The Department of Science and Technology, along with the world’s largest chip makers, Intel, launched a contest for digital innovators and start-ups. The total amount of grants available for winners of the contest is Rs 1.5 crore. The organisers said that the top three winners will get Rs 20 lakh each as seed money to establish start-ups.
The ‘Innovate for Digital India’ challenge is open for all the aspiring and existing entrepreneurs, innovators, academic, designers, engineers and start-ups. The challenge will begin with the guidance of industry experts, entrepreneurs and Intel experts.
Kishore Balaji, Country Manager – Corporate Affairs, Intel, South Asia, said, “The programme will see a five-phase course for the participants. The mentoring phase, accelerator programme, the ‘go to market’ preparation, the pilot phase and finally, the demo and showcase day.”
The challenge seeks to parallel the Government of India’s Digital India programme by encouraging the growth of start-ups. “This is one of the most attractive times to be a start-up in the Indian space. Last year alone, there was over $3 billion in funding that found its way to Indian startups. However, there are several challenges too — access and connectivity, skill levels and innovation quotient,” Kishore added.
The registrations are open until June 22 and are available at www.innovatefordigitalindia.intel.in.
