Centre launches ‘Chunauti’ contest, looks to boost innovation in Tier-II cities by funding 300 start-ups
Under Chunauti start-up challenge contest, about 300 startups working in identified areas will be identifed and provide with seed fund of upto Rs 25 Lakh and other facilities.
New Delhi: In the challenging times of Covid-19 pandemic, the Central government has launched yet another initiative to reach out to start-ups and smart innovators in the country, largely restricted to small towns and Tier-II cities.
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad today launched “Chunauti”- Next Generation Startup Challenge Contest to identify and empower the budding companies in respective fields.
With this contest, the Ministry has tasked itself to identify around 300 start-ups working in the identified areas and provide them seed fund of upto Rs 25 lakh and other facilities.
The Ministry has earmarked a budget of Rs. 95.03 Crore over a period of three years for this programme. It aims to identify around 300 startups working in identified areas and provide them seed fund of upto Rs. 25 Lakh and other facilities
Under this challenge the Ministry of Electronics and IT will invite startups in the following areas of work:
1. Edu-Tech, Agri-Tech & Fin-Tech Solutions for masses
2. Supply Chain, Logistics & Transportation Management
3. Infrastructure & Remote monitoring
4. Medical Healthcare, Diagnostic, Preventive & Psychological Care
5. Jobs & Skilling, Linguistic tools & technologies
Watch Live :
Inauguration of NGIS and Launch of CHUNAUTI for Patna along-with Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony of NIELIT Extension Center at Muzaffarpur.https://t.co/UxC1xnhRdI— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) August 28, 2020
The startups selected through Chunauti will be provided various support from the Government through Software Technology Parks of India centers across India.
They will get incubation facilities, mentorship, security testing facilities, access to venture capitalist funding, industry connect as well as advisories in legal, Human Resource (HR), IPR and Patent matters. Besides seed fund of upto Rs. 25 Lakh, the startups will also be provided cloud credits from leading cloud service providers.
Start-ups who are in the ideation stage may be selected under the pre-incubation programme & mentored for up-to six months to evolve their business plan & solution around the proposed idea. Each intern (start-up under pre-incubation) will be paid Rs. 10,000/- per month upto a period of 6 months.
Startups can apply by visiting the website of STPI or by clicking at the link https://innovate.stpinext.in/
Ravi Shankar Prasad also urged the young, talented innovators of India to come forward and avail benefits of Chunauti challenge and create new software products and apps.