In News:

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), an autonomous R&D institution under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, has launched ‘Samarth’, a cutting-edge incubation program for startups in the Telecom and ICT sectors. In June 2025, C-DOT formally initiated Cohort-I of the program, selecting 18 startups through a competitive national process.

About the Samarth Program

• Objective: To nurture sustainable and scalable startups from ideation to commercialization in high-tech domains.
• Focus Areas:
  • Telecom applications
  • Cybersecurity
  • 5G/6G technologies
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Quantum technologies

Key Features

Feature                                                   Details

Financial Support                         Grant of up to ?5 lakh per startup

Infrastructure                                  Fully furnished office space at C-DOT campuses in Delhi and Bengaluru for 6 months

Technical Access                         Use of C-DOT’s lab facilities

Mentorship                                       Guidance from C-DOT technologists and external domain experts

Format                                                 Hybrid (online + physical) delivery

Program Structure                   Two cohorts per year, each supporting up to 18 startups (max 36 annually)

Further Opportunities      Eligible for extended collaboration and funding under C-DOT Collaborative Research Program (CCRP)

Implementation and Partnerships

• Implementation Partners:
  • Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)
  • TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) – Delhi NCR Chapter
• Evaluation Criteria: Startups were selected based on innovation, team strength, execution capability, problem-solution relevance, and commercialization potential.
• A distinguished Selection Committee from academia, industry, and government oversaw the evaluation.

Significance

• Boosts indigenous R&D in critical emerging tech sectors aligned with national priorities.
• Supports Atmanirbhar Bharat by encouraging homegrown innovation.
• Builds a robust startup ecosystem in the strategic telecom and ICT domains.
• Encourages public-private partnerships and collaboration between startups and research institutions.