New Delhi: The Indian startup ecosystem is set to get a further boost, with the Union ministry of housing & urban affairs (MoHUA) preparing to provide an array of funding and incubation support to startups to strengthen the sanitation and waste management sector.
The Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban being implemented by MoHUA provides special focus to innovation and encouragement for startups in a bid to adopt locally innovated, implementable solutions and business models and promote circularity in waste management.
In line with this long term approach, MoHUA had launched a Swachhata Startup Challenge under the ambit of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, from January this year, in partnership with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the DPIIT (Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade).
The Challenge aimed to harness the entrepreneurial potential of the waste management sector in India and promote an enabling environment for enterprise development. Interestingly, a bottoms-up approach had been taken by MoHUA, through a Swachh Technology Challenge introduced in December 2021. The technology challenge invited entries and solutions from all stakeholders working in the sanitation sector, including NGOs, CSOs, academic institutions and startups.
Also Read: Patna Smart City board plans PPP mode to refurbish urban amenities
The Startup Challenge, which took off from January this year, had sought entries from organisations in the sanitation and waste management sector, across four categories, viz. (i)social inclusion, (ii) zero dump, (iii)plastic waste management and (iv) transparency through digital enablement. A total of 244 entries were received from aspiring startups, of which 30 startups were shortlisted by a jury pool of 20 members drawn from leading academic institutions and incubators, industry, and government bodies.
Out of the 30, the top 10 winners have been identified, each of whom will be receiving seed funding and dedicated incubation support from French Tech, the French government’s initiative to promote start-ups.
The MoHUA will felicitate 30 selected startups at a conclave to be held in New Delhi on September 20. The day-long event will also feature learning and networking activities, exhibition by the 30 startups showcasing their solutions, discussion on policy initiatives for promoting Startups for garbage Free Cities, and sharing of success stories by entrepreneurs & founders of Unicorns.
The Swachhata Startup Conclave is being organized as part of the Swachh Amrit Mohotsav being conducted by MoHUA, from September 17 to October 2, when India is celebrating eight years of accomplishments of SBM-Urban, and as a run up to the first anniversary of SBM Urban 2.0 to be celebrated on October1.
The conclave is expected to see participation of nearly 600 attendees, including from leading startups and unicorns in the field, city administrators, investors, academia, government bodies and industries, sector partners, industry experts, representatives from DPIIT, Govt. of India, FICCI, CII, and other associations.
