IN-SPACe Announces Launch of Pre-Incubation Program (PIE) for Aspiring Space Startups

Recognizing the rising interest in space exploration among young entrepreneurs, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has launched the Pre-Incubation Entrepreneurship (PIE) Development Program, a pioneering initiative designed to support and nurture early-stage space startups. The PIE Development program will cultivate and empower the next generation of space tech innovators, providing them with the tools and guidance necessary to transform their space dreams into reality.

The 21-month program will guide aspiring entrepreneurs through a comprehensive journey divided into distinct phases of ideation, innovation, and prototype development. The program will ensure that budding entrepreneurs receive structured support at each critical stage of development.

Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “India's space sector is poised for exponential growth, and young entrepreneurs are crucial to driving this expansion. The PIE program will provide them with a launchpad, equipping them not only with technical expertise but also with the business acumen needed to navigate the complexities of the space industry. The early-stage support will help to unlock the potential of innovative minds and contribute to India's leadership in the global space industry."

The PIE Development Program will help young entrepreneurs transform their innovative ideas into prototypes by fostering a collaborative learning environment giving participants an opportunity to connect with and learn from seasoned mentors, handpicked from leading research institutions, incubators, academia, and prominent space industry players. This direct access to industry veterans and subject matter experts will provide invaluable insights, feedback, and networking opportunities. It will inculcate a culture of innovation in entrepreneurs, propelling scientific advancements that generate socio-economic benefits, contribute to broader economic development and create new job opportunities in India’s space sector.

As per guidelines of the program, applicants must be Indian citizens graduating in 2024 or already graduates, they should not have received any grants, funding, or monetary support from private or government schemes and all submissions must be original work to qualify for this program. Start-ups registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on or after July 1, 2022, are classified as early-stage start-ups.

This program will target students in technical courses or those with a strong interest in space technology, expected to graduate in 2024, or pursuing Master's or Doctorate programs and early-stage start-ups focusing on space technologies and aiming to develop entrepreneurial ventures.

IN-SPACe invites aspiring space entrepreneurs and early-stage start-ups to apply for the PIE Development Program. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a transformative journey, gaining access to unparalleled resources, mentorship, and a platform to showcase their innovations. For more information and application details, please visit www.inspace.gov.in

Professor Srivardhini K Jha takes Over as Chairpersons at NSRCEL

Prof. Srivardhini Jha assumes charge as the chairperson of NSRCEL, the startup incubator at IIM Bangalore, earlier this month. Prof. Jha is Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at IIM Bangalore. Prior to joining IIMB, she worked as a researcher with the McGill Centre for the Convergence of Health and Economics. She has a Ph.D. in Corporate Strategy and Policy from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, an MS in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University and a B.Tech. in Information Science and Engineering from Bangalore University. Prior to moving into academia, she held several senior managerial positions at Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and Infosys.

Prof Srivardhini Jha has been working as a researcher and teacher interested in innovation and entrepreneurship. Her research interests include innovation strategy of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) in emerging markets, innovation in the Indian startup ecosystem and social entrepreneurship. With a strong industry background in leading initiatives to build innovation/entrepreneurship capacity in the local ecosystem, she has pursued rigorous and practice-relevant research. Her works have been published in several peer-reviewed international journals such as MIS Quarterly, MIT Sloan Management Review, Management International Review, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, and others. She has co-edited a book titled “Shifting Orbits: Decoding the Trajectory of the Indian Startup Ecosystem”, which was published in 2021.

Announcing this key leadership appointment, Anand Sri Ganesh, Chief Operating Officer, NSRCEL, said, “We are pleased to welcome Professor Srivardhini Jha as NSRCEL's new chairperson. Her research focus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship will only accelerate the pace of impact on the ecosystem and our long-standing commitment of bringing together corporate leaders, investors, academia, and entrepreneurs on one platform.”

Commenting on her new role at NSRCEL, Professor Jha said, “Entrepreneurship will play a major role in propelling India towards becoming a US $5 trillion economy. As a prominent center for entrepreneurial learning, NSRCEL is uniquely positioned to nurture and grow entrepreneurs and their ventures at scale and contribute to nation building. During my tenure, I would like to see NSRCEL make a significant positive impact on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India.”

About NSRCEL

With programs specifically catering to entrepreneurs with profit ventures and social ventures, also student and women entrepreneurs, NSRCEL offers its support to various players of the startup ecosystem.

NSRCEL brings together startups, industry mentors, and eminent academicians from its parent institution Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and researchers who thrive on continuous interaction of theory and practice. For details, visit www.nsrcel.org

T-Hub Launches EV Entrepreneurial Program to Fuel India’s Ambition of Becoming an Electric Vehicle Nation

•  It is a unique three-month-long curriculum designed, developed, and delivered by Electric Vehicle (EV) industry experts.
• This expertly curated cohort-based program aims at upskilling students, working professionals and entrepreneurs.
• The participants will receive mentorship from industry veterans, leading CXOs, policymakers, and think tanks from the industry.

T-Hub, which leads India’s pioneering innovation ecosystem, today launched a one-of-a-kind EV Entrepreneurial Program in partnership with EV Master Class. The expertly curated cohort-based program aims at upskilling and empowering students, working professionals and entrepreneurs to become industry-ready. This program will enable startups to enhance their products through mentoring and aims to nurture the students and professionals to acquire the necessary skill sets to build and accelerate their careers in the field of the EV industry.

The program is designed, developed, and delivered by EV industry leaders that include leading CEOs and policymakers as the strongest mentor base to unlock the right talent for the industry and boost the EV ecosystem in the country. Riding on the success of the pilot cohort, T-Hub announced the launch of the new cohort in the presence of Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Industries & IT, Telangana during the Telangana EV Day event. 

The event was organised to bring together government and industry leaders in the EV segment to talk about the need to reskill and upskill the EV industry. Ecosystem enablers like TSREDCO, FTCCI, RICH, TSIC, and TASK were also a part of this event. T- Hub Telangana's innovation hub has taken the lead in collaboration with EV Masterclass in launching the first of its initiative.

Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Industries & IT, Telangana, addressing the event said, “One of the biggest challenges faced by the EV industries currently is the shortage of the relevant talent pool across the country. Apart from the talent pool, the EV ecosystem also needs more entrepreneurs plunging into this space for the industry to thrive rapidly. Telangana Government has taken a concrete step towards helping the industry by promoting the first such initiative of building an EV Entrepreneurial Program. This initiative aims to nurture and encourage young talent, working professionals and entrepreneurs from across the country to consider EV as a profession to pursue or an enterprise to build.”

The three-month program will start in May 2022 and is open for applications for relevant candidates across India till 30th April 2022, those interested can apply at https://zfrmz.com/dz1fIOHzxMKRfAWhbYQ3.

MSR, CEO of T-Hub said, "India’s startup ecosystem is now a globally celebrated story, and our entrepreneurs are doing some phenomenal work in building solutions that solve critical industry challenges. We have introduced the EV Entrepreneurial Program to support the advancement of technologies, and business models for a sustainable future. It is tailored to the needs of the Indian automobile industry that is moving towards widespread electrification and will enable the participants to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving EV segment."

T-Hub has onboarded Rajeev YSR, an IIT Madras alumnus as a chief mentor of the program who has been recently recognized as “40 under 40” India’s young dynamic EV leaders. He has been evangelizing and crusading the EV adoption and has founded the EV Masterclass. Other industry veterans like Sulajja Firodia, Founder & CEO, Kinetic Green, Karthikey Hariyani, Founder & CEO, Charge Zone, and Gopal Krishnan, Automotive Director, Govt of Telangana, Polash Das, Head eMobility, CESL, Venkat Rajaraman, CEO Cygni, Dave Mullaney, Principal Consultant, Rocky Mountain Institute are also part of the program as mentors along with him to nurture and groom the aspiring entrepreneurs.

Rajeev YSR, Founder and CEO of EV Master Class said, “These are exciting times for the EV sector. It is important to have more resources trained in various aspects of the industry. This initiative will not only enable the participants to learn necessary skills but will also provide an opportunity to build relevant connections that will support them as they grow in the industry. Apart from this, the EV companies can also benefit immensely from EV Masterclass by recruiting trained students and professionals who would be productive from Day 1. We are very happy to announce that some of the students have already secured placements in renowned EV companies and a few participants have already started their entrepreneurial journey in this cohort.

With T-Hub’s robust innovation ecosystem and expertise, each segment of the participants will get various opportunities to drive a cleaner transportation future for India. Students by the end of the program will be industry ready and get a chance to gain internships and placement opportunities. Whereas professionals will be equipped with the required knowledge and skillset to switch to EVs and they can pursue new career opportunities. The program will also provide working professionals with a deep understanding of the EV industry landscape to enable them to start their own ventures and scale.

The entrepreneurs through this program will get their ideas validated, receive mentorship, access to market connects, and collaboration opportunities with various ecosystem stakeholders. The participants will also receive access to T-Hub’s growing pool of mentors, and networking opportunities with other startups, corporates, investors, and government entities. The established EV companies can hire skilled talents which will enable reduced attrition and greater productivity in the industry.

The pilot cohort enabled the students to secure internship opportunities with EV startups and organisations. The startups from the cohort also benefited in terms of technical and strategic advisory which enabled them to accelerate their Technology readiness level (TRLs) from level 2 to level 7. They were provided with market access, sector-specific collaborations and networking opportunities by participating in leading industry forums and exhibitions.

T-Hub’s various innovative programs have been successfully scaling startups in partnership with their robust ecosystem of partners. T-Hub till date has impacted 1800+ startups through various programs and initiatives, has 600+ global and national corporate partners, and has provided 2000 mentor connects to help the startup scale.

T-Hub (Technology Hub) is an innovation hub and ecosystem enabler. Based out of Hyderabad, India, T-Hub leads India’s pioneering innovation ecosystem. With a mission of enabling and empowering an ecosystem hungry for innovation, T-Hub is creating an impact for startups, corporations, and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders. Incorporated in 2015, it has provided over 1800+ national and international startups with access to better technology, talent, mentors, customers, corporates, investors, and government agencies. It has elevated innovation for leading national and global corporations, transforming their business models for the better. Working in collaboration with innovation partners and enablers in Telangana, India and worldwide, T-Hub is building a future-ready innovation ecosystem.

For more information about T-Hub, visit www.t-hub.co. 

ABOUT EV MASTERCLASS

EV Masterclass is a first-of-its-kind solution consisting of industry-centric courses developed and taught by industry experts and  CXOs. Students, professionals, and entrepreneurs with an interest in electric vehicles can take courses with us to become qualified professionals and gain a deeper understanding of EVs. EV Masterclass empowers millions of learners to unleash their potential and becomes experts in the EV industry.

Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) Launched To Support Entrepreneurs in Villages

Photo by Néstor Morales on Unsplash

National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), a premier organization of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to develop a sustainable model for promoting entrepreneurship at the grass roots by initiating the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP).

SVEP  aims to support entrepreneurs in rural areas to set-up enterprises at the village-level in non-agricultural sectors. The partnership will enable the rural community by helping them set up their trades and provide complete support till they are stabilized. This pragmatic intervention will provide knowledge, advisory and financial support to the public and will help create village-level community cadre.

NIESBUD is an autonomous organization engaged in training, consultancy, research, etc. in order to promote entrepreneurship and Skill Development. 

Under the partnership of NIESBUD and MoRD, rural entrepreneurs will be able to access banking systems for receiving financial support for starting their enterprises, including support from MUDRA bank. Integrated ICT techniques and tools will also be provided for training and capacity building along with enterprise advisory services to augment the entrepreneurship ecosystem in India’s villages. 

Newly launched SVEP program will benefit the Self-Help Group (SHG) ecosystem of DAY-NRLM and the scheme not only supports existing enterprises but new enterprises as well.

In September last year, MSDE had announced its plans for implementing a project on entrepreneurship promotion and mentoring of micro and small enterprises in 6 temple towns of Puri, Varanasi, Haridwar, Kollur, Pandharpur and Bodh Gaya, to tap the entrepreneurial potential of first generation entrepreneurs, educated unemployed youth, school/college dropouts, women, youth from backward community etc.

On the partnership, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entreprenuership said that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has highlighted that Indians should dream of becoming job creators from job seekers and in this regard, SVEP will help create an innovative ecosystem, accelerating economic and social gains at the community level. He informed that the scheme also aims at building an inclusive society by providing equal opportunities to all along with the required financial support. Shri Aggarwal highlighted that India is a land of opportunities and by helping our youth access these prospects, we are catering to their aspirations. 

He expressed his confidence that this partnership will help in training the rural community and will provide them with necessary resources for entrepreneurship to increase their income and will pave the way for building Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Shri Aggarwal stressed that rural entrepreneurship can play a significant role in the overall economic development of India and a huge number of employment opportunities can be generated because of the rural entrepreneurship for the people who are living in rural or remote geographies. The old-age artistic heritage has also been conserved by protecting as well as promoting the rural entrepreneurship, he added. He informed that from past few years, Skill India has been working persistently to bridge the skill gap by giving entrepreneurs easy access to funding, providing the right mentorship, and improving ease of doing business in the country.

T-Hub Celebrates Outstanding Achievements of 50 Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders to Mark International Women’s Day

T-Hub hosted its first of kind event ‘The Womenpreneur’ bringing together all the stakeholders to celebrate the tremendous contributions and achievements of women entrepreneurs and leaders.

The event had 20+ eminent speakers delivering inspiring and insightful keynotes and panel sessions and had 250+ attendees join the event physically as well as virtually.

T-Hub, which leads India’s pioneering innovation ecosystem, organised ‘The Womenpreneur’ event with thought-provoking conversations from women entrepreneurs, women leaders, government representatives to inspire the next generation of leaders and dreamers this International Women's Day. The event had 20+ eminent speakers delivering inspiring and insightful keynotes and panel sessions and had 250+ attendees join the event physically as well as virtually.

With the spirit of innovate, inspire, and ignite, the event aimed at understanding the journey of women entrepreneurs, how they overcame gender bias in their growth journey, with the support of ecosystem enablers such as T-Hub, WE HUB, TSIC etc. The event brought together eminent dignitaries such as Dr. S. Glory Swarupa, Director General, National Institute of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (NIMSME), Anu Acharya, CEO, Mapmygenome, Cerasela Tanasescu, Director, La Trobe University, Dr. Shanta Thoutam, Chief innovation officer (CIO), Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC).

  
MSR, CEO, T-Hub addressing the event said, “The overall number of women enterprises and jobs these enterprises create in the country are very less currently, and I believe that all the ecosystem stakeholders should come and work together to find ways and means that will help create an impact where potentially we can create 40 million women enterprises in India in the coming years and possibly create about 150 to 170 million jobs from those enterprises. This requires a profound transformation that will help empower our personal, economic, social status. Today’s collaboration is one such opportunity for us to reflect, to think, and to come up with ideas on how we can accelerate this whole transformation piece.”

Dr. S. Glory Swarupa in her special address talked about one of the biggest difficulties for women is access to finance. Studies have shown women entrepreneurs can create millions of jobs, contributing to the economy and as a national institution taking responsibility for women's participation in MSME, NIMSME is keeping a 3-year vision - and have shared its proposal to the MSME ministry on the difficulty women are facing and how to overcome this.

Anu Acharya in her keynote address pointed out how the next generation is gender-free and that we might not need to have discussions on removing gender biases but on the way forward strategy to strengthen the women workforce.

Another keynote speech, which was addressed by Dr. Shanta Thoutam, talked about how some of the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs are being overcome through incubation centres like T-Hub, and WE HUB. Shanta urged the women entrepreneurs to trust in their decisions while running their own businesses.

The event organised a fireside chat session on ‘Women trailblazing entrepreneurship’ moderated by Deepthi R, Chief Executive Officer, WE HUB with the panel members Tanuja Abburi, Founder, Beyond Pinks, Kritika Narula, Lead, Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy, Startup India, Government of India, Rashida Adenwala, Co-founder & Partner, R & A Associates, Jugnu Jain, CEO, Sapien Biosciences, Sreedevi Devireddy, VP - Startup Ecosystem, XELP, Sabina Kamal, Founder & COO Paytm m'Loyal (Mobiquest).

The event also witnessed the book launch by MSR for the book “Accelerating Her Business” co-authored by Poornima Shenoy and Supriya Panchangam. Keeping the strong narrative for women in India, the event showcased inspiring voyages of founders like Priya Ananth, Co-founder, Life Circle, Kalpana Ramesh, Founder of Rainwater Harvest Project and Krupala Nune, COO of LifeOfGirl startup.

A panel discussion titled “Women entrepreneurs as the next frontier for employment” was also organised which was led by Rashmi Pimpale, CEO, Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH), Government of Telangana, with panelists Madhura Dasgupta Sinha, Founder & CEO, Aspire For Her, Samir Sathe, Executive Vice President, Wadhwani Foundation, Poornima Shenoy and Supriya Panchangam, Authors of Accelerating Her Business book.

T-Hub also took this opportunity to felicitate 50 people to honour their contribution in inspiring, retaining and enabling the spirit of women entrepreneurship across the globe. These included women entrepreneurs like Anindita Banik, CEO, of SmartWinnr, Sarada Kalavapudi, Founder of Hivedin, Aparna Bhogu, Co-Founder of Monitra, Hema Nandiraju, Co-founder of HESA Global, and women mentors like Neetika Maheshwari, Founder of Accelero Corporation, Nirajita Mitra, Senior Director at Oracle India, Mytri Reddy, Partner at Varuna Law Associates, Nandita Sethi, Founder and Managing Director of The Entrepreneur Zone, and corporate women leaders like Rajita Singh, Head HR of Broadridge Financial Services, Urvashi Katyal, Strategic Partnership Manager, Community & Impact at Meta, and Swetha Balasa, Director at Honeywell Aerospace, among others.

The event concluded with an introduction to Startup India Awards 2022 by Aakanksha Chandra, Associate, Startup India, Government of India which will identify and celebrate innovations across 17 sectors, 50 sub-sectors and 7 special categories.

T-Hub has designed and delivered 100+ innovation programs in the last 6 years, enabling 1800+ startups to scale nationally and globally, and connected them with various influential ecosystem stakeholders. T-Hub will continue to develop strategic programs to elevate the levels of innovation by effectively engaging stakeholders and will keep supporting other ecosystem enablers – TSIC, T-Works, WE HUB, RICH, TASK by sharing knowledge and resources, as and when needed.

ABOUT T-HUB

T-Hub (Technology Hub) is an innovation hub and ecosystem enabler. Based out of Hyderabad, India, T-Hub leads India’s pioneering innovation ecosystem. With a mission of enabling and empowering an ecosystem hungry for innovation, T-Hub is creating impact for startups, corporations and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders. Incorporated in 2015, it has provided over 1800+ national and international startups with access to better technology, talent, mentors, customers, corporates, investors, and government agencies. It has elevated innovation for leading national and global corporations, transforming their business models for the better. Working in collaboration with innovation partners and enablers in Telangana, India and worldwide, T-Hub is building a future-ready innovation ecosystem.

Clever Harvey and Multiply Ventures Collaborate for 15-Day Entrepreneurship Course for High School Teenagers

Mr. Sriram Subramanian - Cofounder, Clever Harvey

The 15-day program provides students practical exposure to what startup founders do as they learn to create Shark Tank-style business pitches

To give teenagers an early preview into future careers, Clever Harvey has collaborated with Multiply Ventures to launch a new industry-certified course, ‘JuniorMBA Entrepreneurship,’ specifically for high school students (Classes VIII to XII).

The 15-day program aims to provide students practical exposure to what startups founders do as they learn to create Shark Tank-style business pitches. Working in groups of two or three, students take a ‘behind-the-scenes’ tour of one of the most challenging functions in the world of business – entrepreneurship, guided by a Clever Harvey facilitator. As they learn to develop business strategies with step-by-step guidance, students develop a strong foundation in business acumen and critical thinking.

Speaking on the launch of the new program, Sriram Subramanian, Co-Founder, Clever Harvey, said, “With the introduction of the New Education Policy, the Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum and the booming start-up culture in India, it is important for students to understand what goes into being an entrepreneur. The newly launched program teaches the students to build a company while thinking through concepts like value proposition, business models, revenue streams, business costs, and scaling challenges. They then apply these concepts to pitch their own business plans. We are excited to welcome Multiply Ventures as a partner in building up this new category of experiential career discovery. A team of former founders who set up and scaled brands like Myntra, Flipkart, and PayTm now play the role of investors. Their inputs are invaluable for aspiring entrepreneurs - teens or adults.”

“One might think an Entrepreneurship program is intended for those who wish to build businesses. But did you know 65% of jobs that will exist in 2030 aren't invented yet? So how do you prepare the younger generation for that world? There is a distinct need for an entrepreneurial skillset irrespective of career choice in today's constantly evolving business environment. Critical thinking, influencing skills, and business acumen are key skills required to succeed in any career they choose to pursue,” he added.

Commenting on the launch, Raveen Sastry, Founder at Multiply Ventures, said, “We are delighted to have collaborated with Clever Harvey to teach entrepreneurship skills at the high school level. Students will benefit from building a broader problem-solving mindset to understand people's needs and develop solutions. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see how students develop ideas and develop solutions to turn them into viable business plans that can scale. We are excited to see the teen start-ups that emerge from this program."

About Clever Harvey:

Founded by Sriram Subramanian and Madhu Agrawal in 2020 as a D2C division of Callido Learning, the Mumbai-based company is building India’s largest career accelerator for teenagers. It currently offers programs for high school students in marketing, technology, entrepreneurship, data analytics, UX design, digital marketing and finance in collaboration with leading companies like Puma, Samsonite, Dominos, Kellogg's, Cult.Fit and more. 

The JuniorMBA Entrepreneurship program is the most popular option amongst parents looking to give their children a firm grounding in the business world. 10,000+ students from 15 countries have graduated from these programs. Driving the next phase of expansion, Clever Harvey is now partnering with leading universities to build fast track college admission pathways for high school students with a portfolio of industry projects.

Hesa to Onboard 1.5 Lakh Microlevel Entrepreneurs in 2022 Across Rural Parts of India

Hesa, which is on a mission to uplift rural entrepreneurs, announced today that it will onboard more than 1.5 Lakh microlevel entrepreneurs by the end of 2022. With this Hesa, the rural- tech startup will empower these entrepreneurs across rural parts of India such as the states of Karnataka , Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and plans to grow into five additional states by the end of this year. 

Expanding its network of microlevel entrepreneurs (Hesaathi), the startup focuses on offering a range of products and services in order to solve the challenges of accessibility, availability and buying and selling in remote rural locations. Identifying the right talent on the ground, the field officer onboards Hesaathi who are then trained to use the platform. After the completion of the training, Hesaathis are awarded with a certificate and then roll on the platform.

Established in 2020, Hesa is a technology-enabled rural commerce platform empowering livelihood in rural areas, enabling access to quality products and services. With currently a total of 30000+ microlevel entrepreneurs (Hesaathi), the startup continues to bolster its rural network across India. Hesa is providing the micro entrepreneurs to settle with dignified work in local villages allowing them to make Rs 8000 to Rs 12000 income monthly.

Hesaathis onboarded at Hesa will be incharge of the supply chain at a local level, facilitating village level mapping, surveys, campaigns and promotions for the company's brand partners. Hesaathis also helps rural consumers with everyday transactions on the platform like utility bill payments, buying and selling of products across sectors and more. Where the rural customer visits Hesaathi in their village for multiple needs in a single visit, which also fulfils the demand of social distancing in the current times, avoiding long commutes in shared vehicles or standing in longer queues, Hesaathis are also able to generate income through commission on every transaction they make on the platform. The startup's business model thereby provides solutions at both ends- Connecting businesses to rural India and enabling scalable solutions for rural households, helping them with progressive livelihoods.

On the team expansion plans, Founder & CEO, Vamsi Udayagiri quotes “As a technology enabled platform we are empowering livelihood in rural areas, providing access to quality products and services. Our endeavour is to bridge the gap between rural and urban India by leveraging technology and the workforce. We at Hesa, are overwhelmed with the response we have received in the last 2 years and we are ready to scale our services across multiple states with our innovative tech solutions.

Hesa is a social enterprise enabling convenience with multiple solutions for both ends connecting rural entrepreneurs and brands. The startup has connected 65+ brands to 600,000 rural customers through its network of 30,000 village-level entrepreneurs in around 50,000 Indian villages. The startup has also received recognition for its outstanding contribution in helping 11+ lakh rural households and 10,000+ job creation in a short span of one year. The company further aims to impact 3 crore rural livelihoods and onboard 1.5Lakh microlevel entrepreneurs in 2022. With buying, selling, promoting, marketing, services all enrolled in one platform, Hesa has become the go-to-market solutions in rural India.

Telangana CM KCR Unveils New IT Park at North Part of the City at Kandlakolya Village

KTR does Bhoomi Puja of Gateway IT Park Kandlakoya

Allotted letters to 90 companies with 6,04,200 sq. ft area and 8516 employees

KT Rama Rao tells youth to think like KCR, dream-like KCR

Think like KCR, dream-like KCR. The secret behind the successful political journey of K. Chandrashekhar Rao(KCR), Chief Minister of Telangana continued to dream big which is why he is where he is today. He too had his share of setbacks. He defied the suggestion of his maternal uncle, went ahead and pursued what he dreamt of, the political career. He lost the election for the chairman of the single window elections of Raghavapur. 

He then joined the newly launched TDP in the year 1983. He managed to get a TDP ticket to contest as MLA on his own but lost with a small majority. But KCR continued to pursue his dream despite his setbacks. He started his party, TRS in the year 2001 without any background, media backing and cinema glamour. He fought 14 long years with determination and got a separate state and became Chief Minister. It was all possible because he believed in himself, determination, perseverance and of course with public support, KT Rama Rao told the youth in the audience and advised them to continue to dream and dream-like KCR.

K.T. Rama Rao was addressing a massive gathering of students and entrepreneurs in the audience immediately after the Bhoomi Puja of Gateway IT Park Kandlakoya. After the groundbreaking ceremony, KTR also unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion. KT Rama Rao also unveiled the logo of KITEA--Kompally IT Entrepreneurs Association.

Model of Gateway IT Park Kandlakoya

As part of our strategy of growth in dispersion (GRID) across the state, a new IT park at Kandlakoya junction on ORR has been conceptualized as a gateway to Hyderabad. I am happy to lay the foundation today on the birthday of a Living Legend Telangana CM Sri KCR Garu, he announced.

The Park which has only 5 lakh sqft capacity, got the demand for 6, 04, 200 sft space which is already booked and it is houseful now. The Cyber Towers at Madhapur which was inaugurated in 1998 has 5.25 lakh sqft, but Gateway IT Park Kandlakoya has 6 lakh sqft. That means, it is bigger than Cyber Towers, KT Rama Rao told the packed audience. Speaking why they chose to inaugurate it on the birthday of Chief Minister KCR, explained at length the journey of CM KCR, his struggle and achievement, he said and explained the journey as above. 

KT Rama Rao, Malla Reddy and others seen at Bhoomi Puja function of Gateway IT Park Kandlakoya

He then reminded the audience of a well-known quotation in boxing “It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward”, that matters he said in real life too And that is what KCR has done. 

KTR seen presenting space allocation letter to Dr Ankam, MD of Tutors Pride Edutech

Seen the audience mostly student at the Bhoomi Puja of Gatewahy IT Park Kandlakoya

The IT in the city is mostly focused in the West part of the city. We want it to grow in every other part of the city. Kandlakoya Village is the most suitable place to open a new IT park. The reasons, KT Rama Rao explained are, the area has 35 Engineering Colleges, 50 Traditional Colleges, 30 MBA Colleges that produce 15000 Engineering and 20,000 regular graduates. It will help more to get new jobs. It is only the beginning and so much is in the offing, he said.

The leaders from the area have been requesting my department to explore the North part of the city i.e Medchal District. They told me that the social infrastructure is already in place. There are Universities such as Malla Reddy and Mahindra located in this area. MMTS Railway station is close by. There is a good urban landscape, good connectivity. It is attached to the national highway, ORR. The place has everything one looks into when we set up an IT park. That is why this place is chosen, he added

When we came into power 8 years back people had a lot of apprehensions that they would forget the new IT companies coming to the state, but, the existing companies may go away. Instead, the city was successful in attracting the world's top and most valued companies such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft. It also attracted Uber, SalesForce and others. Amazon has its world's biggest campus here in Hyderabad, KTR told the audience. 

Telangana is the 11th largest state in terms of Geography in India and 12th in population. But it is in 4th place after West Bengal, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu in contributing to the nation's economy. We are just 2.5% of India's population, but we contribute 5% to the nation's GDP. Telangana is progressing well, It has set up many benchmarks, he told.

I met with Sri Arun Mammen, VC & MD of MRF India, before coming to this meeting.

He has shared with me that they’ve decided to invest ₹1,000 Cr into expanding their facility & creating a new speciality assembly line at Sangareddy district. He also offered CSR of ₹4Cr to the “Mana Ooru - Mana Badi” program, KTR revealed.

Telangana is the Vaccines Capital of the world. One-third of the human vaccines produced in the world are produced in Hyderabad, he reminded the students. And said, if you want to get good jobs and remain job-ready, you must skill or upskill or re-skill constantly, he advised them.

KT Rama Rao assured that T-Hub wing may also be set up at Kompally IT park to help the companies here.

He later cut the Birthday Cake of KCR, his father and CM on the occasion of his 68th Birthday.

He then handed over space allocation letters to 90 companies. All put together with a booked space of 6, 04, 200 sft. Some of those companies include A and AM Consultants Pvt. Ltd; A3 IT Solutions, Tutors Pride Edutech, Adsum Softek Originators, InfraBIM and others. These companies have booked in the range of 1000 ft to 20,000 sft. Their areas of specialisations include 45 software development companies; 15 IT services and consulting companies; 4 Data Analytics; 4 HR Services; 3 Gaming and Animation; 3 IOT and 16 Emerging Technologies and Innovations. The companies from all over Hyderabad and USA are shifting to Kandlakoya IT Park.

Oruganti Venkat, President of KITEA said the park has seen the light after 12 months of hard work. I one day tweeted KTR at midnight. He then instructed his department to validate our proposal.

After multiple meetings and exploring multiple locations such as Suchitra, Dundigal, Shamirpet, we have finalized this place. The reason for choosing Kandlakoya is the availability of a talent pool here.

I used to travel 50 km back and forth to work at Infosys, Oracle and other companies where I worked. A lot of my time used to go commuting. By the time I returned home I used to be tired.

I couldn't spend quality time with the family. That is when this idea struck to create a sustainable ecosystem. We will help companies connect with colleges, villages. We will complete the infrastructure at the earliest possible time, he said.

Minister Malla Reddy while speaking shared that nearly one lakh engineering students pursue their studies in the district. He shared his successful journey and how he became the biggest educationist and one of the tops in the country,

Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, IT; several MLAs and MLCs and local politicians graced the occasion.

Oruganti Venkat, President of KITEA, can be reached on his mobile: 9849577637 for more information.

Applications Invited from Indian Women Scientists and Entrepreneurs for National Tech Excellence Award for Women 2022

Applications have been invited from Indian Women Scientists and Entrepreneurs to felicitate a select few with the prestigious India National Tech Excellence Award for Women 2022 for pursuing, prevailing, creating an impact, and etching out stories of inspiration for future young girls.

Technology Development Board, a statutory Body of the Department of Science and Technology, on the special occasion of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, has instituted the award to honour the outstanding contribution of women scientists and entrepreneurs in commercializing innovative indigenous technologies. 

The awards will be presented on International Women’s Day on 8th March, 2022.

The awards are categorized under two categories National Women Scientist Award for Excellence in Translational Research and National Women Entrepreneur Award. 

Both the awards will be presented in two distinct subcategories as -

1. Senior (45 years and above) - Prize of ₹3Lakh
2. Young (Below 45 years)      -  Prize of ₹1Lakh

The awardees will receive a cash award of ₹3 Lakh and ₹1 Lakh for senior and young, respectively, and number of awards will be two in each category.

Women empowerment is vital to our development. Indian women continue to lead in different walks of life. Our space programmes, including the Mars Orbiter Mission, have had immense contribution from our women scientists.

- Narendra Modi

The contribution of Indian women in the science & technology and entrepreneurship has been exemplary, and they have proved that they can own businesses, work tirelessly to show that they are adept and successful in the entrepreneurial space. 

In rural India, too, women entrepreneurs have made their way and emerged as leaders across different sectors, proving that they are capable mentors for future generations.

The contributions made by women across sectors have been evident over the centuries, science and technology being one of the most benefitted. Women like, Leelavati, a mathematician and astrologer; Janaki Ammal, first Indian scientist to have received the Padma Shri Award in 1977; Kadambini Ganguly, one of the first female physicians of South Asia to be trained in western medicine; Anna Mani, an Indian physicist, and meteorologist, also the former DDG of the Indian Meteorological Department; Indira Hinduja, the first Indian women who delivered a test tube baby; Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman & Managing Director, Biocon Limited, Kalpana Chawla, a first Indian woman in space, Dr. Renu Swaroop, first Woman Secretary to lead DST and Dr. Alka Mittal, first woman CMD of ONGC have made significant contribution to sectors such as aerospace, medical science, biotechnology, meteorology, and many others, they have proven it time, and again, that opportunity and access to knowledge & resources can make all the difference.

The Government of India has been continuously focusing on women empowerment in Science and Technology, through various schemes and initiatives like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, "KIRAN" (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing), “GATI” - Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions and many other women scientist schemes. 

 All these aim to support the talents of Indian women, and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has played a key role in supporting talented women in science.

For applying, interested candidates may visit www.tdb.gov.in

IFC and We-Fi Launches "IFC ScaleX" to Award Upto $25K to Biz Accelerators Helping Women-led Cos in Emerging Markets

To help tackle the financing gap that women entrepreneurs still face, particularly in emerging markets, IFC and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) launched today a new call for applications for IFC ScaleX—a performance-based initiative that will provide an award of up to $25,000 to business accelerators that have helped women-led companies in emerging markets raise equity financing.

"After acceleration, women raise far less capital than men, other factors being equal,” said Stephanie von Friedeburg, Senior Vice President of Operations at IFC. “We must level the playing field to ensure the best ideas are funded. IFC ScaleX is designed to do this, backing impactful accelerators that are themselves backing women entrepreneurs with great ideas."

Research shows that startups that can access external financing are able to grow up to 30 percent faster than those that do not. However, accessing capital remains a challenge, particularly for women entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Only 11 percent of seed funding in emerging markets goes to companies with a woman in their founding team, and the figures are even lower for later stage funding. Furthermore, an IFC study found that male-led startups, on average, increase the amount of equity they raise post-acceleration by 2.6 times more than female-led startups.

IFC ScaleX seeks to incentivize accelerators to actively help women unlock funding opportunities, catalyzing a total of $40 million into women-led startups over the next two years.

“Gender disparity in accessing funding, particularly in high-growth technology sectors, is still significant,” said Wendy Teleki, Head of the We-Fi Secretariat. “It is troubling to see that women entrepreneurs receive only a small fraction of the global venture capital, despite the enormous potential of their solutions. IFC ScaleX will help promote more gender-inclusive acceleration and investment across emerging markets, which is critical for creating more high-growth and resilient women-led firms.”

Accelerators can visit the IFC ScaleX website to learn more about the initiative and determine if they are eligible to apply for an award. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. For more information, please reach out to the IFC ScaleX team at scalex@ifc.org.

IFC has partnered with Village Capital, the largest supporter of impact-driven, seed stage startups in the world, to help implement this initiative.

About IFC

IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2021, IFC committed a record $31.5 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

About We-Fi

The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) is a groundbreaking partnership that aims to unlock financing for women-led/owned businesses (WSMEs) in developing countries. We-Fi’s partners include 14 donor governments, six multilateral development banks as implementing partners, and numerous other stakeholders in the public and private sector. We-Fi, launched in 2017, has allocated $300 million to programs that will benefit close to 130,000 women-led SMEs and will mobilize $3 billion in public and private funds. As one of the We-Fi implementing partners, IFC supports private sector clients with investment and advisory services to expand financial services and market access for women-led firms, as well as increasing the capacity of women entrepreneurs to run high-growth businesses. For more information, visit www.we-fi.org.

About Village Capital

Village Capital helps entrepreneurs bring big ideas from vision to scale. Our mission is to reinvent the system to back the entrepreneurs of the future. Our vision is a future where business creates equity and long-term prosperity. Since 2009, we have supported more than 1,000 early-stage entrepreneurs through our investment readiness programs. Our affiliated fund, VilCap Investments, has invested in more than 110 program graduates. For more information, visit www.vilcap.com.

Actor Sonu Sood Partners with Rural Fintech Firm Spice Money to Empower Over 1 Crore Rural Entrepreneurs

Spice Money, India’s leading rural fintech firm, today announced that the company has joined hands with actor, humanitarian and philanthropist, Sonu Sood to achieve their mutual vision to digitally and financially empower 1 crore rural entrepreneurs. 

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic Sonu Sood’s goal has been to help those in need in the remotest corners of the country, while Spice Money’s aim has been to strengthen the country’s rural economy through digital empowerment and financial inclusion. Given their common vision to digitally uplift rural India, Sonu Sood and Spice Money will jointly work towards creating an entrepreneurial mindset in towns and villages. As part of the association, Sonu Sood will own equity stake in the company and has been appointed as a Non-Executive Advisory Board Member. 

Spice Money will ideate collectively with Sonu Sood to design new initiatives and products that will bridge the divide between rural and urban India. Spice Money will also enable select existing programs developed by Sonu Sood during the lockdown, to be made available on the Spice Money platform. 

As a Non Executive Advisory board member Sonu will contribute in building the network of entrepreneurs, while encouraging financial inclusion and digital empowerment in rural India. Sonu Sood will work with Spice Money Adhikaris (entrepreneurs) to develop an appetite for digital product offerings thus, accelerating their digital journey through technology adoption. Sonu Sood will also be seen as Spice Money’s first brand ambassador. 

Dilip Modi, Founder of Spice Money said, “Spice Money is on a mission to digitally and financially empower over 1 crore rural entrepreneurs. We are thrilled to have in Sonu Sood, a partner who shares the same passion. We will together enable Indians to harness the power of technology in earning an independent livelihood without having to leave their homes and families. This strategic association will leverage digital solutions and knowledge creation through the Spice Money platform, to promote self-reliance, entrepreneurship and financial inclusion in every corner of ‘Bharat’.” 

Dilip Modi, Founder, Spice Money

Speaking on the occasion Sonu Sood said, “I strongly believe that together, we will chart the future for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Humein har gaon ko digitally saksham banaana hai. Through my experiences over the last few months, I have gained an eye-opening perspective on the needs and struggles of the people in towns and villages of India. My vision is to make my countrymen, socio-economically independent and self-reliant using technology. My association with Spice Money will help us jointly achieve just that. The company’s technology prowess and extensive reach in the country gave me an unparalleled platform to reach out to citizens in rural India."


Since the beginning of its operations in 2015, Spice Money has been focusing on financial inclusion with nearly 90% of its digital Adhikaris (entrepreneurs) being in semi-urban and rural India. The company’s endeavor has been to bridge the gap between the served and the under-served, providing digital and financial services to customers at their doorstep. Spice Money has been progressing at a rapid pace, towards covering 18,000+ pin codes, 700+ districts and 5000+ blocks in India.

About Spice Money

Spice Money is India’s leading rural fintech company with close to 500,000 Adhikaris (entrepreneurs) offering cash deposit, aadhar enabled payment system for cash withdrawal, mini ATM, insurance, loans, bill payments, cash collection centre for customer/agents/representative of NBFC/Banks, airtime recharge, tours & travel, online shopping,, Pan Card and mPoS services. Spice Money services are available through Spice Money App (Adhikari App) and web portal. Spice Money through its cutting edge technology and wide network of Spice Money Adhikaris, is bridging the gaps in access to various financial services for the masses across the length and breadth of India." To know more, visit https://spicemoney.com/.