PSA and DPIIT Launch Startup India and I-STEM Portal Integration on Nov 6, 2026

What happened

On 6 November 2026, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, in collaboration with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), launched an API integration linking the Startup India Portal with the Indian Science, Technology and Engineering Facilities Map (I-STEM) Portal ^[2]. The launch event was chaired by Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser, alongside other senior officials including Dr. (Mrs.) Parvinder Maini and Shri Ateesh Kumar Singh ^[2].

The initiative establishes API-enabled interoperability between the two platforms to automate the verification of DPIIT-recognised startups and streamline their discovery of publicly funded scientific, testing, and prototyping facilities ^[16][15]. Subsequent phases of the project will incorporate Single Sign-On (SSO) functionality to further simplify user access ^[16]. As of 6 November 2026, the I-STEM database encompassed 31,540 equipment items distributed across 4,044 registered academic and research institutions ^[16]. However, while the portal streamlines discovery, individual infrastructure access requests remain subject to review and approval by host institutions based on technical suitability, safety requirements, availability, applicable charges, and institutional permissions ^[16].

Why it matters

The integration addresses core structural barriers for early-stage and deep-tech enterprises by bridging the gap between startup requirements and national scientific infrastructure ^[2][16]. According to Prof. Sood, the convergence aims to lower research and development (R&D) costs, prevent the duplication of capital-intensive equipment investments, and improve the utilization rate of publicly funded assets ^[2]. By providing DPIIT-recognised startups with direct visibility into specialized testing and validation facilities, the platform supports industry-academia linkages and reduces the financial burden of procuring expensive hardware independently ^[2][16].

What to watch

Stakeholders should monitor the rollout of the planned Single Sign-On (SSO) functionality in upcoming phases, which will further unify the login and verification experience across both portals ^[16]. Additionally, the long-term success of the initiative will depend on the wider onboarding of research facilities, regular updates to infrastructure availability data, and sustained engagement between startups and host institutions ^[16].

Sources

1. Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser and DPIIT Launches API Integration between Startup India and I-STEM Portals to Strengthen Access to National Research Infrastructure: pib.gov.in
2. Integrating Startup India and I-STEM Portals to Enhance Access to National Scientific Research Infrastructure | iPIB app.ipib.in
3. Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser and DPIIT Launches API Integration between Startup India and I-STEM Portals to Strengthen Access to National Research Infrastructure – Technology For You technologyforyou.org