incubation networks, and supportive policy
frameworks have enabled talent from across the country to participate in India’s innovation story.
Referring to India’s improving global standing, the Minister pointed out that the country today ranks
among the top three startup ecosystems globally, with strong growth in patent filings, scientific
publications, and resident-led innovation. He stressed that these achievements reflect years of sustained
investment in scientific capacity-building and ecosystem development.
The launch also marked the unveiling of “Translation Endeavours”, a multi-institutional collaborative
platform bringing together leading academic and research institutions to address the critical challenge of
technology translation in deep-tech domains. The initiative aims to break silos between academia,
industry, government, and investors through shared infrastructure, coordinated incubation, and industry-
aligned innovation pathways.
The Minister emphasised that government support mechanisms such as the Research, Development and
Innovation Fund (RDIF) and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) are designed to
provide patient, risk-tolerant support for deep-tech ventures, including early-stage startups, enabling them
to scale responsibly and sustainably.
Concluding his address, the Minister called upon researchers, students, industry, investors, and institutions
to collaborate closely, stressing that India’s innovation future depends not only on ideas, but on
persistence, integrity, and effective translation of science into societal impact. “Dream boldly, but build
responsibly. The nation is backing your ideas with policy, funding, institutions, and trust,” he said.*****
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