“This collaboration reflects our dedication to foster world-class products that highlight India’s manufacturing excellence.” Sanjiv Singh, IRS, DPIIT Joint Secretary
“Having navigated the challenges of prototype dead ends, supply chain gaps, and scaling hurdles, we are uniquely positioned to guide an emerging innovator.” Ishwar Kumhar, Founder & CEO, Brandworks
In a move towards technological self-reliance, Brandworks Technologies through its newly launched vertical BIRF (Brandworks Innovation Research Foundation), and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi. The memorandum aims to support product start-ups, MSME’s and entrepreneurs; strengthening India’s manufacturing and innovation quest to become a valued partner in the global electronics value chains.
The MoU formalizes the series of dialogue between DPIIT’s Startup India initiative and Brandworks – a homegrown electronics major. For Ishwar Kumhar, Brandworks’ Founder & CEO, this partnership is special: “Having navigated the challenges of prototype dead ends, supply chain gaps, and scaling hurdles, we are uniquely positioned to guide an emerging innovator.”
The agreement establishes a shared responsibility framework where DPIIT’s national ecosystem will facilitate network access, program participations and co-branding through Startup India and Brandworks’ will extend its vital resources, expert mentorship, advanced infrastructure and targeted investments to unleash the power of innovation. Sanjiv Singh, IRS, DPIIT Joint Secretary added: “this collaboration reflects our dedication to foster world-class products that highlight India’s manufacturing excellence.”
Under The Agreement: BIRF’s Comprehensive Startup-Enablement Framework delivers end-to-end innovation support:
Lab-to-Market Manufacturing Access: Startups can leverage Brandworks’ incubation centre providing for – advanced prototyping labs (featuring 3D printing, modular PCBAs, and comprehensive testing workflows) – and tools for R&D (for GaN technology, IoT firmware, and material sciences).
Scalable Growth Pathway: Structured incubation program targeting 15 startups in 2025-26 and 200+ within 3-5 years across core domains especially in electronics hardware, IoT systems, communication modules, and AI-accelerated devices.
Expert Mentorship: Strategic advice on IP, costing and product commercialization facilitating global market access, export compliance, and cross-border investor connections.
Certification Support: Guidance for CE, UL, BIS, and pre-certified modules & RoHS-compliant SMT lines and scaling assistance.
With India’s electronics market valued at $91 billion and growing, there remains a critical need for domestic innovation in semiconductors and precision components. The MoU addresses this gap by supporting hardware start-ups through every stage of development. “Most hardware start-ups falter before reaching production,” explained Kumhar. “Our experience enables us to help them overcome these barriers.” The timing aligns with India’s PLI schemes and global supply chain realignment, presenting a unique opportunity to strengthen home grown innovation.
