Government Announces 3-Year Relaxation Rule for DSIR Recognition of Deep-Tech Startups

The Union Government on Sunday announced a major policy relaxation to support India's growing deep-tech startup ecosystem, removing the mandatory three-year existence requirement for startups seeking recognition under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR).

The decision is expected to provide early-stage innovators faster access to institutional support and help promising ideas scale sooner.

Marking the 42nd Foundation Day of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) under the Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST), Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, PMO, Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy, Dr Jitendra Singh made the announcement while addressing a gathering of policymakers, scientists, industry leaders and startup stakeholders.

The relaxation applies to DSIR's Industrial Research and Development Promotion Programme and is aimed particularly at deep-tech startups that often require early validation and support before achieving market maturity. The Minister said the move would benefit early starters and first-time entrepreneurs who previously faced entry barriers due to the minimum existence condition.

Dr Jitendra Singh said the government's INR 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund has generated nationwide interest but is structured to support startups that have already reached a certain technological readiness. "For early-stage innovators or startups, a wide basket of schemes already exists across departments such as DST, CSIR and TDB. The removal of the three-year existence requirement is a significant incentive to help deep-tech startups scale faster," he said.

He explained that while CSIR had earlier extended loans, in some cases up to INR 1 crore, such assistance required startups to demonstrate sustainability through three years of existence. "That requirement has now been done away with," the Minister said, adding that the reform reflects the government's confidence in India's innovators while maintaining evaluation standards linked to technological maturity.

Highlighting India's progress in science and technology, Dr Singh said the country has moved beyond the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat to a phase where other nations increasingly depend on Indian capabilities. Referring to vaccines, medical devices and indigenous technologies, he said, "We are not only self-reliant; we are making others rely on us."

The Minister underlined DSIR's four pillars—science, industry, research and development, and technology transfer—stressing that sustained research requires industry participation from an early stage. He also noted DSIR's expanded role in offering fiscal incentives such as customs duty exemptions to encourage collaboration among industry, MSMEs and startups.

The Foundation Day event also marked the launch of four initiatives, including new DSIR guidelines for deep-tech startup recognition, the PRISM Network Platform–TOCIC Innovator Pulse, Creative India 2025 under the PRISM scheme, and a DSIR Disaster Management Plan.

Several agreements were exchanged, including one under the Technology Development and Utilisation Programme for Women to establish a Skill Satellite Centre in Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh, and technology transfer agreements under the CRTDH Programme to strengthen MSME-focused R&D.

Senior officials present included DSIR Secretary Dr N Kalaiselvi, Principal Scientific Advisor Prof Ajay Kumar Sood and others. Concluding the event, Dr Jitendra Singh said the policy relaxation is driven by a "noble intent to accelerate and sustain new startups," adding that the Foundation Day marked "a decisive step towards building a future-ready, technology-sovereign India."