The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has partnered with Apna, a professional networking and job platform, in an effort to bolster the country’s burgeoning startup ecosystem. The alliance, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aims to provide DPIIT-registered startups with the skilled workforce they need, while simultaneously creating new job opportunities for India’s unemployed youth.
Under the terms of the agreement, DPIIT-registered startups will receive hiring credits worth Rs 2,000 on Apna’s platform for each of the 700,000 entities currently listed on the Bharat Startup Registry (Bhaskar). This initiative is initially valued at Rs 140 crore, with projections suggesting that it could scale up to an estimated Rs 300 crore as the startup ecosystem continues to expand.
The primary goal of the collaboration is to provide startups with the resources necessary for effective recruitment. The credits will allow these startups to post job listings and access Apna’s specialized talent pools, which are tailored to meet the needs of emerging businesses. By streamlining the hiring process, the partnership aims to reduce the time-to-market for new ventures and foster rapid growth within India’s entrepreneurial sector.
In addition to benefiting startups, the partnership offers new pathways for skilled workers to connect with India’s dynamic startup landscape. Apna’s platform will leverage its AI-powered matching technology to ensure a more efficient and effective hiring process, aligning talent with industry-specific requirements. Through its Startup India initiative, DPIIT will work with Apna to curate job postings and match the right candidates with the right opportunities, further strengthening the country’s workforce and fostering innovation at scale.