Three CSIR Labs and Venture Center to host CSIR Start-up Conclave 2025 in Mumbai

New Delhi: The CSIR Start-up Conclave 2025, to be held on May 20–21 at the NESCO Center in Mumbai, is a national event bringing together deep-tech startups, scientific researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers to celebrate and advance science-based entrepreneurship in India.

The two-day conclave is being jointly organized by premier CSIR labs — CSIR-NCL (Pune), CSIR-NIO (Goa), and CSIR-NEERI (Nagpur). Venture Center, Pune, a leading science and technology incubator, is proud to participate as the official incubator partner for the conclave. The event is part of a national effort to promote commercialization of CSIR technologies, foster collaborations between research and industry, and build a robust innovation ecosystem across sectors.

The inaugural session will feature addresses by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Government of India, and Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra. On the second day, participants will hear from Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Other key dignitaries expected to attend include Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General of CSIR, the directors of the three organizing CSIR labs, as well as other invited celebrities and senior government officials.

One of the most anticipated elements of the conclave is the Pitch Darbar, a high-energy “Shark Tank”-style segment where selected startups will present their innovations to a panel of esteemed investors. This session aims to offer founders a valuable opportunity to gain visibility, receive direct feedback, and explore funding prospects. In addition, over 50 startups supported by the three CSIR labs and Venture Center will be showcasing their innovations across diverse sectors including healthcare, diagnostics, sustainability, environmental science, and advanced materials.

“Conclaves like these create a valuable confluence of innovation and impact,” said Dr. Premnath, Director of Venture Center. “We are proud to support startups working on solutions rooted in science and engineering, and to help them connect with collaborators, investors, and national networks. The CSIR Start-up Conclave offers exactly the kind of visibility and access that early-stage science-based ventures need to scale.”

In addition to the startup showcase, the conclave will host focused technical sessions on marine robotics, environmental technologies, and biomanufacturing. The exhibition will be open to the public on May 21, offering an opportunity for students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and innovation enthusiasts to engage with cutting-edge technologies and early-stage companies, and the people behind them.