Vande Bharatam honours 10 innovators in Ahmedabad
Ten innovators recognised at Vande Bharatam finale as Adani Group backs nationwide search for entrepreneurial talent
Ten innovators were recognised at the Grand Finale of Vande Bharatam, a nationwide entrepreneurship initiative launched by the Adani Group, after presenting their ideas to Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani in Ahmedabad.
The ten were drawn from the first group of more than 50 innovators selected from across India. They received the Vande Bharatam Trophy after a week of mentoring, business discussions and evaluation involving senior entrepreneurs and business leaders. The programme brought more than 20 founders and chief executives from Indian start-ups into the mentoring process.
The finale marks the first completed cycle of an initiative that began in June with a much wider search. When Vande Bharatam was launched on 25 June, the Adani Group said it would search across all 36 States and Union Territories and more than 800 districts. The programme was designed to reach people outside the main start-up centres, including those in smaller cities, towns and rural areas.
The scale of the response was substantial. More than 26,000 applications were received from every State and Union Territory, according to information released around the finale. The ideas covered areas including technology, agriculture, mobility, sustainability, defence, healthcare, manufacturing and education.
For the selected participants, the Ahmedabad programme was centred on direct interaction with people who have experience of building companies. Mentors included more than 20 founders and CXOs from Indian start-ups. During the week, the innovators took part in successive evaluation rounds and discussions aimed at testing and improving their ideas.
Gautam Adani attended the finale along with Adani Group chief executives, family members, mentors and participants. He also visited the Vande Bharatam Experience Centre, where he met innovators and heard about their work.
Speaking at the event, Adani said: “Vande Bharatam has shown us that India’s entrepreneurial talent is far deeper and more diverse than we often imagine. These innovators have demonstrated the courage to identify real problems and build solutions with purpose. I hope that this platform gives them the encouragement, access and opportunity to take their ideas further and create an impact that extends well beyond this programme.”
The focus on entrepreneurs outside established start-up centres was a central part of the programme from the beginning. At its launch, the Adani Group said more than 80 per cent of start-up founders in India continued to come from five cities. Vande Bharatam was therefore planned as a way to bring applications from a wider geographical base into a national selection process.
Applicants were not required to have a registered start-up. The programme accepted concepts, prototypes, early-stage ventures and existing businesses. Its stated areas of interest included technology, manufacturing, sustainability, agriculture, traditional crafts and community-led solutions. It also sought participation from women entrepreneurs, tribal entrepreneurs, rural innovators and Divyang entrepreneurs.
Gautam Adani launched the initiative on his 64th birthday. Applications opened on 24 June, with the original plan calling for 75 national finalists to be brought to Ahmedabad for mentoring, industry interactions and engagement with investors and business leaders.
The final stage announced by the organisers, however, refers to an inaugural cohort of more than 50 innovators, from which the ten recognised at the Grand Finale emerged. This differs from the original launch plan of 75 finalists and suggests that the final cohort changed during the selection process. The available announcements do not provide a detailed explanation for the difference.
Actor, television host and entrepreneur Rajeev Khandelwal was appointed ambassador and host of Vande Bharatam in June. His role included anchoring key stages of the programme and meeting finalists, mentors and business leaders.
For Khandelwal, the initiative was also aimed at finding entrepreneurs whose work had received less attention because they came from smaller towns or villages. His appointment gave the programme a public-facing role beyond the business and start-up community.
The wider timing of the initiative comes as India continues to expand its start-up sector. The government-backed Start-up India programme has helped create a larger support network for new businesses through recognition, funding links, incubators and other forms of assistance. At the same time, access to experienced mentors, investors and business networks remains important for founders trying to move from an idea or prototype to a viable company.
That makes the outcome of Vande Bharatam more important than the trophies handed out at the finale. The longer-term test will be whether the relationships formed during the programme lead to investment, partnerships, incubation or commercial growth for the participating innovators.
The Adani Group has said Vande Bharatam is intended to continue as a national platform for finding and supporting entrepreneurial talent. The first edition has now moved from a nationwide application drive to a smaller group of innovators who have had direct access to business leaders.
For the ten recognised in Ahmedabad, the Grand Finale marks the end of the first selection cycle. For the programme itself, it is the point at which the organisers will have to show whether the connections made during its first edition can translate into lasting support for entrepreneurs from across India.