August 10, 2026: Gautam Adani’s Vande Bharatam initiative has seen the beginning of its second phase with the receipt of over 26,000 applications from various states and Union Territories in India and the selection of the first batch of innovations.The Gautam Adani’s Vande Bharatam initiative, which received more than 26,000 applications from across India’s different UTs and states, has become the second phase with the selection of the first set of innovations.
In June, Adani launched the programme with the goal of discovering startups in the country that are not confined to the traditional hotspots. The programme was conceived to target 36 states and Union Territories as well as over 800 districts; thereby providing an opportunity for the applicants from the smaller cities, rural areas and various communities to showcase their thoughts.
Adani Group was giving an update wherein more than 26,000 applications were received from across the country. Selected cohort consists of innovators from various background, region and discipline. They consider mobility, sustainability, innovations, technology, agriculture, defence, health and manufacturing, education and much more.
Because it is crucial that the number of participants surpass the current start-up hubs, like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad, which are part of Vande Bharatam’s declared objectives. Instead, it’s looking for ideas that could be emerging in a smaller town, village and community that might not have the visibility of investors and startup networks.
The programme is moving closer towards a final programme at a national level. The official website of Vande Bharatam mentions that 75 National finalists have been selected. They will be announced to attend a finalists week from August 8-16 with Mentorship, Bootcamps and Presentations. The prospectus’s Grand Finale is on 16 August in Ahmedabad where the finalists will present their ideas to Gautam Adani.
The purpose of the programme is to exceed the competition for the participants. After prelims, finalists will have access to the mentors of the Adani leadership team, business leaders and domain experts. The project also highlights the potential for access to investors, industry partners and strategic partnerships and access to incubation opportunities.
Vande Bharatam has also developed special categories for various groups such as women entrepreneurs, tribal innovators, rural changemakers, sustainable innovators and Divyang entrepreneurs. This involves attempting to make the programme more than just a regular tech start up competition.
Time of year is also critical. India has been trying its best to foster the startup ecosystem outside metros and nurture the more tech and business visions to emerge out from smaller markets. There are various challenges for start-ups, particularly those operating outside of the startup centres, such as access to capital, market linkages, and access to mentorship.
