Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a Fortune Global 500 company and one of India’s leading Maharatna PSUs, has been recognised among the Top 100 Corporate Startup Stars (CSS) for 2025. The award, jointly presented by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and global innovation advisory firm Mind the Bridge, places BPCL as the only Indian organisation on this year’s global list, which celebrates the most exemplary corporate champions of startup collaboration.
The announcement took place at the ICC headquarters in Paris during the 2025 Corporate Startup Stars Awards, which honoured companies from the Forbes Global 2000 and Fortune Global 500 for their leadership in open innovation, meaningful engagement with startups and their contribution to strengthening global innovation ecosystems.
Sanjay Khanna, Chairman and Managing Director of BPCL, said the accolade reaffirms the company’s commitment to innovation-driven growth. He noted that BPCL’s focus is not only on energy security but also on enabling new pathways for sustainable development. “This global accolade is a testament to Bharat Petroleum’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship in the country. Through our startup initiative Ankur, we are catalysing breakthrough solutions that make energy cleaner, smarter and more sustainable. As BPCL marks its 50th year of shaping the future of energy, we remain dedicated to partnering with startups that can accelerate India’s energy transition,” he said.
Project Ankur, launched in 2016, has supported 30 startups working across robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, industrial IoT, safety technologies, inspection solutions, predictive maintenance and other emerging domains. To scale these collaborations further, BPCL has established the BPCL Ankur Fund to invest in promising early-stage ventures aligned with the company’s strategic priorities.
Industry leaders applauded the initiative. John W. H. Denton AO, Secretary General of ICC, emphasised that innovation continues to drive global economic growth and that collaborations between startups and large corporations are vital to shaping the future of commerce. Alberto Onetti, Chairman of Mind the Bridge, highlighted BPCL’s structured and strategic innovation efforts, describing the company as a strong example of how large enterprises can adopt, support and invest in early-stage technologies. He added that BPCL’s model accelerates technology adoption while nurturing new-age entrepreneurs through grants, pilot opportunities and equity investments.
Bharat Petroleum is among India’s largest integrated energy companies, with refining operations in Mumbai, Kochi and Bina amounting to a combined capacity of 35.3 MMTPA. Its extensive marketing and distribution network includes more than 23,500 fuel stations, over 6,200 LPG distributorships, major storage hubs, aviation service stations, bottling plants, blending units and cross-country pipelines. BPCL is also rapidly expanding its electric vehicle charging network, with installations at more than 6,500 fuel stations across the country.
Aligned with India’s long-term sustainability goals, BPCL continues to integrate environmental and social priorities into its operations. The company aims to achieve Net Zero status in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2040. It also supports initiatives in education, water conservation, skill development, community development and health, reflecting its purpose of Energising Lives.
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