The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), an autonomous telecom research and development institution under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), organised a Demo Day for 18 startups under Cohort-II of the ‘Samarth’ incubation programme at the NBCC Convention Hall in New Delhi on Thursday.
The event showcased technological innovations developed by startups working in areas such as telecom applications, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, IoT, 5G/6G technologies and quantum technologies.
Launched in March 2025, the Samarth incubation programme aims to support startups in the telecom and information and communication technology (ICT) sectors. The programme is structured into two cohorts of six months each, accommodating up to 18 startups per cohort, thereby supporting a total of 36 startups under the initiative.
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) are the implementation partners for the programme.
According to C-DOT, selected startups receive financial assistance of ₹5 lakh each, along with access to fully furnished office space and advanced laboratory facilities at C-DOT’s Delhi and Bengaluru campuses. The programme also provides mentorship from C-DOT scientists and industry experts, along with sessions on product development, minimum viable product development, financial management, go-to-market strategies, intellectual property and fundraising.
The first cohort of the programme presented their innovations during a Demo Day held in September 2025, following which five startups were selected for the Stage-II grant.
Building on this, Cohort-II was launched in July 2025, focusing on problem statements in areas such as artificial intelligence, Li-Fi, security and drone technologies. After a selection process involving experts from academia, industry, C-DOT and STPI, 18 startups were selected and awarded the Stage-I grant during the launch event held at the India Mobile Congress 2025.
During the Demo Day, startups under Cohort-II showcased their technological solutions before industry experts and investors.
Based on product potential and execution capabilities, five startups were selected for the Stage-II grant under the Samarth programme:
Huebits Tech Private Limited
Khageshvara Aviation Technology Private Limited
Xpectro Solutions (OPC) Private Limited
Zepto Logic Technologies Private Limited
Vocbot.Ai Technology Private Limited
The selected startups were awarded the second tranche of the grant and may also qualify for partnerships and additional financial support through the C-DOT Collaborative Research Programme (CCRP).
C-DOT CEO Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay congratulated the participating startups and said their innovation reflects the growing strength of India’s digital ecosystem.
“The passion, creativity and determination of our startups are driving forces behind the nation’s digital transformation. We remain committed to nurturing the next generation of telecom innovators in line with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat,” he said.
