Startup Mahakumbh Goes Global: 50+ Countries Expected To Participate At Flagship Event

Ahead of the start of Startup Mahakumbh 2.0 next month, the event’s organising committee, with support from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), has invited delegates from over 50 countries on Thursday (March 6) for discussions about the country’s striving startup ecosystem.

The three-day event, scheduled to be held from April 3 to April 5 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, is envisaged to shape the future of India’s startup ecosystem. It also aligns with the Centre’s Vikshit Bharat roadmap to make India a developed nation by 2047.

Launched in 2024, Startup Mahakumbh is a first-of-its-kind initiative by the government to bring together startup founders, investors, incubators & accelerators, and industry leaders from across sectors. 

The inaugural edition of India’s flagship startup event revolved around the ‘Bharat Innovates’ theme, showing innovations from nooks and crannies of the country – ‘Made in India’ for the world.

Startup Mahakumbh 2024 was attended by more than 1.3K startups, including soonicorns and unicorns and more than 48.5K business visitors. It also hosted over 300+ incubators and 200+ leading angel investors, VCs and family offices. The highlight of the event was an address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Going a step ahead, Startup Mahakumbh 2025 is set to bring together over 3,000 startups, 10,000 delegates, 1,000 investors, incubators, and accelerators. The central theme of the second edition is ‘Startup India@2047 – Unfolding the Bharat Story’. 

Startup Mahakumbh 2.0 will feature thematic pavilions focussing on key sectors such as AI, deeptech, & cybersecurity, healthcare & biotech, agritech, climate tech, incubators & accelerators, D2C, fintech, gaming & sports, B2B & precision manufacturing, defence & space tech and mobility.

Each pavilion will host sector-based exhibitions, conference sessions, roundtable discussions, among others, to facilitate global exposure and opportunities for Indian startups.

While emphasising India’s growing prominence in the global startup landscape, Sanjiv, joint secretary of DPIIT, said, that Thursday’s event will be attended by ambassadors, consulates, deputy high commissioners, among others, from countries such as Italy, Spain, Brazil, Korea, Sri Lanka, among others.

This comes a week after the DPIIT, in partnership with Avaana Capital, LetsVenture, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, IVCA, HDFC, among others, launched INR 30 Cr Startup Maha Rathi challenge to empower the homegrown startup ecosystem.