The grand finale of the Dell Technologies presents the Entrepreneur Challenge powered by CNBC-TV18 marked a significant milestone in India’s entrepreneurial journey, showcasing the country’s vibrant start-up ecosystem and the innovative solutions emerging from it. It brought together the top entrepreneurial ideas, selected after rigorous screening based on criteria such as innovation, resilience, technological adoption, and scalability. The entire journey established the importance of technology for sustainable growth and showcased Dell Technologies as a thought leader in the start-up & entrepreneurial ecosystem within India. After screening over 1,700 entries from across India, 200 contenders were selected by Ernst & Young, the event’s process partner, for further evaluation. The top 11 entries then advanced to the finals, where they competed for the coveted title.
は esteemed jury, comprising stalwarts from the fields of technology, finance, and research, faced the daunting task of evaluating these innovative solutions.
- Kavita Mehra, Senior Director, General Management, India COE – Dell Technologies
- Siddharth Pai, Founding Partner & Chief Financial Officer, ESG Officer – 3one4 Capital
- Vargab Bakhshi, Vice President & County Head – India, Wix.com
- Kritika M, Senior Director,10,000 Startups – NASSCOM
- Biren Ghose, Managing Director, Asia Pacific & Global Executive Committee Member – Technicolor Creative Studios
- Sathyanarayana BV, Chief Executive Officer – DERBI Foundation
- Shruti Mishra, Deputy Editor – CNBCTV18
The finalists presented a diverse range of entrepreneurial ideas, addressing various challenges and opportunities across sectors. From ideas such as comprehensive relocation and learning solutions for the visually impaired to AI-powered agricultural analyzers and cutting-edge medical innovations, these ventures showcased the breadth and depth of India’s entrepreneurial talent.
A panel discussion on the start-up ecosystem in India highlighted the significant contributions of start-ups to GDP growth, employment generation, and inclusivity. Moderated by Shruti Mishra, Deputy Editor, CNBCTV18, the panelists – Madan Padaki, President, TiE Bangalore; Shashi Kumar, Founder & CEO, Akshayakalpa Organic and Samriddhi Bhattacharyya, Country Head, Small Business Solutions, Dell Technologies – shared insights into emerging trends and opportunities in the sector, emphasizing the transformative impact of entrepreneurship on society.
Congratulations to our Winners!
The event concluded with the announcement of the winners of Dell Technologies presents Entrepreneur Challenge powered by CNBC-TV18. The 4 winners will receive tech solutions worth $60K from Dell Technologies.
- General Category Winner: Mohit Dadhich, Co-Founder of Nebulaa Innovations
- Women’s Category Winner: Pooja Venkatesh, Co-Founder of Next Big Innovation Labs Private Limited
(A special Audience Choice Award was also presented to Pooja Venkatesh, further endorsing popular admiration for her idea.) - General Category Runner-Up: Geetha Manjunath, CEO and Founder, Niramai Health Analytix
- Women’s Category Runner-Up: Jyotirmayee Dash, Founder, TeraLumen Solutions Pvt Ltd