India is all set to witness its first-ever ‘Startup Mahakumbh’, the largest celebration of Indian startups from March 18-20, 2024, at the prestigious Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
Spearheaded by the collaborative efforts of ASSOCHAM, NASSCOM, Bootstrap Incubation & Advisory Foundation, TiE and Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA), the event will cement India’s reputation as a melting pot of innovation and amplify the country’s global startup footprint.
With the purpose of enabling handshakes and connecting startups with a spectrum of inventors such as VCs, angel investors, family offices, and HNIs- as well as potential corporate partners, the event is expected to host 1000+ startups, 10+ thematic tracks, 1000+ investors, 500+ incubators & accelerators, 5000+ conference delegates, 10+ country delegations, 5000+ future entrepreneurs and 40,000+ business visitors over the span of three days.
The event is supported by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Department of Commerce (DoC), India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), Government-e-Marketplace (GeM), Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (ECGC) and Zomato.
Ahead of the main event, the organising committee for Startup Mahakumbh hosted the curtain raiser for the event at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, today, in the presence of the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Piyush Goyal, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, Shri Sanjiv and CEO, Government e-Marketplace, Prashant Kumar Singh.
The leading government partners of the event were also present at the curtain raiser including Shri Sudatta Mandal, Deputy Managing Director, SIDBI, and senior officials from Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Limited.
Speaking at the curtain raiser, Piyush Goyal, emphasized that “Throughout the three days of Startup Mahakumbh, the startups will be able to engage with investors, and relevant stakeholders and create a sub ecosystem to support each other with ideas and learn from the experience of others. We will also see participation from students to inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship, spirit of inquiry in them and help them go back with confidence and talk about the New India and the story of emerging India.”
Towards the end of his keynote, the Minister added that, “A great India story is unfolding in front of each one of you (young India) and you will be the flag bearers of the story in Amrit kaal, that is moving towards Viksit Bharat.”
Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, said, “We are hoping to see 1000+ startups, 1000+ investors, 500+ incubators at the event. We have also invited 21 startup bridges countries to actively participate and engage with startups and inspire them during Startup Mahakumbh.”
The curtain raiser also saw participation from members of the organising committee and leading stakeholders of the startup ecosystem such as Prashanth Prakash, Executive Council Member – IVCA, Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Co-founder and Executive Vice Chairman, Info Edge, Archana Jahagirdar, Founding and Managing Partner, Rukam Capital, Nivruti Rai, MD & CEO, Invest India, Sanjay Nayar, Vice President, ASSOCHAM & Founder and Chairman, Sorin Investments, along with representation from the startup ecosystem.
Startup Mahakumbh promises to showcase unparalleled innovation, highlighting transformative products, cutting-edge technologies, revolutionary business models across diverse sectors, along with opportunity to interact with top voices in the startup ecosystem including Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, Peak XV, Harish Bahl, Founder, Smile Interactive Group, Deepinder Goyal, Founder & CEO, Zomato, Harshil Mathur, Co-Founder & CEO, Razorpay, and Vineet Rai, Founder & Chairman, Aavishkaar Group.
It will also connect Indian startups with international networks to unlock new opportunities and position India as a melting pot of entrepreneurial brilliance on the global stage, paving way for collaborations, mergers, and acquisitions that underscore India’s dynamism in entrepreneurship.
At the heart of Startup Mahakumbh lies multiple unique pavilions, each a beacon of sector-specific innovation and trends.
These pavilions are meticulously curated to showcase the forefront of technological advancements and industry insights across a diverse range of fields.
Participants will have the chance to immerse themselves in the world of AI + SaaS, D2C/Consumer brands, Agritech, Fintech, Deep Tech, Biotech & Pharma, Incubators, Climate Tech, E-sports, and B2B Manufacturing.
Notably, the event will mark a significant milestone by introducing a dedicated pavilion for the B2B manufacturing sector for the first time in India, offering a unique platform for startups in this space to shine.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Piyush Goyal said that Startup Mahakumbh is reflective of the India growth story.
While delivering the keynote address at the curtain raiser of ‘Startup Mahakumbh’ in New Delhi today, the Minister said that the startup sector has proved its capability to innovate with ideas across various sectors like mobility, food, textiles, etc.
Shri Goyal stressed that ‘Bharat Innovates’ theme of Startup Mahakumbh showcases the intricate link between innovation and startups.
He lauded the event in bringing together 57 diverse startup footprints across the country on a single platform.
Goyal also launched Bharat Startup Ecosystem Registry and the website and logo of Startup Mahakumbh at the event.
Shri Goyal while quoting Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said that Indian startups are changing the rules of the game and therefore the startup sector is the backbone of the nation.
He encouraged the well-known and developing startups across the country to participate in the Startup Mahakumbh.
He said that it marks the beginning of an annual event that provides a platform to showcase the success stories and revolution of the startups ecosystem since its inception in 2016.
The Minister urged DPIIT to continue efforts to promote startups present in various districts in the country through financial and logistical support and see that at least one startup from each district gets represented at the Startup Mahakumbh.
The Minister expressed hope that the Startup Mahakumbh will involve students and the youth across the country with a bent of entrepreneurship, innovation and a spirit of inquiry.
He said that integration of the aspirational India with the startup sector will propel India’s economy in this Amrit Kaal to become a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
He said that the ‘can do’ spirit of the youth will be reflected at the event and help them to take the story of India to the rest of the world.
Goyal said that the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) infrastructure at Bharat Mandapam has changed the way India thinks of organising mega events.
The Minister said that large facilities like Bharat Mandapam makes convergence of all elements of an industry and showcase the India story as one possible.
