New Delhi

August 10, 2026

In a strategic initiativetowards strengthening Intellectual Property (IP) support for innovators, startups, researchers and emerging enterprises, two Virtual IP Facilitation Cells were launched in New Delhi on August10th, 2026, in collaboration with IIT Delhi (IHFC) and MeitY Startup Hub (MSH).

The launch programme was led by Ms. Sunita Verma, GC (R&D–Electronics), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), with the participation of senior representatives from government, academia, industry and the national IP ecosystem.

The programme brought together distinguished members and experts, including Shri Jay Vardhan Tiwari, Scientist E, MeitY and Programme Officer; Prof. Mayank Srivastava, IISc; Prof. Raj Hirwani, AcSIR; Ms. Taruna Gupta, Head, IP Governance, TCS; Prof. Padmavati Manchikanti, RGNIIPM, IIT Kharagpur; Dr. Thangapandian, Joint Controller of P&D, IPO, DPIIT; Shri Ashutosh Gambhir, Policy Team, NASSCOM; Ms. Kalaivani Ganesan, Scientist F, DBT; Dr. Praveen Roy, Scientist G and Head, TTI Division, DST; Dr. Sunit Rane, Scientist F, CMET; and Prof. C. C. Reddy, IIT Ropar.

The Virtual IP Facilitation Cells are designed to provide accessible, structured and technology-enabled IP support to innovators, startups, researchers, incubators and emerging enterprises. The Cells will facilitate IP awareness, preliminary guidance on IP protection and registration, technology assessment, and linkages with appropriate IP professionals, institutions and other ecosystem stakeholders.

A key objective of the initiative is to encourage innovators to consider IP protection at an early stage of technology development. Timely IP guidance can help stakeholders identify the IP potential of their innovations, understand suitable protection pathways, and take informed decisions regarding the creation, management and eventual commercialization of their intellectual assets.

The virtual model is intended to make IP facilitation accessible, responsive and inclusive, particularly for startups and innovators who may not have immediate access to dedicated IP expertise. The Cells will also strengthen connections among innovators, academia, incubators, industry and IP professionals, creating opportunities for collaboration, technology development and technology transfer.

The launch marks an important step in operationalizing a structured mechanism for providing IP support to innovators and startups through a virtual platform. The Virtual IP Facilitation Cells are expected to strengthen early-stage IP guidance, facilitate access to appropriate IP expertise, and support innovators in moving from IP creation and protection towards effective management and commercialization of their intellectual assets.

The launch of the Virtual IP Facilitation Cells marks an important step towards strengthening IP creation, protection, management and commercialization, while supporting innovation, entrepreneurship and technology-led growth in India.

The initiative is implemented by the C-DAC team comprising Smt Lenali Singh, Programme Director– Multilingual Technologies GroupC-DAC Pune; Shri Umesh Vitalkar - Scientist F, C-DAC Pune; Shri Parimal Khade - Joint Director, C-DAC Pune; Smt Saranya R. - PE; Shri Varun, PE; Shri Nikhil Kaushik - CIP-IE Supporting Staff; and Smt Priya Raj - CIP-IE Supporting Staff.