Vande Bharatam

Vande Bharatam is a nationwide innovation initiative led by Gautam Adani, created to identify and support promising innovators and entrepreneurs across India. The programme seeks out emerging ventures in regions that conventional startup ecosystems tend to overlook, offering them visibility, backing, and momentum to realise their potential. It reflects the view that India's future growth will be driven by its innovators, contributing to a self-reliant and globally relevant 'New India'.

The initiative is built on four core principles: fostering local ideas with global reach (Be Local, Think Global), discovering talent at its source (Grassroots First), developing solutions for India's specific challenges (Build for Bharat), and advancing national self-reliance (Aatmanirbhar Bharat). It aims to tap into the potential spread across more than 800 districts, on the premise that every idea can contribute to a stronger future.

Beyond being a competition, Vande Bharatam serves as a platform to promote ideas and entrepreneurial drive, supporting innovators of all ages and fields from the ideation stage through to scaling their ventures. It includes dedicated categories for Women Entrepreneurs, Tribal Innovators, Rural Changemakers, Sustainable Innovation, and Divyang Entrepreneurs, ensuring inclusive participation and recognition across diverse groups.

1. Go to the Vande Bharatam website and select the 'Apply Now' option.
2. Fill in the online application form with details of your innovative idea, the problem it addresses, your proposed solution, team composition, and commercial viability.
3. Complete all mandatory fields and upload any required supporting documents before the closing date of July 19, 2026.
4. A selection committee will assess the submissions and choose 75 National Finalists.
5. Those shortlisted will be asked to attend the Finalist Week, which includes mentorship, bootcamps, and presentation sessions.
6. The process ends with a live pitch at the Grand Finale, where 10 winners are chosen.

Applications submitted by the deadline undergo an initial screening. A selection committee of experts and leaders then assesses each submission against criteria including innovativeness, potential impact, scalability, and fit with the programme's vision. From this review, 75 National Finalists are chosen.

These finalists proceed to a Finalist Week, which includes intensive mentorship, bootcamps, and presentation refinement. At the Grand Finale, the 75 finalists deliver live pitches to a jury that includes Mr. Gautam Adani. Based on these pitches, 10 Vande Bharatam Winners are selected and receive awards.