A significant partnership has been formed between Daikin Airconditioning India Pvt. Ltd. and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India, to promote green innovation and empower Indian startups in the climate-smart technology sector. This collaboration aims to nurture product-centric Indian startups working in areas such as cooling solutions, sustainable manufacturing, and climate-tech innovation. Daikin India will offer mentorship, pilot project support, and technical incubation to startups that align with these priorities, creating an ecosystem where young Indian companies can thrive.
The partnership is particularly significant in the context of India’s booming air-conditioning market, which is expected to experience exponential growth in both urban and rural areas. With the need for low-cost, energy-efficient, and sustainable cooling becoming increasingly important, this initiative could be a game-changer for hardware startups in the cooling and climate tech space. The partnership brings together Daikin’s global expertise and cutting-edge R&D in the HVAC space with the Indian government’s support for local innovation, providing startups with access to real-world testing, market pilots, and potential procurement opportunities.
The collaboration also focuses on rural innovation, spotlighting the need for reliable and affordable cooling solutions in underserved areas. By building the climate-tech value chain, this partnership could provide the missing links for startups to scale and commercialize their products. With the climate urgency requiring immediate attention, this initiative is expected to create ripple effects across related sectors, fostering a broader innovation culture around sustainable infrastructure.
For startups working in climate cooling, rural tech, or green manufacturing, this partnership presents an opportunity to experiment, grow, and scale. While the full details of the selection criteria and engagement models are yet to be rolled out, the involvement of DPIIT suggests a structured and transparent approach. The partnership is expected to lead to calls for applications, industry roundtables, mentoring sessions, pilots for product validation, and opportunities for co-development and procurement.
Overall, the Daikin-DPIIT collaboration is a significant step towards building a cooler, greener, and more startup-driven India. It opens up a vital corridor between global industrial knowledge and Indian grassroots innovation, providing a platform for Indian startups to drive innovation in climate tech and localized manufacturing. As India aspires to become a global manufacturing hub and lead the charge in climate action, such partnerships serve as crucial proof points, and the next big idea in cooling may well come from a small lab in Bengaluru or a workshop in Pune.