Ministry of Tribal Affairs Showcases Tribal Innovation at Startup Mahakumbh in New Delhi

New Delhi: In a landmark step toward empowering tribal entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs showcased 45 tribal-led startups at the Startup Mahakumbh held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The event, organised under the flagship initiative “DhartiAaba Tribepreuners 2025” as part of Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh celebrations, reflected the dynamic spirit of tribal India through innovations spanning sectors such as deep tech, organic farming, sustainable tourism, and green energy.

Among the standout moments of the three-day event was the national recognition of two tribal startups incubated at premier institutions—IIM Kolkata and IIT Guwahati. These recognitions were presented by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, underlining the rising impact of tribal entrepreneurs within the broader Indian startup ecosystem.

Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram and Secretary Vibhu Nayar lauded the achievement of the winning startups, praising their commitment to innovation and community-driven growth. They also congratulated all participating tribal entrepreneurs for giving shape to the aspirations of their communities and showcasing the potential of tribal India on a national platform.

One of the award-winning startups, OurGuest Travels (Top View Pvt. Ltd.), based in Gangtok, Sikkim and incubated at IIM Kolkata, received the prestigious D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) Award. As Northeast India’s first online travel aggregator (OTA), the platform offers curated homestays, farmstays, resorts, and guided travel experiences across Sikkim, North Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. With more than 600 homestays and 50+ local guides, it has served over 6,000 travelers, while supporting rural livelihoods and eco-tourism.

Ngurie Organic Pvt. Ltd., incubated at IIT Guwahati, was honoured with the AgriTech Award for its groundbreaking work in sustainable agriculture. The startup integrates data-driven research, precision farming techniques, and blockchain-enabled transparency to help farmers reduce water usage, enhance soil health, and improve crop yields—all while promoting environmental sustainability and food security.

Adding intellectual depth to the event, a special panel discussion titled “Investing in Bharat: Unlocking Startup Potential Beyond the Metro” brought together key thought leaders from India’s startup and venture capital community. Speakers included T. Roumuan Paite, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Tribal Affairs; Vikram Gupta of IvyCap Ventures; Sandeep Nagbhushan Aithal from Infosys Ltd.; and Vineet Khurana from SACC India, with the discussion moderated by Amit Pandey of IVCA.

IIT Delhi faculty also conducted a Design Thinking Workshop during the event, helping tribal startup founders refine and scale their business models with expert guidance. In parallel, the Startup Mahakumbh hosted a bootcamp at IIT Delhi and organised exposure visits across Delhi’s startup ecosystem for the participating entrepreneurs.

The event concluded with the distribution of participation certificates to all 45 tribal startup founders, as well as 100 students from Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and 150 tribal students pursuing higher education through scholarship schemes. These activities underscored the Ministry’s focus on creating a future-ready generation of tribal entrepreneurs.