New Delhi, March 12 -- The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has signed a memorandum of understanding with The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., a US-headquartered cosmetics firm, to support innovation and entrepreneurship in India's beauty and personal care sector.

The collaboration, which integrates the Startup India platform with Estee Lauder's flagship BEAUTY&YOU India initiative, aims to provide emerging beauty brands with funding, mentorship, industry insights, and access to a global network of experts, the Union commerce ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

This is the first partnership of its kind in India's startup ecosystem with a dedicated focus on beauty ventures. The pact will also see the introductio...