The Bharat Startup Grand Challenge 2025, presented by Sairam Institutions and the Sri Sairam Techno Incubator Foundation, in collaboration with Startup India and DPIIT, is a national innovation initiative designed to identify, support and scale indigenous technologies that address the critical challenges of rural India while strengthening the nation’s defence and drone technology ecosystem.
The challenge focuses on two transformative domains — Rural Development Technologies and Advanced Drone Systems — bringing together innovators, startups, researchers and student teams from across the country to develop practical, scalable and high-impact solutions.
Under the Rural Technology track, participants are encouraged to develop affordable solutions for healthcare access, waste management and digital education in rural areas. The Drone Technology track calls for advanced innovations in Anti-Drone Systems and Swarm Drone Technologies, contributing to India’s national security, disaster response and technological sovereignty.
The initiative aims to foster Atmanirbhar Bharat by empowering innovators with the right ecosystem — mentorship, incubation support, investor connect and access to world-class facilities at the Sri Sairam Techno Incubator Foundation.
By bridging social innovation with deep-tech development, the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge serves as a powerful platform to build sustainable rural futures and secure technological advancements, driving India’s vision of becoming a Global Innovation Hub.
I. For Students
1. Must be final-year undergraduate or postgraduate students (individual or team).
2. Must have a working prototype of the proposed solution.
3. Solutions should be practical, feasible and implementable within the challenge scope.
4. A demonstration video of the working prototype is mandatory.
5. Teams can represent engineering, technology, or multidisciplinary domains relevant to the problem statements.
II. For Startups / Companies
1. Must be a DPIIT-recognised startup or a registered MSME in India.
2. Should have a functional prototype or minimum viable product (MVP) ready for demonstration.
3. The solution must address a specific challenge theme under either Rural Development Technologies or Advanced Drone Technologies.
4. Startups must be operational and legally compliant with Indian business registration norms.
III. General Requirements
1. Participants must submit a detailed proposal explaining the innovation, feasibility, scalability and potential impact of their solution.
2. Only original and indigenous innovations will be considered. Plagiarised or previously commercialised products are not eligible.
3. Each team/startup can submit only one entry per domain.
4. Selected participants must be available for prototype demonstration and final evaluation.
Awards:-
Total INR 3 Lakhs Prize money for the three domains.
Rural Tech: INR 1,00,000 (Best solution from 3 problem statements)
Drones Tech -Swarm: INR 1,00,000 (Best solution from 3 problem statements)
Drones Tech -Anti Drones: INR 1,00,000 (Best solution from 3 problem statements)
Non-Fiscal Incentives
Incubation support for 12 -18 Months,
Mentorship-Minium 4 Hours Per Month from the expert, investor connect, Single Seater -Space support & access to Sri Sairam Techno Incubator foundation facilities.
Deadline:- 29-01-2026
