Women-led startups shine at Startup Mahakumbh as 40% of winners have female co-founders

As the Centre prepares for Startup Mahakumbh, set to begin on April 3, Prashanth Prakash, founding partner at Accel and an organising member of the event, shared on the sidelines of the inaugural ceremony that 40% of the winning startups in this year’s flagship Startup Maharathi challenge have women co-founders.

“Over 40% of winners have a woman co-founder, with no biases involved. The same numbers would have been 15-20% in the last two years,” said Prakash.

The challenge is expected to be the country’s largest privately funded innovation competition. It involves pitching to a diverse jury of investors across three rounds, covering key themes such as AI, DeepTech, FinTech, AgriTech, BioTech, ClimateTech, D2C, Mobility, Defence, and SpaceTech.

Prakash also highlighted a strong push from the Northeast and Kashmir regions, with five startups emerging from Kashmir. This year’s edition will also spotlight tribal entrepreneurs, with over 45 startups participating, including those incubated at IIM Calcutta, IIM Kashipur, and IIT Bhilai.

He revealed that the winners have already been selected. The DPIIT had shortlisted over 150 startups to pitch before the Grand Jury over a 10-day evaluation process, with sector-specific investors from across the country participating in the selection. While he did not disclose any names, he shared details of the funding distribution: the top two startups in each sector will receive ₹10 lakh each, the top five will get ₹5 lakh, and the next five will receive an additional ₹3 lakh. Additionally, each of the 150 startups shortlisted for the fourth round will be awarded ₹1 lakh. In total, ₹30-₹50 crore in grant-led funding from the private sector will be disbursed under the challenge.

This year marks the second edition of Startup Mahakumbh, led by FICCI, ASSOCHAM, IVCA, and Bootstrap Advisory & Foundation, and supported by SIDBI, GEM, ECGC, MeitY, and DPIIT Startup India. The event will see participation from various stakeholders in the startup ecosystem, including founders, investors, incubators, accelerators, and industry leaders from several sectors.

“The startup industry is Darwinian in nature, and these forums help follow best global practices and drive innovation to build capital for businesses that can not only transform India but the world,” said Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Co-founder and Executive Vice Chairman of Info Edge, in a statement.

Last year, the event attracted over 48,581 business visitors who engaged with 1,306 exhibitors from 26+ states and 14+ countries. The event also hosted 300+ incubators and accelerators, along with 200+ leading angel investors, VCs, and family offices.