The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), an autonomous telecom R&D institution under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, selects 18 startups under cohort 1 of the Samarth Program—a cutting-edge incubation program for startups in the telecom & ICT sector. Under the initiative, the startups are poised to get a financial grant, fully furnished office space, and access to C-DOT’s lab facilities at the Delhi and Bengaluru campuses. 

C-DoT also hosted the very first mentoring and training session for the startups. This initiative is aimed at nurturing sustainable and scalable business models by providing startups with financial grants, advanced resources, and guidance for the transition from ideation to commercialization.

To read about the size of Groww's upcoming IPO, click here! 

Samarth: What do the startups get? 

Under the initiative, the startups are poised to receive state-of-the-art infrastructure, expert mentorship, and access to a strong network of investors and industry leaders to empower emerging entrepreneurs. Each selected startup under the program receives a grant of up to ₹5 lakh, fully furnished office space for six months at C-DOT campuses in Delhi and Bengaluru, access to C-DOT’s lab facilities, and mentorship from C-DOT technologists and external experts. 

Progressing startups will also be eligible for potential collaboration and further financial grants under the C-DOT Collaborative Research Program (CCRP).

Which startups have been selected?

A total of 18 startups have been selected after an evaluation by a distinguished Selection Committee comprising members from academia, industry, C-DOT, and STPI assessed the shortlisted applicants on criteria such as the quality of their pitch, relevance of the idea, innovation, product potential, team strength, execution capability, and alignment with the problem statements. 

To read about Paytm's latest claim of getting at the verge to profitability, click here!

The list goes on to include Turtleneck Systems & Solutions Private Limited, Matisoft Cyber Security Labs Pvt. Ltd., Revino Solutions Private Limited, Ajayan Consulting Pvt Ltd, Vital Carbon Pvt. Ltd., Atibha Research and Development Pvt Ltd, and Alphappleton Innovations Private Limited, among others.