Gurugram, India | 5th August 2026 – Cars24, India’s largest AI-native automotive ecosystem, has today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to work together to develop, foster and promote India’s startup ecosystem. The collaboration will support product startups, innovators and entrepreneurs through structured skilling, founder mentorship, AI enablement, investment access and road-safety innovation.
Under the MoU, Cars24 will institutionalise dedicated programmes for early-stage founders and connect them to its infrastructure, mentor network, resources, funding network, market linkages and knowledge bank. DPIIT, through the Startup India platform, will enable ecosystem access, national outreach and co-branding, and support joint programmes, knowledge exchange and policy engagement, bringing the reach of one of the world’s largest startup ecosystems to the collaboration.
The partnership will be anchored around five key areas of growth:
- Cars24 Founders’ Fellowship will provide strategic mentorship and guidance to early-stage founders, helping them navigate the challenges of building and scaling their ventures.
- Mobility and Autotech Skilling Programmes will equip aspiring founders and innovators with the knowledge, tools and execution capabilities needed to build the next generation of mobility businesses.
- Through Cars24 Labs, startups will gain access to AI enablement, technical expertise and product guidance to accelerate the development of next-generation solutions.
- Fuel by Cars24 will connect promising mobility startups with investors and funding opportunities to help them scale their businesses.
- An annual Innovation Challenge and Road Safety Hackathon, co-created with DPIIT, will identify, nurture and support breakthrough ideas that can improve mobility and road safety across India.
The collaboration reflects Cars24’s belief in giving back to the ecosystem that shaped it, an India-born startup, built on the foundations DPIIT has nurtured, now turning its operational scale into a launchpad for the next generation of builders working on AI, mobility, credit access and safer roads.
Vikram Chopra, Builder, Cars24, said:
“Cars24 is proof that Indian founders can start with a difficult, everyday problem and build something on a national scale. We want to pass that possibility on. Through this partnership with DPIIT, we are backing the next generation of builders with more than advice. We want to give them access, capital, talent and a real platform to test ideas that can make India move smarter and safer.”
A senior DPIIT official said:
“Industry participation is central to strengthening India’s startup ecosystem. Collaborations of this kind, where an established market leader opens up its scale, mentorship and resources to early-stage founders, are exactly the bridge between ambition and execution that young startups need. We welcome Cars24’s commitment to mentoring, skilling and supporting product startups across the country.”
The MoU is a non-binding expression of intent for collaboration on areas of mutual interest and will remain in force, extendable by mutual agreement. It reflects the shared commitment of both parties to advancing innovation, entrepreneurship and safer mobility in India.
About Cars24
Cars24 is India’s leading Autotech platform, transforming the way people buy, sell, finance, and own vehicles. Powered by technology and AI, the company is building products and services across every stage of the vehicle ownership journey including buying, selling, financing, insurance, inspections, vehicle intelligence and road-safety initiatives making vehicle ownership simpler, smarter, and more seamless. Cars24 operates across India, the UAE and Australia.
About DPIIT
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, leads the national effort to build and strengthen India’s startup ecosystem, including through the Startup India initiative.
