Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group, has launched Vande Bharatam, a nationwide initiative to determine and assist entrepreneurs, innovators and problem-solvers throughout India.

The programme, introduced a day after Adani’s sixty fourth birthday, goals to take entrepreneurial alternative past India’s established start-up centres. It’s going to cowl all 36 states and union territories, greater than 800 districts and a number of Indian languages.

Purposes opened on 24 June by way of the programme’s web site.

Vande Bharatam is open to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Candidates could apply with an concept, prototype, early-stage enterprise or established enterprise, and don’t must have a registered start-up.

The Adani Group stated the initiative is meant to present wider visibility, mentorship and assist to innovators from metropolitan centres, smaller cities, cities and rural communities.

Entries can be accepted from sectors together with expertise, manufacturing, sustainability, agriculture, conventional crafts and community-led options. The programme may even embody devoted pathways for ladies entrepreneurs, tribal entrepreneurs, rural innovators, Divyang entrepreneurs and community-based innovators engaged on native challenges.

Purposes can be assessed on innovation, entrepreneurial potential, affect and scalability. Additional particulars on the evaluation standards, jury and choice phases can be introduced later.

After state and regional evaluations, 75 finalists can be invited to Ahmedabad for an intensive programme involving mentorship, trade interactions and engagement with traders and enterprise leaders. They may even have entry to incubation assist, strategic partnerships and networking alternatives.

“After I started my journey, I had nothing. Every thing I’m and the whole lot I’ve achieved was given to me by the soil of Bharat,” Gautam Adani stated.

“There is no such thing as a scarcity of expertise in our nation, however alternative has not all the time reached each nook of the nation. India has constructed one of many world’s largest start-up ecosystems, but most founders nonetheless emerge from a handful of cities. Vande Bharatam is our effort to find the innovators, problem-solvers and entrepreneurs whose concepts deserve recognition, assist and a bigger platform. We invite each Indian with the braveness to construct and the dedication to create to come back ahead and take part,” he stated.

Adani additional stated “If I can do it, any Indian can do it. All they want is a chance and a stage.”

The programme will embody prize cash and category-based recognitions, with particulars to be introduced at a later stage.

The grand finale is scheduled round Independence Day and is anticipated to mark the beginning of an ongoing engagement platform connecting contributors with mentors, traders, trade leaders and fellow innovators.

Actor, tv host and entrepreneur Rajeev Khandelwal will function the ambassador and host of Vande Bharatam.

The launch comes as start-up exercise in India continues to unfold past main metropolitan centres. Authorities knowledge reveals round 50% of DPIIT-recognised start-ups originate from tier-II and tier-III cities.

India had greater than 2.23 lakh recognised start-ups as of 31 March 2026, in keeping with authorities knowledge. These start-ups have generated greater than 23.36 lakh direct jobs.

Vande Bharatam goals to assist the subsequent era of Indian innovators by widening entry to mentorship, investor networks, incubation assist and nationwide visibility.