On Sunday night, Nagpur witnessed the grand finale of a nationally highly competitive start-up competition organized by the Vidarbha Industries Association and Lemon Ideas. The 5th edition of the Innopreneurs Startup Competition saw the country’s best enterprising minds come up with their ideas and speak about a vision for the future.
The chief guest of the case, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, said, “Our country needs more eco-friendly ideas, and it is a good thing that this is happening in India. The conversion of knowledge into capital and the conversion of wealth into good green ventures has come true in recent years.
“Since the last five years, Lemon Ideas, headed by Deepak Menaria, has been organizing a competition for young entrepreneurs and start-up companies to explain and present their ideas to the jury and investors, giving them a chance to bring their ideas to the public. The Sunday event was also attended by Dinah Grace Akello, Ambassador of Uganda.
In this year’s competition, more than 60 teams presented their ideas and projects, which included teams from foreign countries. Seven teams were selected for the final, out of which three teams won in two runner-ups and one winning set.
Most of the teams had eco-friendly ideas that would help to improve the climate. Gadkari thanked and praised all the teams for their efforts. He promised to help their projects in all possible ways.
He said, “We’re going to have to face a lot of challenges, but to improve society and the environment, we should keep thinking and making green projects like this.”
He also spoke about many of his eco-friendly initiatives that have been introduced across the world.
Of the seven finalist teams, The Last Ripple, Courier Wala, Vision Empower and Imature were given consolation prizes. Green Road and Re-Bell were the first and second runner-ups to win Rs 60,000 and Rs 40,000 cash prizes, respectively. The winner of the contest was Cortex Technologies, which won the Rs1l Lakh cash prize.
Speaking with TOI, Cortex Technologies founder Siddhant Dangi, still a BITS Pilani student, said they were planning to integrate with hospitals across the country for their project. Their research designs are mind-controlled bionic arms and other body parts for the disabled or paralyzed.
Gadkari also displayed his passion and curiosity in new innovations as he unexpectedly ate the prototype of the OECO Initiatives. The commodity was a substitute for a plastic bottle of water in which the water can be stored and the container can also be consumed after the water has been drained. Rituraj Giri, ceo of OECO, won the award for the youngest entrepreneur.
Rikesh Gurung of Thimphu, Bhutan, 1st runner-up, proposed his innovative idea of a green road made up of plastic waste inspired by Indian science. This technique of using plastic waste as one of its components as a mixture of blacktop roads helps in waste management and safe roads, which will be in the best possible condition for almost 8 years.
