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The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), an autonomous telecom R&D body under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, has launched the ‘Samarth’ Program — a new incubation initiative aimed at supporting startups in the Telecom and ICT sectors.
In the first phase of this initiative, 18 promising startups have been selected for “Cohort 1” through a competitive selection process. These startups include Turtleneck Systems, Matisoft Cyber Security Labs, Revino Solutions, Ajayan Consulting, Vital Carbon, Atibha Research, Alphappleton Innovations, Agriverse Innovations, Haranzel Technologies, and others.
Under the program, these startups will receive a financial grant of up to INR 5 lakh each, fully furnished office space for six months at C-DOT campuses in Delhi and Bengaluru, and access to C-DOT’s state-of-the-art lab facilities. They will also benefit from expert mentorship by C-DOT technologists and external industry experts.
To formally kick off the initiative, C-DOT hosted a mentoring-cum-acceleration session for the selected startups. The goal of the Samarth program is to help early-stage companies move from the idea stage to successful commercial ventures by offering them resources, guidance, and funding support.
The Samarth Incubation Program focuses on innovation in key technology areas such as telecommunications, 5G/6G, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, IoT, and quantum technologies. The program will be conducted in two cohorts per year, each lasting six months and supporting up to 18 startups — with a total capacity of 36 startups annually.
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) have been selected as the implementation partners for the program. Delivered in a hybrid format, Samarth connects startups with investors, industry leaders, and government experts, enabling them to build sustainable and scalable businesses.
The launch event was attended by dignitaries including Dr Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO of C-DOT, Arvind Kumar, DG of STPI, and Atul Dhawan, President of TiE Delhi-NCR. During the session, the first installment of the funding was distributed to the startups.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between C-DOT and STPI to further strengthen collaboration in training, mentorship, and innovation initiatives.
