- Nationwide innovation movement launched by Gautam Adani enters its next phase with Ahmedabad chosen for the residential mentorship programme and Grand Finale
- Seventy-five finalists from all 36 States and Union Territories to interact with investors, industry leaders and mentors before Independence Day finale
- Initiative seeks to widen the innovation pipeline by identifying grassroots entrepreneurs from more than 800 districts across India
- Rajeev Khandelwal to anchor the Ahmedabad programme, which aims to connect ideas with capital, mentorship and market opportunities
- Ahmedabad reinforces its position as a fast-emerging innovation and startup destination aligned with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision
NE YOUTH BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, JUNE 30
Ahmedabad is set to become the focal point of India’s grassroots innovation movement as Gautam Adani’s Vande Bharatam prepares to bring together the country’s Top 75 innovators and entrepreneurs for an intensive mentoring and investment-readiness programme ahead of its national Grand Finale around Independence Day.
The initiative, launched by Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, from Ahmedabad on June 24, has been conceived as a nationwide search for entrepreneurial talent capable of developing scalable solutions to local and national challenges.
Applications, which opened on June 24 through vandebharatam.org, invite innovators, entrepreneurs and problem-solvers from all 36 States and Union Territories and more than 800 districts. A multi-stage evaluation process will identify 75 finalists, who will converge in Ahmedabad in August for an immersive residential programme designed to accelerate business ideas into viable enterprises.
Participants will receive structured mentoring from industry veterans, engage with business leaders, interact with investors and refine their ventures through intensive knowledge-sharing sessions before presenting their ideas at the national finale.
The choice of Ahmedabad as the host city is symbolic. It is where Gautam Adani began his entrepreneurial journey before building one of India’s largest infrastructure and logistics conglomerates. The initiative now returns to the same city to nurture a new generation of founders, innovators and wealth creators.
The Ahmedabad chapter, including the Grand Finale, will be hosted by acclaimed actor and television presenter Rajeev Khandelwal, Ambassador and Host of Vande Bharatam.
Beyond recognising entrepreneurial talent, the programme seeks to create an ecosystem that connects innovation with mentorship, funding and industry networks—critical ingredients for transforming promising ideas into sustainable enterprises.
As India pursues the goal of becoming a developed economy under the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, expanding entrepreneurship beyond metropolitan centres has emerged as a strategic priority. By sourcing ideas from hundreds of districts and providing national exposure to selected innovators, Vande Bharatam aims to strengthen the country’s innovation pipeline while encouraging inclusive economic growth.
For Ahmedabad, hosting the programme further enhances its credentials as one of India’s emerging centres for startups, innovation and enterprise. Bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, mentors and industry leaders on a single platform is expected to deepen the city’s role in shaping the next wave of Indian innovation.
Rather than being merely the venue for a national competition, Ahmedabad is poised to become the meeting ground where ideas, enterprise and opportunity converge—creating a launchpad for innovators who could help define India’s economic journey over the coming decades.
