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Wednesday / April 23. 2025

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HomePosts Tagged "Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)"
AgroPolicy, Finance, India, Start ups

A flagship initiative to support early and growth-stage startups across 11 key sectors.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), in collaboration with Avaana Capital, LetsVenture, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), IVCA, HDFC, among others, announced the launch of the Startup Maha Rathi challenge as part of the second edition of Startup Mahakumbh. A flagship initiative aimed at empowering Indian startups through every nook and corner of the country with funding, mentorship, and strategic guidance, this challenge aligns with India’s long-term vision of becoming a developed economy (Viksit Bharat) by 2047. The challenge is set to provide access to up to a Rs 30 crore fund, mentorship from industry experts, and networking opportunities with global investors. In addition, it will also entail special awards for innovative startups from emerging states and union territories through a dedicated program.

Startup Maha Rathi – Rising towards Viksit Bharat – is designed to open doors for budding entrepreneurs across 11 key sectors, including AI & DeepTech, BioTech & Healthtech, Gaming & Sports, Fintech, Incubators & Accelerators, Mobility, Agritech, B2B & Precision Manufacturing, D2C, ClimateTech, and Defence & SpaceTech. The program would be awarded by the Honourable Minister of Commerce and Industry and is aimed at equipping startups with the necessary resources to scale their operations and contribute to India’s technological and economic advancement. Startups selected through this initiative will gain exposure to global markets through Startup India, access to mentorship from industry veterans, investor networking opportunities, and national-level recognition by DPIIT.

The competition will follow a structured, multi-phase selection process, beginning with the application launch on February 26, 2025, and culminate after a 4-step process in an exclusive live pitching finale from April 3-5, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. While each startup shortlisted for the grand jury round receive a guaranteed Rs 1 Lakh, top two startups from each sector will be awarded Rs 10 lakh respectively, while the next five will receive Rs 5 lakh each. Next 5 startups in each track will gain access to Rs 3 lakhs each in addition to financial grants, participating startups will receive expert guidance and investor access through a jury comprising 100+ leading VCs, angel investors, and domain specialists from Starup India and organizations such as Avaana Capital, LetsVenture, KDEM, IVCA, HDFC among many others.

Sharing his thoughts on the launch, Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, said, “The Startup Maha Rathi initiative marks a pivotal stride toward achieving India’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047.’ By offering strategic financial support and expert mentorship, this initiative will empower the nation’s most promising startups to scale, innovate, and drive transformative change, strengthening India’s position as a global leader in entrepreneurship and innovation.”

Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary, DPIIT, added, “India’s startup ecosystem is at an inflection point, and initiatives like this are crucial in ensuring that high-potential ventures receive the right support to thrive. By enabling a strong innovation-driven culture, the initiative will play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of disruptive entrepreneurs.”

Anjali Bansal, Founding Partner, Avaana Capital, stated, “Initiatives like Startup Maha Rathi provide catalytic support to entrepreneurs solving for India’s critical priorities—green growth, sustainability, energy transition, food systems, agriculture, and deep tech. The programs not only showcase India’s entrepreneurial strength but also reinforces our ability to develop scalable solutions aligned with national priorities and position India as a global leader to accelerate towards a sustainable, inclusive and globally competitive Viksit Bharat.”

Applications for Startup Maha Rathi 2025 will open on February 26, 2025, with a deadline of March 7, 2025. The next round for startups that are shortlisted after an initial screening, will need to present virtually a jury panel between March 15 – 25th. Eligible startups must be DPIIT-recognized entities in their early or growth stages, operating in India as a Private Limited Company, LLP, or Partnership Firm. Startups can apply through the official website: https://www.startupindia.gov.in/content/sih/en/ams-application/challenge.html?applicationId=67bdbb76e4b0c167e9f99da2

A flagship initiative to support early and

Agribusiness, Start ups

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Jammu & Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at fostering collaboration, mentorship, and support for startups in the region

The signing took place during “Jammu Kashmir Konnect,” a special startup-focused program organized at JKEDI’s Baribrahamna campus, where startups, incubators, and key-way stakeholders gathered to discuss innovation and growth opportunities. DPIIT and JKEDI formally signed the MoU marking a significant step toward strengthening startup support systems in J&K.

The MoU between DPIIT and JKEDI paves the way for greater branding, outreach, and accessibility to Startup India’s ecosystem, fostering mentorship, knowledge exchange, and infrastructure support. It also focuses on market linkages, funding networks, and international expansion opportunities, aligning with India’s vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

During the program, Director DPIIT and Director JKEDI held one-on-one interactions with all incubators, discussing their challenges, needs, and future plans. The session provided a unique platform for incubators to share insights, suggest improvements, and seek policy-level support for enhancing the startup ecosystem.

During the event, Shri Rajinder Kumar Sharma, JKAS, Director JKEDI highlighted the impact of the JK Startup Policy, launched in March 2024, which has led to over 250 new startup registrations on the DPIIT portal taken the total to 988 in a short span. He also emphasized the significant outreach efforts undertaken by JKEDI, stating that during the current financial year, the institute has successfully conducted 601 Entrepreneurship Awareness Programs (EAPs) across Universities, Colleges, Higher Secondary Schools, and IITs in 20 districts of J&K—without incurring any expenses.

The “Jammu Kashmir Konnect” program, coupled with the signing of the MoU, marks a major milestone in J&K’s startup ecosystem, ensuring that aspiring entrepreneurs receive the mentorship, funding opportunities, and ecosystem support needed to thrive.

The Head of the Incubators from IIT- Jammu, IIM-Jammu, Jammu University, SKUAST-Jammu, Cluster University and CIIIT Jammu along with the FICCI Flo attended the event physically. Incubators from NIT- Srinagar, IUST University, SKUAST – Kashmir and CIIIT Baramulla joined virtually.

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal

AgroPolicy, Award, India

The applications will remain open till 31st July 2023. All States/UTs, district administrations, and Indian Missions abroad are eligible to participate.

 Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) proudly launched the One District One Product (ODOP) Awards on June 15th on the Rashtriya Puraskar portal. These prestigious awards aim to recognize and honour those who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments within their respective Districts, States/UTs, and International Missions abroad in achieving economic development through the ODOP approach.

The application process for these awards commenced on 25th June 2023 and the applications will remain open till 31st July 2023. All States/UTs, district administrations, and Indian Missions abroad are eligible to participate and are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Awards focus on the following: (i) Encouraging constructive competition, innovation, and efficient public service delivery in successful ODOP interventions; (ii) Promoting replication and institutionalization of best practices through experience sharing and (iii) Recognizing innovations done for successful identification and solving bottlenecks in the supply chain of ODOP products.

The application process for these awards commenced on 25th June 2023 and the applications will remain open till 31st July 2023. All States/UTs, district administrations, and Indian Missions abroad are eligible to participate and are strongly encouraged to apply.

District administration, State Administration, and Missions Abroad are encouraged to actively apply for the awards so that an example could be set which could fuel innovation and effective public service delivery under ODOP.

The ODOP initiative aims to foster socio-economic development of all districts of the country. The idea is to select, brand and promote One Product from each District of the country, to identify and solve problems associated with each of the chosen ODOP products at all points in their respective supply chains to increase their market accessibility and harness their export potential.

With an objective of enhancing the product, bettering the life of the producer and improving the process, the interventions undertaken by the ODOP team encompass the development of all aspects of the district.

The applications will remain open till 31st

Live Stock, Start ups

The applications for the National Startup Awards 2022 are open till March 15, 2022

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has launched the third edition of the National Startup Awards. The National Startup Awards 2022 will acknowledge startups and enablers who have been instrumental in revolutionising the development story of India.

The awards for startups will be given in 17 sectors classified into 50 sub-sectors. The 17 sectors are health and wellness, agriculture, animal husbandry, construction, drinking water, education and skill development, energy, enterprise technology, environment, FinTech, food processing, Industry 4.0, Media & Entertainment, Security, Space, transport and Travel. 

In addition, there are seven special categories of awards for startups: 

  • Women-led startups
  • Impact in rural areas
  • Campus startups
  • Manufacturing excellence
  • Innovation tackling the pandemic (preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, monitoring, digital connect, work from home solutions, etc.)
  • Solution delivery or business operations in Indic languages
  • Startups from North-East (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura) and Hilly States/ Union Territories (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh)

The National Startup Awards 2022 will also reward exceptional incubators and accelerators as key building blocks of a robust startup ecosystem.

A cash prize of Rs 5 lakh will be awarded to each winning startup. The winners and runners-up will also be given opportunities to present their solutions to relevant public authorities and corporates for potential pilot projects and work orders and pitching opportunities with investors. They will also be given priority for participation in various national and international startup events.

A cash prize of Rs 15 lakh each will be awarded to one winning incubator and one winning accelerator.

The applications for the National Startup Awards 2022 are open till March 15, 2022. 

The applications for the National Startup Awards