Twelve top start-ups from across 9 Indian states working in agriculture, ed-tech, women’s livelihood, circular economy, and biodiversity were announced as winners at the 5th Edition of Youth Co:Lab National Innovation Dialogue India.
Youth Co:Lab, co-created in 2017 by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Citi Foundation, aims to establish a common agenda for countries in the Asia-Pacific region to empower and invest in youth, so that they can accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Youth Co:Lab was launched in India in 2019 in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog. The 2022-23 edition received 378 applications from 28 states across the country.
Dr.Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, AIM; Ms. Shoko Noda, Resident Representative, UNDP India; and Ms. Sanjana Sanghi – Actor and UNDP Champion felicitated the winners.
“Social startups are not just businesses; they are catalysts for social change. They address pressing social and environmental challenges, stimulate economic growth, inspire other businesses, leverage technology, and promote collaboration. Their innovative and entrepreneurial spirit drives us towards a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive future. Let us celebrate and support social startups as they continue to shape our world for the better,” said Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, AIM while announcing
Mr. Ashu Khullar Citi India CEO said, “Citi places great emphasis on supporting the aspirations of youth and young entrepreneurs. There has been tremendous innovation and creativity in addressing various social challenges through the Youth Co:Lab. My congratulations to the top 12 finalists working across important fields for the country’s sustainable development.”
Speaking at the event, Ms. Shoko Noda, Resident Representative, UNDP India said, “With 254 million young people aged between 15 and 24 years, India has a unique opportunity to lead innovation and social entrepreneurship and make the voices of young people count. I am excited to see the diversity of ideas and frugal innovation the winners bring this year. With Youth Co: Lab, UNDP is happy to provide a platform for young social entrepreneurs to scale their initiatives and recognize, value, and support the solutions they bring.”
The winners across each thematic area received a seed grant of US$ 5,000; while the runners-up received US$ 3,000. This funding will help the winners scale their ideas into tangible products or services.
Youth Co:Lab India 2022-23 focused on 6 thematic areas; Digital and Financial Literacy for Youth, Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment, Developing FinTech Solutions focused on Biodiversity Conservation, Promoting Biodiversity-friendly Lifestyles through Technological Solutions in Finance, Accelerating Circular Economy through Upcycling Innovations and Behavioural Nudges for LiFE ( Lifestyle For Environment).
Out of the applications, 47 short-listed start-ups received one-on-one mentoring and capacity-building sessions from experts for two months through the Youth Co:Lab Springboard Programme, a start-up support platform for SDG innovators. These start-ups then presented their ideas to an esteemed jury in May 2023, from which the 12 winners were selected.
Since 2017, Youth Co:Lab has supported young aspiring, and inspiring social entrepreneurs in 28 countries and territories in Asia and the Pacific. The national dialogues, regional summits, social innovation challenges, and workshops have reached over 240,000 participants. The national youth social innovation and entrepreneurial skills development activities have served over 14,000 young people and launched or improved 1,530 youth-led social innovation teams.
National Innovation Dialogue 2022 Winners:
THEME 1: Digital and Financial Literacy for Youth
SaralX- Enhancing access and opportunities for people with disabilities
Founder Name: Akashdeep Bansal
Age: 30
Location: Pune
Edubuild – Experinships for youth
Founder Name: Saksham Gupta
Age: 27
Location: Jaipur
THEME 2 – Gender Equality and Women Economic Empowerment
Project Baala – Menstrual hygiene for economically marginalized menstruators
Founder Name: Soumya Dabriwal
Age: 27
Location: Mumbai
Agrosure – Mechanisation solution for women farmers
Founder: Akshay Dipak Kawale
Age: 30
Location: Maharastra
THEME 3 – Developing FinTech Solutions focused on Biodiversity Conservation
Gepo Aali – To nurture back the lost indigenous crop variety of the region using ancestral farming practices.
Founder Name:Dimum Pertin
Age: 30
Location: Arunachal Pradesh
Nutty Village – Managing farm to fork organic value chain in groundnuts
Founder Name: Aman Kumar
Age: 28
Location: Uttar Pradesh
THEME 4 – Promoting Biodiversity-friendly Lifestyles through Technological Solutions in Finance
1) Promeat – Plant based meat
Founder Name: Debabrata Das
Age: 25
Location: Assam
2) Myplan 8 – Incentivising spend on low carbon sustainable alternatives
Founder Name: Rajat Sohan Vishwakarma
Age: 27
Location: Mumbai
THEME 5 – Accelerating Circular Economy through Upcycling Innovations
Dump in Bin – Using plastic waste in pavement manufacturing
Founder Name:Rishabh Patel
Age: 29
Location: Gurugram
Econscious – Functional and aesthetic recycled plastic products
Founder Name:Sonal_Shukla
Age: 29
Location: New Delhi
THEME 6 – Behavioral Nudges for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)
Digi Swasthya- Telemedicine for rural India
Founder Name: Sandeep Kumar
Age: 27
Location: Uttar Pradesh
Sputnik Brain – Non-invasive brain modulation for stress management
Founder Name: Shankar Sri
Age: 23
Location: Bangalore
- PIB
