IIT Kanpur’s Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) in partnership with SBI Foundation has launched ‘Startup Innovations for Social Good’ under the umbrella of ‘SBIF Innovators for Bharat’.
This high-impact programme supported by SBI DFHI and SBI Ventures will identify, incubate and scale 30 startups—24 in early stage and 6 in growth stage—across three mission critical domains: AgriTech, Healthcare and CleanTech. The programme was launched on 5 June 2025 at IIT Kanpur Outreach Centre in Noida in the presence of dignitaries from academia, industry and government.
SBIF Innovators for Bharat: A Push for Societal Innovation
This is a strategic combination of academic excellence and corporate social responsibility to address some of India’s biggest developmental challenges. Over an 18 month programme, the selected startups will get structured incubation, expert mentoring, domain specific support and performance monitoring. The objective is to enable startups that deliver sustainable, scalable and socially relevant solutions.
“SIIC/FIRST IIT Kanpur has always had a solution oriented and future ready approach to strengthen India’s startup ecosystem,” said Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director IIT Kanpur. “This collaboration with SBI Foundation is a specially curated programme that will not only enhance startup impact but also contribute to community empowerment and economic growth.”
The programme is part of SBI Foundation’s CSR mandate under its flagship ‘Innovators for Bharat’ platform. The foundation has positioned itself as a key enabler of high-impact social innovation particularly by backing top tier incubators that work with startups addressing critical development issues.
Innovation with Purpose
Prof. Deepu Philip, Professor-in-Charge of Innovation and Incubation at SIIC-FIRST said:
“This programme will nurture technologies that will have wide reaching impact across AgriTech, Healthcare and CleanTech. With over 400 startups incubated at SIIC to date, this is another milestone in our journey of backing meaningful indigenous innovation.”Post incubation growth is also a key focus. Startups will get access to networking, workshops, roadshows and follow-on funding.
Leadership Commitment and Launch Highlights
The launch event was attended by a wide array of stakeholders and dignitaries including:
- Prof. Amey Karkare, Dean of Resources and Alumni, IIT Kanpur
- Shri Sanjay Prakash, MD & CEO, SBI Foundation
- Mr. Kapil Kaul, CEO, IIT Kanpur Development Foundation
- Shri Ambika Prasad Bhuyan, VP, SBI DFHI Limited
- Mr. Kumar Alok IAS (Retd.), former Chief Secretary of Tripura
- Mr. Aman Bhaiya, VP & Head (Strategy), SBI Foundation
- Mr. Piyush Mishra, COO, FIRST SIIC Kanpur
Speaking on behalf of the SBI Foundation, Sanjay Prakash remarked,
“This initiative will be a cornerstone in identifying, funding, and nurturing startups poised to lead the next wave of Agritech, Healthcare, and Cleantech innovations. Our partnership with IIT Kanpur’s SIIC—one of India’s leading incubators—reflects our enduring commitment to driving social progress through innovation.”
A Model for Public-Private-Academic Synergy
SIIC at IIT Kanpur, a pioneer in India’s incubation ecosystem, has extensive experience in nurturing deep-tech and socially impactful startups. Its infrastructure, access to academic expertise and global partnerships make it the preferred choice for entrepreneurs who want to solve real world problems.
The initiative will be implemented in phases, with high degree of customization and monitoring at every stage. With targeted funding, technical support and ecosystem integration the program aims to create a replicable and scalable model for social entrepreneurship in India.
About SIIC, IIT Kanpur
Established in 2000, Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at IIT Kanpur is one of India’s oldest and most active technology business incubators. It has supported over 400 startups across domains with a strong focus on indigenous, deep-tech solutions.
About SBI Foundation
The CSR arm of the State Bank of India, SBI Foundation drives social change by supporting impactful initiatives in education, rural development, health and innovation. Its ‘Innovators for Bharat’ program is a flagship platform for promoting sustainable, scalable solutions for India’s challenges.
Conclusion
In a time when climate resilience, healthcare equity and agricultural sustainability are more important than ever, the SBIF Innovators for Bharat program is a model of responsible innovation. Through this collaborative platform, IIT Kanpur and SBI Foundation are saying India’s development challenges require solutions rooted in science, scaled through entrepreneurship and supported by institutions that care.
The next few months will show not only the innovation of the startups selected but also the broader impact of innovation with empathy—and academia with action.
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