Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani has launched ‘Vande Bharatam’, a national initiative aimed at identifying and supporting entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers from across India. The programme will cover all 36 States and Union Territories and more than 800 districts, with applications open to individuals from diverse backgrounds, regardless of age or the stage of their business.
Unlike programmes focused only on registered startups, Vande Bharatam allows participants to apply with ideas, prototypes, early-stage ventures, or established businesses.
Entries are invited across sectors, including technology, manufacturing, sustainability, agriculture, traditional crafts, and community-led solutions. The initiative also includes dedicated pathways for women, tribal entrepreneurs, rural innovators, and Divyang entrepreneurs.
How The Vande Bharatam Initiative Will Work
Applications will undergo a multi-stage evaluation process before shortlisted participants move to regional rounds. Following these assessments, 75 finalists will be selected and invited to Ahmedabad for an intensive programme featuring mentorship, industry interactions, and engagement with investors and business leaders. The initiative will culminate in a national grand finale around Independence Day.
The programme is designed to provide entrepreneurs with access to business networks, incubation support, strategic partnerships, and investment opportunities. According to the organisers, the initiative aims to create a long-term platform that continues supporting participants beyond the final selection process.
What Vande Bharatam Means For India’s Startup Ecosystem
The initiative seeks to widen access to entrepreneurship by extending opportunities beyond India’s established startup hubs. It is open to participants from metropolitan cities, small towns, and rural communities, reflecting an effort to identify entrepreneurial talent from regions that have traditionally received less visibility.
Launching the initiative, Gautam Adani said, “When I began my journey, I had nothing. Everything I am and everything I have achieved was given to me by the soil of Bharat. There is no shortage of talent in our nation, but opportunity has not always reached every corner of the country.”
He further added, “India has built one of the world’s largest start-up ecosystems, yet most founders still emerge from a handful of cities. Vande Bharatam is our effort to discover the innovators, problem-solvers and entrepreneurs whose ideas deserve recognition, support and a larger platform. We invite every Indian with the courage to build and the determination to create to come forward and participate.”
“If I can do it, any Indian can do it. All they need is an opportunity and a stage,” he added.
