National : MC²+, an energy innovation platform led by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) and backed by India’s energy majors, has launched MC²+ Ignite, a sector-specific accelerator programme designed to help deep-tech startups move from technology development and laboratory validation to industrial pilots and commercial deployment.
The inaugural cohort will comprise approximately 30 startups, with selected companies eligible for up to ₹2 crore each in milestone-linked convertible funding. Beyond capital, the programme will provide startups access to R&D infrastructure, technical expertise, industry mentors, pilot opportunities and potential commercial pathways through participating energy companies.
MC²+ is a Section 8 not-for-profit energy innovation platform led by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and backed by India’s energy majors, created to help translate energy and industrial deep-tech innovations from the laboratory into real-world deployment. Its model brings together four critical elements that startups often struggle to access independently: infrastructure, capital, mentorship and market access.
The platform brings together energy companies, research institutions, startups and innovators to address industry problem statements and create pathways for promising technologies to be tested, piloted and ultimately commercialised.
MC²+ Ignite is the platform’s structured accelerator programme, focused on building a pipeline of deep-tech ventures for India’s energy sector.
The programme is designed to address a critical gap in India’s deep-tech ecosystem. While early-stage funding is increasingly available, startups often struggle to access the operating assets, industrial pilot sites, industry customers and growth capital required to move from proof-of-concept to commercial deployment.
MC²+ Ignite will operate through a decentralised acceleration and innovation model, with a hub in Delhi and nodes within the R&D centres of participating companies in the Indian oil and gas sector. This will enable participating startups to work closer to real industrial environments and access pilot sites for technology validation.
MC²+ has partnered with premier institutions including IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, C-CAMP and Venture Center, Pune, giving startups access to infrastructure, laboratories and mentoring capabilities across India.
The objective is to create a direct interface between industry problem statements, scientific research, startup innovation and commercial deployment—reducing the distance between a technology being developed in a laboratory and its adoption in the energy sector.
Speaking at the launch of MC²+ Ignite at IIT Madras, Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Chairman, MC² Foundation, said the platform was created to address duplication and fragmentation in energy-sector R&D and establish stronger links between industry requirements, research institutions and startups.
“Several of our companies can be working on the very same catalyst at the same time. That is duplication of work, of investment and of bureaucracy and it comes with no direct interface to the institutions where the research is actually happening.”
Dr. Mittal also emphasised the need for Indian energy technologies to be developed with global markets in mind.
“We cannot become a Viksit Bharat by focusing on the Indian market alone. We have to produce at a global scale – that is how costs come down.”
For startups participating in the programme, MC² Foundation intends to support the technology journey beyond funding, including technical and managerial mentorship, access to capital and a pathway towards industry adoption.
“We will be with you through the entire cycle – mentorship that is both technical and managerial, help with funds, and the visibility that a PSU will procure your product when it is ready. You should not have to worry about whether a market exists.”
Applications for the inaugural MC²+ Ignite cohort opened on 5 August 2026 and will close on 31 August 2026. Approximately 30 selected startups will be announced on 15 September 2026.
