The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) launched an API integration between the Startup India Portal and the Indian Science, Technology and Engineering Facilities Map (I-STEM) on 6 November 2026. The link lets DPIIT-recognised startups discover scientific and testing facilities listed on I-STEM.
Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood chaired the New Delhi launch. Scientific Secretary Dr Parvinder Maini and DPIIT Additional Secretary Ateesh Kumar Singh also spoke, according to a Press Information Bureau release. As of that date, I-STEM listed 31,540 equipment items across 4,044 registered institutions. The move adds shared laboratory access to the Centre’s startup stack, including programmes such as the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0.
What the Startup India I-STEM integration does
The two portals will exchange data through an API, so a startup already recognised on the Startup India platform can discover I-STEM facilities without searching a separate catalogue. Automated verification of DPIIT recognition status is meant to speed up onboarding. Single Sign-On is proposed for later phases, so recognised startups could move between the two systems with one login.
I-STEM maps and shares scientific infrastructure across academic and research institutions. Officials said the integration should lower research and development costs for deep-tech startups, reduce the need to buy expensive equipment that already exists in public laboratories, and improve the use of infrastructure created with public funds.
How startups will request access to facilities
Finding a facility on the linked portals does not by itself grant use of the equipment. Host institutions will still review each request against technical suitability, availability, applicable charges, safety requirements and their own permissions, the PIB release said. Approval stays with the laboratory or institution that owns the kit.
Prof. Sood described the project as an institutional convergence, not only a digital interface, connecting startup needs with scientific capability across the country. Dr Maini said simpler discovery would help startups facing gaps in testing and prototyping. Ateesh Kumar Singh said DPIIT-recognised startups would gain better visibility of specialised research, testing and prototyping facilities for product development and technology validation.
Why shared research infrastructure matters
Deep-tech product work often stalls on testing, prototyping and validation because specialised instruments are scarce or costly to own. Linking a national startup registry with a national facilities map is a digital-governance step: two government platforms share data so users do not repeat the same credentials. It sits alongside other recent science-policy tools, including NITI Aayog’s India S&T Scoreboard, which lets states compare research and patent performance.
The interoperability also fits India’s digital public infrastructure, where government systems expose services through APIs rather than closed portals. DPIIT has separately pursued startup and manufacturing partnerships to widen support for young firms. Startups can already explore listed equipment on the official I-STEM portal while the new link from Startup India rolls out.
Key takeaways
- The Office of the PSA and DPIIT launched an API link between the Startup India Portal and I-STEM on 6 November 2026.
- I-STEM listed 31,540 equipment items at 4,044 registered institutions as of that date.
- Host institutions will still approve each access request; Single Sign-On is planned for a later phase.
FAQ
What is the Startup India I-STEM integration?
It is an API connection, launched on 6 November 2026, that lets DPIIT-recognised startups discover scientific and testing facilities listed on I-STEM from the Startup India Portal.
How many facilities does I-STEM list?
As of 6 November 2026, I-STEM listed 31,540 equipment items across 4,044 registered institutions, according to the Press Information Bureau.
Does the link automatically grant laboratory access?
No. Host institutions continue to assess each request for technical suitability, availability, charges, safety and institutional permissions.
Featured image: Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood speaking at a science-policy launch in New Delhi. Photo: Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser / Photo Division (PIB) (GODL-India)