“Through this partnership, we aim to catalyse an enabling environment for EV innovation,” says DPIIT’s Sanjiv Singh as Startup Policy Forum facilitates landmark MoU
Bengaluru, NFAPost: In a major push to accelerate India’s industrial transformation and foster an innovation-led manufacturing ecosystem, the Startup Policy Forum (SPF) has launched its flagship initiative — ‘Build in Bharat’ — aimed at bolstering domestic manufacturing and supporting startups in scaling their hardware and deep-tech ambitions from Indian soil.
Marking the first milestone under this initiative, SPF has successfully facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between its member company, Ather Energy, and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The MoU, signed in the presence of Shri Sanjiv Singh, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, and Tarun Mehta, Co-founder and CEO of Ather Energy, is a significant move to energize India’s electric vehicle (EV) and advanced manufacturing sectors. The partnership aims to drive investment, expand domestic manufacturing capacity, strengthen skill development, and generate high-value employment opportunities in the country.
“The electric mobility sector in India is entering a transformative phase,” said Shri Sanjiv Singh.
“Through this partnership with Ather Energy, we aim to catalyse the development of an enabling environment where startups can contribute meaningfully to EV manufacturing, battery innovation, and clean energy solutions.”
Ather Energy, known for pioneering India’s homegrown EV revolution, sees this collaboration as a crucial step toward fortifying the startup manufacturing ecosystem.
“We are happy to collaborate with DPIIT to strengthen support systems for hardware and deep-tech startups,” said Tarun Mehta.
“With policy support and stronger industry participation, this initiative can help founders tackle core technology challenges and scale high-quality products from India.”
The Build in Bharat initiative underscores SPF’s mission to align innovation with industrial policy, bridging the gap between startup founders, policymakers, and investors. It brings stakeholders together on a shared platform to co-create solutions, address regulatory hurdles, and unlock sector-specific growth opportunities — particularly in high-tech and manufacturing-intensive domains.
“This partnership between DPIIT and Ather Energy brings to life the Startup Policy Forum’s Build in Bharat initiative,” said Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President and CEO, Startup Policy Forum.
“Unlocking the potential of India’s manufacturing sector through collaboration is key to building a globally competitive innovation ecosystem.”
SPF plays an active role in advocating for policy reforms, enabling regulatory clarity, and promoting homegrown manufacturing innovation. The forum sees Build in Bharat as the first step in a broader, long-term national movement to position India as a global powerhouse for advanced, sustainable, and innovation-driven manufacturing.
A National Call to Action
Through this initiative, SPF is calling on the larger startup ecosystem — from deep-tech pioneers and clean energy innovators to hardware-first companies — to coalesce around a shared vision of building in and for Bharat. With global attention on India’s manufacturing prowess, the forum believes that now is the time to leverage public-private synergies and translate innovation into tangible industrial outcomes.
About Startup Policy Forum
Startup Policy Forum is an independent industry body representing over 50 of India’s most prominent and fastest-growing startups with a collective valuation exceeding $80 billion. Member companies include the likes of CRED, OYO, Groww, Zerodha, Razorpay, Dream11, Digantara, and many others across sectors such as fintech, AI, manufacturing, deeptech, and consumer tech.
Led by public policy veteran Shweta Rajpal Kohli, SPF serves as the voice of new-age Indian companies, championing progressive regulatory frameworks, policy innovation, and community-driven development to help Indian startups scale globally and contribute to the country’s ambition of becoming a developed economy by 2047.
With Build in Bharat, SPF is laying the foundation for a future where Indian startups don’t just innovate — they manufacture, scale, and lead from the front.
