Govt's energy platform to back 30 deep‑tech startups

New Delhi, Aug 21 (AHN) MC²+ -- the energy innovation platform under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas -- has launched MC²+ Ignite, a sector-specific accelerator programme that will select approximately 30 deep‑tech startups and offer milestone‑linked convertible funding of up to Rs 2 crore to each of them, a statement said on Friday.

The programme is designed to help deep-tech startups move from technology development and laboratory validation to industrial pilots and commercial deployment.

MC²+ Ignite will connect startups with capital, R&D infrastructure, technical expertise, industry mentors, pilot opportunities and potential commercial pathways through participating energy companies, the statement added.

Applications for the inaugural MC²+ Ignite cohort will close on August 31, 2026 and selected startups will be announced on September 15, 2026.

MC²+ is a Section 8 not-for-profit energy innovation platform led by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and backed by India’s energy majors.

It was created to help translate energy and industrial deep-tech innovations from the laboratory into real-world deployment.

The platform brings together energy companies, research institutions, startups and innovators to address industry problem statements and create pathways for promising technologies to be tested, piloted and ultimately commercialised.

The programme will operate through a hub in Delhi and nodes within R&D centres of participating oil and gas companies, enabling startups to work closer to real industrial environments and access pilot sites for technology validation.

MC²+ has partnered with premier institutions including IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, C-CAMP and Venture Centre, Pune, giving startups access to infrastructure, laboratories and mentoring capabilities across India.

The platform aims to create a direct interface between industry problem statements, scientific research, startup innovation and commercial deployment—reducing the distance between a technology being developed in a laboratory and its adoption in the energy sector.

Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Chairman, MC² Foundation, said the platform was created to address duplication and fragmentation in energy-sector R&D and establish stronger links between industry requirements, research institutions and startups.

“Several of our companies can be working on the very same catalyst at the same time. That is duplication of work, of investment and of bureaucracy and it comes with no direct interface to the institutions where the research is actually happening,” Mittal said.

Dr. Mittal also emphasised the need for Indian energy technologies to be developed with global markets in mind.

The platform will support startups through the entire cycle, he said, adding that technical and managerial mentorship will be provided.

“A PSU will procure your product when it is ready. You should not have to worry about whether a market exists,” Mittal added.

—AHN

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