{"id":6142,"date":"2025-06-22T20:09:08","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T20:09:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/6142\/"},"modified":"2025-06-22T20:09:08","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T20:09:08","slug":"big-boost-for-startups-dpiit-info-edge-partners-to-power-small-town-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/6142\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Boost for Startups! DPIIT & Info Edge Partners to Power Small-Town Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can a job portal from the 90s power the next wave of Indian innovation? <\/strong>That\u2019s the question being answered boldly by Info Edge (India) Ltd. as it steps into a strategic alliance with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The goal? To support and scale startups not just in India\u2019s buzzing metros but deep into Tier II and Tier III cities\u2014where untapped potential meets lack of access.<\/p>\n

In a move that\u2019s set to ripple across the startup ecosystem, Info Edge has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DPIIT. This public-private collaboration aims to bridge long-standing gaps\u2014mentorship, funding access, and business infrastructure\u2014for early-stage founders who often don\u2019t have the same resources as their urban counterparts.<\/p>\n

Signed in the presence of DPIIT Joint Secretary Sanjiv Singh and Info Edge\u2019s visionary founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani, this partnership is more than just paperwork\u2014it\u2019s a signal that India is serious about democratising entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n

Filling the Missing Pieces of India\u2019s Startup Puzzle<\/p>\n

While the Startup India mission has laid a strong foundation, one challenge continues to persist: how do we ensure that the wave of innovation isn\u2019t limited to Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where Info Edge steps in as a game-changer.<\/p>\n

Best known for its flagship platform naukri.com<\/strong>, Info Edge has over the years become a quiet giant of the Indian internet economy. From jobs (naukri.com, naukrigulf.com) to matrimony (jeevansathi.com), real estate (99acres.com), and education (shiksha.com), the company has built digital infrastructure that connects millions of Indians every day.<\/p>\n

Now, with the DPIIT partnership, this infrastructure will be reimagined to serve India\u2019s next-gen entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

In a statement, DPIIT highlighted that this MoU will “strengthen the support structure for startups by giving them access to the expertise and infrastructure Info Edge has developed over the years.\u201d<\/strong> This aligns with the government\u2019s broader Startup India mission, which has already recognized over 100,000 startups as part of its formal ecosystem.<\/p>\n

nfo Edge: The Original Startup Ally<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even before “startup” became a buzzword, Info Edge was already backing dreamers.<\/p>\n

What many don\u2019t know is that beyond being a digital platform powerhouse, Info Edge is also one of India\u2019s most respected early-stage investors. It has seeded some of India\u2019s most iconic unicorns\u2014Zomato<\/strong>, Policybazaar<\/strong>, Meritnation<\/strong>, Mydala<\/strong>, and Canvera<\/strong>, to name a few.<\/p>\n

These investments weren\u2019t just about money. They were about believing in a founder\u2019s vision, sharing hard-won wisdom, and helping navigate the choppy waters of entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n

With this partnership, that same investment DNA is now being extended to thousands of aspiring founders who lack access to such mentorship and support\u2014especially outside the big cities.<\/p>\n

From the Cities to the Small Towns<\/strong><\/p>\n

Info Edge\u2019s presence in 43 cities and 62 offices<\/strong> gives it a rare advantage: on-ground knowledge. This local reach, paired with DPIIT\u2019s policy framework, will help startups grow in places that are often left behind in the innovation conversation.<\/p>\n

Imagine a young founder in Ranchi or Rajkot gaining access to top-tier mentorship and funding guidance. That\u2019s the future this partnership is betting on.<\/p>\n

Sanjeev Bikhchandani, a name synonymous with internet entrepreneurship in India, understands this shift better than most. As someone who built one of India\u2019s first successful internet companies from scratch in the pre-Jio era, his experience and his company\u2019s digital muscle could be pivotal for grassroots startup growth.<\/p>\n

A Global Vision Rooted in Indian Realities<\/strong><\/p>\n

Info Edge\u2019s story is also one of international expansion\u2014with naukrigulf.com<\/strong> operating across the Gulf region. But while it expands outward, this partnership signals a recommitment to strengthening the roots at home.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a model of growth that balances scale with inclusion. A blueprint for how India can build global giants while nurturing innovation across its smallest towns.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just a corporate deal. It\u2019s a signal of trust, collaboration, and a shared belief in India\u2019s entrepreneurial spirit.<\/p>\n

If successful, this initiative could become a template for other public-private models. Because when startups thrive, jobs are created, problems are solved, and economies grow\u2014bottom-up.<\/p>\n

And in that journey, partnerships like these are the scaffolding upon which India\u2019s startup dream will rise.<\/p>\n

The DPIIT-Info Edge alliance is not just about enabling businesses. It\u2019s about widening the circle of opportunity. It\u2019s about ensuring that the next Zomato or Policybazaar doesn\u2019t have to come from a metro\u2014it could very well come from Muzaffarpur or Moradabad.<\/p>\n

And that, perhaps, is the true power of this collaboration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Can a job portal from the 90s power the next wave of Indian innovation? That\u2019s the question being…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6143,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[64,7686,607,7696,7695,7693,7690,7688,7694,7691,7689,7687,67,132,68,7692],"class_list":{"0":"post-6142","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entrepreneurship","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-dpiit","10":"tag-entrepreneurship","11":"tag-indian-startup-ecosystem","12":"tag-info-edge","13":"tag-public-private-partnership","14":"tag-sanjeev-bikhchandani","15":"tag-small-town-startups","16":"tag-startup-india","17":"tag-startup-mentorship","18":"tag-tier-ii-startups","19":"tag-tier-iii-entrepreneurship","20":"tag-united-states","21":"tag-unitedstates","22":"tag-us","23":"tag-zomato"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114728833196773679","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6142\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}