The Startup India Scheme is launched by Indian PM Mr. Narendra Modi on 16th January 2016. The objective of this program is to expand and innovate products and create more opportunities for entrepreneurs.
India’s start-up ecosystem has become the third-largest worldwide. This gives Indian startups a much-needed appreciation and boosts in the area of innovation that encourages more startups to develop in the country.
The inaugural ‘National Startups Award’ is organized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in 2020. Applications come from 12 different sectors, 35 sub-sectors including agriculture, education, energy, health, space, finance, and others.
The startups will get a cash prize of INR 5 Lakh, along with opportunities to present their solutions to relevant public authorities and corporate for the potential pilot project and work orders.
A total of 1641 applications were received from startups spread across 23 States and 4 Union Territories. These applicants included 654 Women-led, 165 academic institutions based, and 331 startups working in rural areas.
Some startups have received this award for their unique innovation in their sector, such as:
Agriculture
- Farmer Engagement and Education: Mandya Organic Foods Private Limited
The Bengaluru-based start-up helps farmers adopt organic farming and provides a sales platform across supermarkets.
- Post Harvest: Intello Labs Private Limited
It has digitized food quality assessments, enabling people to buy fresh food and help stores identify and eliminate old stocks.
- Productivity: Nava Design & Innovation Private Limited
For the invention of the world’s first coconut sap tapping robot.
- Allied Areas: Cornext Agri Products Private Limited
To deal with the shortage of green fodder in India.
Education
- Access to Institutional Education: RobotGuru Education Technologies Private Limited
A technology firm that aims to teach robotics to students in an immersive environment.
- Access to Open Education: Kickhead Softwares Private Limited
A platform that allows students to study for their examinations at no cost.
Enterprise Technology
- Enterprise solution: Unnati Online Private Limited
Unnati is a voice-based automated digital assistant that helps informal sector workers find job opportunities.
Energy
- Clean Energy: Aloe E-Cell Private Limited Team
They created the world’s first 100% eco-friendly and safe 1.5 V AA batteries. This results in 10% less expensive and 71.6% less polluting.
- Energy Efficiency: Esyasoft Technologies Private Limited
For its energy-efficiency IoT Smart Grid solution.
Finance
- Fintech Startup: Resilient Innovations Pvt. Ltd.
They provide financial services for SMEs. Their app, BharatPe, offers merchants 0% discount rates, offering them the best lending and deposit rates on the market.
Food
- Access to Food: FoodCloud Private Limited
It is an online marketplace that connects verified home chefs to organizations and individuals with no investment. About 80% of the registered home chefs are women.
- Food Processing: God’s Own Food Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
The Kochi-based startup streamlines the organized market for Indian jackfruits, developing a patented ‘green jackfruit flour’
Health
- Access to Healthcare: Wellthy Therapeutics
An app for smartphones that allows patients to monitor their health and connect in real-time with virtual trainers.
- Diagnostics: Niramai Health Analytix
A start-up that helps detect breast cancer at an early stage by utilizing AI.
- Life Sciences: Bonayu Lifesciences
The start-up has developed profitable topical thin films as an alternative to traditional ointments, creams, gels, and so on.
- Medical Devices: Innaumation Medical Devices
They have developed an affordable device that allows throat cancer patients (who have lost their voice box) to talk again.
Industry 4.0
- Big Data: Uptimeai Tech
With help from AI, the company helps plant engineers anticipate equipment and performance problems before they become major failures.
- Internet of Things: Minionlabs India
This startup uses artificial intelligence and ML to reduce electricity costs.
- 3D Printing: Fabheads Automation
The startup designs and manufactures 3D printers using carbon fiber, allowing them to print parts that are strong as steel but light as plastic.
- Augmented Reality Products/Wearables: Scapic Innovations
They build a platform so that brands can create 3D and augmented reality experiences without coding.
- Robotics: Planys Technologies
They provide intelligent under-water inspection solutions.
- Computer Vision: Gingermind Technologies
A smart glasses manufacturer powered by AI that helps people with visual impairments function independently.
Security
- Citizen Security Solutions: Staqu Technologies
The Gurugram-based startup is helping police forces in 8 Indian states to digitize and archive criminal records with solutions to identify speakers.
- Cyber Security: Lucideus Tech
They help cybersecurity to become more objective and understandable and with their products, helping the country to become more cyber-aware.
Space
- Launch Vehicles: Skyroot Aerospace
An affordable, economic and easy-to-produce launch vehicle manufacturer.
- Satellite Technology: Dhruva Space / Bellatrix Aerospace
They build small constellations of satellites to observe the Earth and other scientific applications.
Tourism
- Hospitality: Feeinsta Consulting & Services
The start-up’s intelligent electronic toilets are equipped with automated seats, built-in night lights, non-contact and water-free to improve public health.
- Travel Planning and Discovery: Param People Infotech
They enable travelers to transact with verified road services and equipment, covering over 60,000 km in India.
Urban Services
- Construction Development Monitoring Solutions: SnPC Machines
SnPC has the first brick manufacturing machine of its kind that moves like a vehicle and places bricks.
- Waste Management: Sukriti Social Foundation
A non-profit company has developed an intelligent public washroom solution called ‘eco-mitra’.
- Traffic Management: Wickedride Adventure Services
A start-up that offers key-free, dock-free, and shared mobility solutions.
- Water and Water Networks: Taraltec Solutions
It provides clean drinking water in rural areas.
There is also a special category in which some start-ups play a crucial role in the development of India. A few of them are:
Women-led Business
- Azooka Labs Private Limited: A fluorescent dyeing company that manufactures products for genomic research and molecular diagnostics.
Top Accelerator
- Brigade Real Estate Accelerator Program (REAP):
It offers stand-alone workspaces in three cities and mentors with subject matter expertise.
The ‘Startup India Showcase’ and ‘Blockchain-based Certificate Verification System’ were also launched during the event.
It will impact different sectors and feature promising start-ups that will connect industry and investors with a potential partnership.
People are open to innovation in any industry and if their innovation is helpful to the public, then they are eligible for the Startup India Awards.
This certainly gives startups an equal chance of realizing their dreams with these innovative programs in the future.
