DIPP launches portal and mobile app for start-ups

Separate portal on IPR launched to help communications technology sector

An online portal, with a mobile application, dedicated to start-ups was launched by the government on Thursday.

The portal and app, which were announced during the launch of the Startup India event in January, will help such enterprises register with for the programme, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Secretary Ramesh Abhishek said.

Also launched was a separate portal that will act as a single-window interface for information on intellectual property rights (IPR).

Abhishek said a real-time recognition certificate will be available for download upon completion of the application process. Similarly, small and medium enterprises and start-ups, especially in the communications technology sector, would be able to take advantage of the IPR portal.

Start-ups will also be able to find information regarding various notifications issued by government ministries and information about incubators and funding agencies.

Also, the site will feature the Startup India Hub, established within Invest India, which will be a single point of contact for the ecosystem, which would enable exchange of knowledge. “This will work in a hub and spoke model with governments, VCs, angel funds, incubators, mentors. It will assist start-ups through their lifecycle, on all aspects, such as providing mentorship, incubator facilities, IPR support, funding,” he said.

DIPP has also set up an Inter­Ministerial Board to verify the eligibility of start-ups opting to avail tax and IPR-related benefits.

“The board will not take much time to verify. It will happen at a fast pace,” Abhishek said. He added it would meet every week. DIPP is also holding consultations with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs about digital signatures.

“We are moving ahead at a fast pace” to implement the measures, DIPP Joint Secretary Shailendra Singh told reporters here. About implementation of measures announced in the action plan, he said the labour ministry has issued an advisory regarding self-certification to all states.

“Start-ups have to pay only statutory fees, which is minuscule,” he said, adding the hub would start working from Friday. He added that while the fund was already declared in the Budget and accordingly Rs 2,500 crore each year would be released over next four years to SIDBI. All the tax benefits will be extended to budding entrepreneurs after the passage of the Finance Bill.

The IPR portal aims to provide guidance on leveraging IPR for competitive advantage, the portal also seeks to increase awareness and build sensitivity towards IP, among stakeholders in the small and medium enterprises sector, academia and researchers.

Named the Indian IP Panorama, the portal is a customised version of the IP Panorama Multimedia toolkit, developed by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).