Gautam Adani's 'Vande Bharatam' initiative selects 1st innovation cohort from 26,000 applications
Ahmedabad, Aug 8
Vande Bharatam -- the grassroots innovation and entrepreneurship initiative launched by Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani -- has selected its inaugural cohort from more than 26,000 applications received from across the country, it was announced on Saturday.
The initiative attracted entries from all states and Union Territories, covering a wide range of sectors including mobility, sustainability, technology, agriculture, defence, healthcare, manufacturing and education.
The selected cohort comprises innovators from different regions and professional backgrounds, brought together by the goal of developing solutions to national challenges and building scalable enterprises.
Vande Bharatam has been conceptualised as a platform to identify promising innovators and connect them with mentorship, industry expertise, visibility and growth opportunities.
The initiative is based on the premise that talent is widely distributed across the country, even when access to opportunities may not be.
Commenting on the launch of the first cohort, Chairman Gautam Adani said that the programme seeks to support innovators who could go on to build transformative enterprises.
"When I look at these innovators, I see the possibilities of tomorrow's Bharat. Talent has no city limits and opportunity should not have them either," he said.
"Years from now, I hope we will look back at this first cohort and see among them the founders and innovators who went on to build enterprises that transformed Bharat. This is their initial chapter. And it is Vande Bharatam's first chapter too," he added.
The selected participants were chosen through a multi-stage evaluation process and will now take part in the Vande Bharatam Immersive Week programme.
The immersive programme will include mentorship sessions, interactions with business leaders, entrepreneurs and domain experts, along with further rounds of assessment.
The initiative will culminate in the Vande Bharatam Grand Finale on August 14, where selected innovators will be recognised and presented with the Vande Bharatam Trophy.
Moreover, the longer-term objective of the platform is to create a nationwide innovation ecosystem that identifies ideas at an early stage and helps innovators beyond established entrepreneurial hubs gain access to resources, networks and institutions that can accelerate their growth.
Vande Bharatam is a nationwide innovation and entrepreneurship initiative -- launched on Gautam Adani's 64th birthday on June 25 -- to identify talent across India and support the development of ventures aimed at creating broader economic and social impact.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The idea of taking innovation beyond metros is very promising. I just hope these selected innovators get genuine long-term support, not just a one-time event. Time will tell how many of them actually scale up.
"Talent has no city limits" — what a powerful statement! As someone from a Tier-2 city, I can relate. India has brilliant minds everywhere; they just need the right platform. Vande Bharatam seems to be heading in the right direction. 🇮🇳
I appreciate the initiative, but let's be honest — selection through multi-stage evaluation is still a bit opaque. We need more transparency about how these 26,000 applications were shortlisted. Still, any effort to boost grassroots innovation is welcome.
Impressive response from a country this size, but is this just another corporate-funded competition or will it actually create an ecosystem? I hope the mentoring and network access go deeper than a one-week program.
With sectors like agriculture, defence, and healthcare included, this is thinking big. India has always had jugaad innovators; now they're getting structured backing. Wishing the first cohort all the best! 🙏
I'd rather see more support for our local engineering colleges and IITs
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.