MeitY Startup Hub To Host ‘Investor Connect Programme’ Across 10 Cities In India

India’s spirit of innovation is flourishing in every corner, with smaller cities leading the charge. Currently, 50% of all startups originate from regions beyond the major metropolitan cities, underscoring the vibrant ecosystem thriving outside traditional hubs. While the established hubs continue to foster mature businesses, smaller cities are witnessing the emergence of new ventures nurturing fresh ideas and businesses.

Yet, early stage startups often encounter significant challenges in navigating funding intricacies and establishing a strong product-market fit. Recognising this, government-backed programmes play a pivotal role in offering much-needed support through grants, funding, tax incentives, mentorship and networking opportunities. 

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), through its diverse programmes and schemes, like SAMRIDH and TIDE 2.0 (Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs), aims to provide support to young startups nationwide.

And to further amplify India’s startup growth story, Inc42 has joined hands with MeitY Startup Hub for the ‘Investor Connect Programme’. This collaboration aims to showcase the innovative spirit nurtured through MeitY’s incubators, accelerators, and centres of excellence.

Starting in March 2024, the programme is an exciting series of ‘demo days’’ spanning multiple cities including Jaipur, Kanpur, Ahmedabad among others. Powered by Inc42, the series will kickstart with a virtual training session to equip startups with fundraising skills, pitch deck creation and finally pitching to investors. 

“Today, startups are not just coming from metros. This is why we have taken a holistic approach by bringing the Investor Connect Programme to 10 MeitY-supported locations across India. The primary objective of Investor Connect is that startups coming through our incubators, accelerators and MeitY centres of excellence (CoEs), even from the remotest parts of India will get the right exposure and investments,” said  S. Krishnan, secretary, MeitY.  

The programme will provide a platform to 100+ startups across India by helping them find valuable feedback, exposure and opportunities to raise funds and fine-tune their business models with the help of investors’ remarks. 

What To Expect At Investor Connect Programme

The upcoming Investor Connect Programme will serve as a crucial launchpad for innovative startups nurtured by MeitY, perfectly aligned with our mission to catalyse the growth of the Indian startup ecosystem. 

Inc42 has dedicated a decade to discovering groundbreaking ventures, connecting stakeholders and fuelling ecosystem growth through a plethora of initiatives. As a result, our stories, events and other programmes touch the lives of thousands of founders across the nation every year.

To kickstart the programme, Inc42 has curated a virtual training session aimed at empowering over 300 MeitY-backed startups across various regions. The session will feature industry experts like Anup Jain, a leading early stage VC, Anil Pinapala, founder and CEO of FlexPay by Vivifi among others as speakers. 

This session will equip founders with the essential skills to build stellar pitch decks, deliver impactful presentations, navigate potential challenges and anticipate key investor questions during their demo day pitches.

After this training session, Inc42 and MeitY will evaluate the applications and select the most promising ventures. The chosen ventures will then be given the opportunity to showcase their innovative solutions at the demo day event.

“We have seen some groundbreaking innovations over the years from startups that come from MeitY-supported institutions and schemes. The series of demo days will offer these startups a unique platform to showcase their unique solutions, get potential investors on board and play an active role in growth of the digital economy in India,” said Jeet Vijay, CEO, MeitY Startup Hub (MSH).