- 3,800+ Gujarat applications put state at No. 1 in nationwide grassroots innovation drive
- Gujarat’s entrepreneurial DNA gets a powerful national platform as Vande Bharatam returns to the home state of its founder Gautam Adani
- Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi welcomes initiative aimed at connecting grassroots innovators with mentors, industry leaders and investors
- 75 finalists to enter immersive mentorship, investor-access programme ahead of Grand Finale in Ahmedabad around Independence Day
NE YOUTH & INNOVATION BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, AUG 4
Gujarat has emerged as the undisputed frontrunner in the nationwide Vande Bharatam innovation movement, with more than 3,800 applications—the highest from any state—turning the State into the strongest proving ground yet for the grassroots entrepreneurship initiative launched by Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani.
Returning to its home state, Vande Bharatam marked the Gujarat leg of its nationwide outreach this week, with Adani Group representatives meeting Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi in Gandhinagar and presenting him with a programme kit carrying a memento and a letter from Gautam Adani.
The interaction placed Gujarat’s overwhelming response to the initiative firmly in the spotlight, while exploring how the programme could further strengthen the State’s already vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem by connecting grassroots innovators with mentorship, industry leaders, investors and a national platform.
Sanghavi welcomed the initiative and appreciated its vision of empowering grassroots innovators, reinforcing Gujarat’s position as a fertile ground for entrepreneurship and innovation.
Gujarat leads India — 3,800+ applications and counting
The scale of participation from Gujarat has emerged as one of the defining features of the Vande Bharatam outreach, with more than 3,800 applications—the highest among all States.
The response underlines the depth of entrepreneurial and innovative talent across Gujarat, while giving the State an opportunity to showcase ideas emerging beyond conventional startup ecosystems and established innovation hubs.
The Gujarat leg of the outreach seeks to build bridges between this grassroots talent and the resources required to turn promising ideas into sustainable ventures—mentorship, business networks, industry expertise, investor access and national visibility.
For a State with a longstanding reputation for enterprise, the unprecedented response also gives fresh momentum to the effort to convert individual ideas into scalable businesses and employment-generating enterprises.
Gautam Adani: ‘Talent must be matched with opportunity’
Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group, said: “Vande Bharatam reflects our belief that India’s greatest innovations will emerge when talent is matched with opportunity. Gujarat has always stood as a beacon of enterprise, and its support reinforces our vision of building a stronger innovation ecosystem that empowers young entrepreneurs across the country.”
The message captures the core proposition of Vande Bharatam: talent exists across India, but access to the right ecosystem can determine whether an idea remains an idea or evolves into an enterprise.
From one idea to a national startup platform
Launched on June 25, 2026, Vande Bharatam seeks to uncover entrepreneurial talent from across India and provide aspiring innovators with a national platform to transform ideas into startups.
The programme is open to participants of all ages and backgrounds, with the basic proposition being deliberately simple—an idea and the determination to build it.
The initiative is designed to take grassroots innovators beyond ideation by providing access to a structured ecosystem capable of helping them refine, develop and potentially commercialise their concepts.
As many as 75 finalists will be selected for an immersive mentorship programme, with opportunities to engage with investors and industry leaders before the Grand Finale in Ahmedabad around Independence Day.
With Gujarat already contributing the highest number of applications among all States, the homecoming leg of Vande Bharatam has acquired an added significance: it is not merely an outreach exercise, but a test of how far India’s grassroots innovation potential can travel when ideas meet opportunity, mentorship and capital.
