On: 30 JAN 2024 – Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal, during the Startup India Innovation Week chaired a unicorn roundtable to celebrate the growth of the unicorns and chart a collaborative way forward to support the growth of more unicorns in our nation. The 40 participating unicorns highlighted their learnings from their experience, factors that enabled their growth, and identified areas to boost the growth of the Indian ecosystem that can help the nation emerge as a global startup leader. Shri Piyush Goyal urged the unicorns to come together and set up a unicorn club or association that would come up with solutions for access to capital for startups in the country. The conversation focused on streamlining regulatory processes to foster a more startup friendly environment, increasing access in Tier-2/3 cities and learning from the best practices set up by financial institutions in the private sector.
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), this year, celebrated the coming together of the country’s key startups, entrepreneurs, investors, policy makers and other stakeholders on innovation and entrepreneurship across the country from 10th – 18th January 2024. Marquee announcements and launches included ‘StartupShala’ – Startup India’s Accelerator Program, a 3-month long accelerator program for early-stage startups to provide them access to knowledge, network, funds, and guidance required to scale up. Each cohort of the program will be focused on a particular sector, the first one being CleanTech and 20 startups per cohort will be handpicked by experts through an open call for application. The applications have been opened on Startup India Hub from 10th January 2024: https://www.startupindia.gov.in/content/sih/en/Startup_Shala.html
To inspire students and aspiring entrepreneurs, 5 dedicated webinars focused on ‘How to Start Up’ were organised titled ‘MAARG Mentorship Series for Budding Entrepreneurs’. Industry leaders and mentors shared insights and key lessons about the basics of starting a startup. All these sessions were hosted live on Startup India social media handles as well as on the MYBharat portal for the Yuva entrepreneurs.
StartupShala (Growth through Learning with StartupShala)
In the bustling world full of aspiration, where entrepreneurship, business growth, and innovation are the buzzwords, Indian startups are emerging as a champion, ready to accelerate the dreams of new India. Picture this: a vibrant ecosystem where startups thrive, tackling the world’s most pressing problems with agility, cutting-edge technology and unwavering determination. That’s the vision Startup India is painting. But the entrepreneur may ask, what about so many hurdles that come in the way while making this happen? How would startups help India take the leap when they are still figuring out various needs as they grow?
StartupShala, brought to you by Startup India, DPIIT, is here to rescue. It is not just another accelerator program; it’s a launchpad for startups to scale their operations, break new ground, and transform the digital landscape. It has customised solutions to unique problems your innovation is facing in the market to help you overcome all hurdles & scale up exponentially.
If you are an entrepreneur looking for more sector-focused handholding, industry-oriented sessions and one-on-one mentorship opportunities, StartupShala is your answer. So, read the blog till the end to know what it has to offer and how you can make StartupShala a part of your journey to the top.
To be eligible for this accelerator program, ensure you meet these essential criteria:
1) 100% Commitment: The program demands your full focus and availability for three months. Dedicate yourself to transforming your startup into a success story
2) Growth-Stage Startup: Demonstrate your startup’s potential by showcasing steady revenue generation with a product that has shown its worth in the testing waters of the market. Prove that your venture is ready to scale!
3) Market-Ready Solutions: Your products or services must be ready to conquer the market
4) CleanTech focus: With CleanTech as the sector in focus, your startup should be dedicated towards developing innovations, or working on solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems in terms of sustainability, such as climate change, environmental safety etc.
5) DPIIT Recognised: Your company must be recognised as a “Startup” by DPIIT. To learn more about DPIIT recognition, criteria, and the recognition process, please visit https://www.startupindia.gov.in/content/sih/en/recognition-page.html
Each edition of StartupShala will have a sector in spotlight to better provide tailored support and learnings to the startup. If you are a CleanTech-driven sustainability champion, then this program is truly for you. Also, unlike other accelerator programs, you have nothing to lose – no equity / stake in the company is diluted for learning. Through StartupShala you will be able to gain following unique benefits:
1) Funding and Networking Opportunities: The eligible startups can present their idea to leading industry experts and avail funding and networking opportunities while propelling their startups forward
2) Industry-oriented sessions: Curriculum is designed & taught by experienced enterprise entrepreneurs & experts on wide range of subjects such as product market fit, getting validation, preparation for fundraising and more. Short brainstorming exercise in sessions will also be added as a take-away. You will also develop an essential set of C-suite leadership skills through targeted programs in cognitive, social and behavioral skills to enable entrepreneurs to succeed in the current ever-changing world
3) Focused Handholding: 12-15 hours of one-on-one mentorship is also given per startup based on their domain. Working hands-on with mentorship on the challenges the startups are facing and 1 need-basis post-program review session will help them overcome challenges unique to their innovation
4) Mock Pitching Marathon and Demo Day: Startups can get elaborative feedback for their innovative ideas through mock-pitching sessions to make your pitch perfect before the final Demo Day. On demo day, startups in the cohort will be provided with funding & networking opportunity with Venture Capital firms, Angel Investors, corporates, government ministries & departments and other institutions. You also get to network with the best entrepreneurs in the nation
5) Startup India, DPIIT Certificate: Upon successfully completing the accelerator program, the startups will be provided with a Startup India DPIIT Certificate and a detailed evaluation report
6) Access to Probono Services by Program Partners: Startups will also be given access to probono services by program partners that include facilities, such as office space, lab access, memberships, mentorships, etc. We have the biggest brands working on sustainability as partners like ITC, Microsoft, Hubspot, Vaultus, Orios Venture Partners, Udyat Ventures, Lets Venture, WeFounder and GoodYear.
7) UPSCALE – Flagship Shadow Leadership Program: The eligible startups can participate in UPSCALE, a unique shadow leadership program. The shortlisted startups are paired with an industry expert for shadowing, mentorship and coaching. Basically, learn from the leader of today, to enable you to become leaders of tomorrow!
So, empower your startup now with the right tools and take it to new heights with StartupShala by Startup India. Embark on a transformational journey with StartupShala, the ideal platform to transform your innovative ideas into reality. Register now, unleash the power of your ideas, and captivate investors with your potential.
Startup India Innovation Week’s 75+ physical events served as a catalyst for entrepreneurship, showcasing India’s thriving ecosystem and igniting the dreams of countless aspiring founders. From workshops empowering women entrepreneurs to training grounds for incubator champions, the week saw mentors and mentees sharing wisdom, igniting the minds of aspiring pioneers. Several thought-provoking roundtables were conducted in several cities with stakeholder discussions, forging alliances that will shape the future startup ecosystem.
The one-to-one mentorship of startups with corporates was also launched earlier in the week. The series included exclusive handholding and guidance to shortlisted startups with the corporates in domains of financial lending and support, operations, sustainable innovations, and disruptive technology. The corporate partners onboarded were HCL, HSBC India, Qualcomm India Private Limited, and TCS Foundation.
To create further awareness about innovation and sustainability, a virtual panel discussion was conducted with global partners of Startup India. The panel focused on the 5 key pillars of Innovation including Incubation, Funding and Financial Assistance, Public Private Partnership Model, Market Access and Government Infrastructure. A dedicated workshop was conducted in Mumbai, Maharashtra to sensitise startups on the benefits available to them on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM). A successful Workshop on Public Procurement was also conducted at the University of Hyderabad, Telangana, on 9th January 2024, which saw participation from over 70 entrepreneurs.
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