India connect: Singapore, Canada startups eye expansion in India; global founders cite policy push and market depth

Several startups from Singapore and Canada have expressed interest in expanding into India, drawn by its vast consumer base, rapid economic growth, and increasingly supportive startup ecosystem.The companies shared their plans during interactions with PTI on the sidelines of EPIC 2025, a global pitch competition organised by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), which concluded on Friday evening.From over 1,200 applications spanning 70 economies, 100 startups — including two from India — were shortlisted under three categories: Digital Health Tech, FinTech, and GreenTech. The event serves as a global platform connecting founders with investors, corporate partners, and emerging markets.Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP, said, “We are turning Hong Kong’s connectivity into momentum, helping ideas move and scale across borders. EPIC 2025 is a testament to this, where entrepreneurs connect with emerging markets, enthusiastic investors, and world-class innovation ecosystems.”Bryan Oh, Founder and CEO of Singapore-based NEU Battery Materials, said the company plans to scale globally to tackle battery recycling challenges. “Battery recycling is not just a problem for Singapore or Hong Kong; it’s a global problem. We want to solve it using our process and technology,” Oh said, PTI quoted.Referring to India, he added, “It has a huge number of two-wheelers and three-wheelers… It’s definitely a market we are looking at. I would love to know more about government initiatives and policies in India.”Singapore-based Belli, which develops air cargo software for airlines, also sees India as a promising opportunity. “India is a fast-growing economy and it will be great to be a part of this journey,” said Jayden Lu, Product Engineer at Belli. “I see a great future for startups in India.”From Canada, KA Imaging — which has developed colour X-ray technology for real-time imaging of human organs — is also exploring an India entry. “We need to find the right partners and investors to accelerate our work there,” said its President and CEO, Amol S Karnick.Karnick noted the Indian government’s recent funding push in science and medical technology. “That’s an interesting opportunity for us. The fund is the most important. I need to explore more how policies can support us,” he said.