Startup Policy Forum, IIT Madras Join Hands To Foster Startup Research, Innovation

SUMMARY

Under the MoU, SPF will collaborate with IIT Madras’s Centre For Research on Start-ups and Risk Financing (CREST), a vertical that researches on startup financing, SPF said in its statement

The partnership will further contribute to IIT Madras YNOS, a startup intelligence platform that brings together information and research on various stakeholders and government schemes

The statement also said that the MoU is aimed at fostering startup policy research and innovations to bridge the industry gap

The startup body Startup Policy Forum (SPF) has inked a pact with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras for research and data-driven policy advocacy for startups.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), SPF will collaborate with IIT Madras’s Centre For Research on Start-ups and Risk Financing (CREST), a vertical that researches on startup financing, SPF said in its statement.

The partnership will further contribute to IIT Madras YNOS, a startup intelligence platform that brings together information and research on various stakeholders and government schemes.

The statement also said that the MoU is aimed at fostering startup policy research and innovations to bridge the industry gap.

“This partnership with IIT Madras is a testament to our commitment to shaping policies that are not just reactive but proactive in addressing the needs of India’s dynamic startup landscape,” said SPF President and CEO Shweta Rajpal Kohli.

Founded by Kohli, a public policy veteran with extensive experience, SPF aims to foster constructive collaboration between founders, policymakers and regulators. The forum’s objective is to support the government’s initiatives to position Indian startups on the global stage, but in a way that’s inclusive and collaborative.

Manu Santhanam, Dean, Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research, IIT Madras said, “This collaboration with SPF aligns with our vision to translate research excellence into meaningful policy contributions. We are excited to co-create knowledge, support founders and industry leaders, and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs through impactful policymaking.”

The founding members of SPF include prominent Indian startups and unicorns such as Razorpay, CRED, Pine Labs, Groww, Acko, OYO, Swiggy, Practo, Dream11, MPL among others.

Last month, the startup body entered into a partnership with The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to promote the world’s third largest startup ecosystem. SPF and DPIIT said that they will be curating specialised immersive programmes, designed to connect global investors with India’s vibrant startup ecosystem.