7th Edition of National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition NBEC2024 Launched at Startup Mahakumbh 2024

​The ongoing Startup Mahakumbh 2024 today witnessed the grand launch of the 7th edition of the National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC2024) at Bharatmandapam. The event was inaugurated by Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), India, and Dr. Taslimarif Saiyed, Director and CEO of C-CAMP. NBEC2024, a flagship initiative, serves as a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs in the biotech sector, with C-CAMP playing a pivotal role in nurturing and supporting their ventures. The competition offers lucrative opportunities, including cash prizes, investment opportunities of up to 15 crore INR, and mentorship access to industry leaders, making it an invaluable launchpad for bio-ventures. Participants, including students, academics, individuals, and startups, are invited to apply to http://nationalbioentrepreneurship.in by April 30, 2024.

Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary of DBT, India, commented on the launch, saying, "The National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition has been instrumental in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the biotech sector. NBEC2024 will provide a platform for budding entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas and contribute to the growth of the bio-economy in India."

Day two witnessed a diverse range of activities and sessions across 10 pavilions including AI + SaaS, D2C/Consumer brands, Agritech, Fintech, Deep Tech, Biotech & Pharma, Incubators, Climate Tech, E-sports, and B2B Manufacturing.

The Biotech Pavilion today, was packed with insightful sessions and discussions. The plenary session, moderated by Dr. Taslimarif Saiyed of C-CAMP, delved into "Charting Healthcare's Future: Innovations, Opportunities, and On-Ground Impact", featuring esteemed panelists such as Dr. Rajesh Gokhale Secretary of DBT, Ms. Radhika Ananth from Accel, Mr. Kumaar Barodia from Arkni PhotoBiolife & NeuroLeap, and Dr. Jogin Desai from Eyestem Research. They explored India's competitive edge in global healthcare, the significance of innovation, and the role of technology and data in wellness. Additionally, Mr. Krishna Mohan Puvvada of Novonesis delivered a keynote on "Building a Customer-Centric Culture", and Mr. Guhesh Ramanathan of IIM Visakhapatnam, FIELD, conducted a masterclass on "Dealing with a VUCA Environment: Lessons from Healthtech Companies". The day commenced with a reverse pitching session led by Ms. Shilpy Kochhar of BIRAC and Ms. Aditi Kumar of IAN, shedding light on critical aspects of funding for startups.

Dr. Taslimarif Saiyed, Director and CEO of C-CAMP, stated, "Day two of Startup Mahakumbh 2024 was a testament to the vibrancy and innovation present in India's startup ecosystem. The launch of NBEC2024 underscores our commitment to fostering entrepreneurship in the biotech sector. We are excited to see the groundbreaking ideas and ventures that will emerge from this competition, further propelling India's biotech economy forward."

Startup Mahakumbh onboards top unicorns in the sponsors list, with Games 24X7, Oyo and Info Edge as Unicorn Gold sponsors, Dream11, Flipkart, Infra Market, Moglix, Nykaa as Unicorn Silver sponsors, BharatPe and Razorpay as Unicorn Bronze sponsors. The list of AIF sponsors includes Accel, Rukam Capital and Peak XV in the gold category, Aavishkar Group, Elevation Capital, Iron Pillar in the silver sponsorship category and Avendus Capital, Chiratae Ventures, Fireside Ventures, IvyCap Ventures and Sorin Investments in the bronze category of AIF sponsors.

The event will also connect Indian startups with event partners including Dalmia Bharat & Google (silver partners), Acko, Captain Fresh, Mobile Premier League (MPL), Jetsynthesis, Tally (bronze partners), IAN & Blume Ventures (session partners), IDFC First Bank (Bank partner), MM Active & India Mobile Congress (IMC) (Event partners) and Indian School of Business (ISB) (Academic partner).