BIS And IIT-B Host Startup Meet To Drive Innovation Through Standards And Quality Compliance
Over 100 startups and entrepreneurs gathered at the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B), on Friday for a startup meet organised by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in collaboration with IIT-B.
The event, held at the SINE Seminar Hall, focused on the importance of standardisation and conformity assessment in supporting innovation, enhancing product quality, and improving global competitiveness for Indian startups.
The day-long event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including startup founders, industry experts, and regulatory authorities, for a series of interactive sessions and discussions. The central theme was how integrating standards from the early stages of product development could help startups improve consumer trust, scale globally, and access wider markets.
The meet also aimed to strengthen collaboration between BIS and startups, promote a deeper understanding of how standards can support innovation, and identify opportunities for engagement in both national and international standardisation efforts. The gathering provided a common platform for interaction between the startup ecosystem and BIS, encouraging dialogue on how standards and quality compliance can serve as catalysts for sustainable growth and competitiveness.
The event saw participation from key stakeholders, including Prof. Shireesh Kedare, Director of IIT-B; Shaji Varghese, CEO of SINE; Reena Garg, Deputy Director General (Standardisation), BIS; and Deepak Kumar Aggarwal, Scientist-F, BIS. Their presence underscored the importance of aligning regulatory frameworks with the evolving needs of India’s innovation ecosystem.
Interactive sessions and discussions throughout the day focused on key areas vital to startups. These included the commercialisation of innovative products, challenges in production and marketing, quality assurance processes, and strategies for managing quality issues post-launch.
Specific attention was also given to the need for compliance with Quality Control Orders (QCO), addressing sustainability concerns, and exploring long-term opportunities for collaboration between startups and BIS.
Startups attending the meet were encouraged to view standardisation not merely as a regulatory requirement, but as a strategic enabler that can improve product quality, build consumer trust, and open up access to domestic and international markets. BIS officials shared insights on how conformity assessment and early adoption of standards could help startups scale efficiently and responsibly.
The event reaffirmed the commitment of BIS to work closely with startups and academic institutions such as IIT-B to embed quality and standardisation at the core of innovation.
The meet, according to the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, "reinforced BIS’s commitment to nurturing India’s innovation ecosystem by integrating standards into the startup journey from the outset".
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