DTC Accelerate: Industry 4.0 Cohort - Powering India's Smart Manufacturing Revolution

Who can apply

1. Technology Readiness & IP (The Deeptech factor):
2. Must be TRL7 or above (Validated in a relevant environment). Exclusion: TRL 1-4 (Basic research, concept, or lab-only proof of concept) will be filtered out, as this is an acceleration program, not an incubation one.
3. IP Protection: The solution must be based on proprietary, defensible Intellectual Property (IP). Requirement: Must have a patent filed, granted, or clearly documented trade secrets/unique algorithms
4. Business Status & Legal Standing: Must be a legally registered entity in India (e.g., Private Limited Company, LLP) and be recognized as a 'Startup' by DPIIT (or equivalent state-level body). Must be an Indian startup with a primary operational base in India.
5. Product & Market Validation (Traction):
6. Product Stage: Must have a working Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or functional prototype ready for enterprise testing.
7. Customer Traction: Must have executed at least one paid Proof-of-Concept (PoC) or pilot project with a B2B industrial client or secured a Letter of Intent (LOI) for a pilot.
8. Team Composition & Commitment:
9. Founding Team Size: Ideally, 2 or more co-founders with complementary skill sets (e.g., 1 Technical/Deep Science + 1 Business/Industrial Sales).
10. Domain Expertise: At least one founder must have prior professional experience (3+ years) in a relevant industrial sector (e.g., Automotive, Heavy Engineering, Energy, etc.) or specialized deeptech R&D.
11. Commitment: The founding team must be full-time dedicated to the startup and be able to commit to the required in-person program modules (if applicable).
12. Readiness for Acceleration: A well-articulated, specific "Ask" from the program, demonstrating that the startup is ready to leverage the cohort's specific resources (e.g., "Need an industry partner for a high-volume manufacturing pilot of our TRL 7 robotic cell").

For any queries, you can reach out to deeptechclub@nasscom.in