(THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM)
Noida, Uttar Pradesh | 4th September 2025 — In a remarkable step towards accelerating India’s innovation-driven growth, the Foundation for Innovation & Research in Science & Technology (FIRST), IIT Kanpur, and the Council For Start-up India (CSI) have entered into a strategic partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur, in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

The Council is chaired by Former Chief Justice of India, Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, with Padma Vibhushan Dr. R. A. Mashelkar serving as Co-Chairperson. This high-level partnership brings together premier academic, legal, and scientific leadership to empower the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs.

The MoU aims to create a robust collaborative framework for nurturing entrepreneurship, empowering early-stage ventures, and supporting the growth of a dynamic start-up ecosystem in the country. By combining the institutional strength and research excellence of IIT Kanpur with the outreach and facilitation capabilities of CSI, the partnership is poised to provide comprehensive support—ranging from mentorship and technical guidance to infrastructure access, policy advocacy, and capacity building.

The agreement was formally signed by Prof. Deepu Philip, Director (Ex-Officio), Professor-in-Charge, Innovation & Incubation, IIT Kanpur, on behalf of FIRST, and Pankaj Gupta, Legal Advisor, on behalf of the Council For Start-up India.

The signing ceremony was graced by distinguished dignitaries, including:
• (Prof.) Deepu Philip, Director (Ex-Officio), Professor-in-Charge, Innovation & Incubation, IIT Kanpur

• Ms. Meenu Ghosh, Secretary General, Council For Start-up India
• Vice Admiral S. N. Ghormade, Former Vice Chief of Naval Staff
• K. Subramanium, Former Director General, Comptroller and Auditor General of India

• Piyush Mishra, COO, IIT Kanpur.

Speaking on the occasion, (Prof.) Manindra Agarwal emphasized the importance of partnerships in driving innovation and bridging the gap between academic research and entrepreneurial execution. “This MoU represents a shared commitment to building a resilient and future-ready innovation ecosystem in India,” he said.

Ms. Meenu Ghosh highlighted the role of facilitation bodies like CSI in unlocking the potential of start-ups across diverse sectors, noting that “our collaboration with FIRST will serve as a model for impactful engagement between academia and industry enablers.”

This strategic alliance is expected to catalyze breakthrough innovations and enable visionary start-ups to move from ideation to market impact, contributing meaningfully to India’s economic and technological advancement.