₹1,500 Crore Funding Demand Puts 70 Startups Before 28 Investors at ASSOCHAM Investor Connect 2.0

Dr. Priyanka Shukla, CEO of MY Bharat, said future founders will increasingly emerge from Tier II, III and IV cities as the Gurugram programme drew more than 450 applications from startups across India.

Seventy startups seeking nearly ₹1,500 crore in investment met 28 investors at the second edition of ASSOCHAM Investor Connect in Gurugram, as participation from younger founders and businesses outside India’s largest cities increased.
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India brought startups, venture investors, corporates, policymakers and other participants together for curated one-on-one meetings aimed at connecting companies seeking capital with investors looking across high-growth sectors.

ASSOCHAM received more than 450 applications from startups across India. Its Startup Council shortlisted 200 companies following an evaluation aligned with the investment interests of participating investors, before 70 ventures were selected for direct investor interactions.
The participating startups represented DefenceTech, SpaceTech, Advanced Manufacturing, ClimateTech, Cybersecurity, FinTech, SaaS, ConsumerTech, EV and Mobility, HealthTech, CleanTech, AgriTech and IT and ITeS.

Young innovators accounted for around 30% of participation in the second edition, compared with nearly 15% during the first edition.
Dr. Priyanka Shukla, CEO of MY Bharat, Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, said entrepreneurship opportunities need to extend well beyond metropolitan centres.
India’s youth do not lack ideas, they need access, exposure, mentorship and opportunities, Dr. Shukla said.
She said the next generation of founders could emerge from Tier II, III and IV cities, villages and aspirational districts, provided entrepreneurs gain access to investors, mentors and industry networks.

Dr. Shukla also said MY Bharat would look at deeper collaboration with ASSOCHAM to create opportunities for young people across the country.
Dr. Panneerselvam Madanagopal, CEO of MeitY Startup Hub, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, said closer links between startups, companies and investors will be important for the development of technology businesses.
He said startups addressing real problems, developing intellectual property and building sustainable businesses with sound governance require access to mentorship, markets and funding.

Dr. Ambika Sharma, Assistant Secretary General at ASSOCHAM, said the chamber intends to expand Investor Connect into Tier II and Tier III towns and cities while continuing to connect entrepreneurs with capital, mentorship, markets and business partnerships.
Arpit Agarwal, Chair of the ASSOCHAM National Startup Council and Partner at Blume Ventures, said stronger connections between founders, investors, corporates and government institutions can help businesses move faster from innovation to commercial scale.
He said the Investor Connect programme is intended as a longer-term effort to create such relationships across the startup sector.

Rohan Chhatwal, Co-Chair of the ASSOCHAM National Startup Council and Vice President, Innovation and Governance Excellence at Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said companies should increasingly engage startups as business and technology partners rather than view such engagement primarily through corporate social responsibility programmes.
He said access to first customers, opportunities to test solutions and industry partnerships can help startups validate products and move towards larger commercial deployment.
The programme also included addresses by Dr. Tapan Sahoo, Senior Executive Officer, Digital Enterprise at Maruti Suzuki India Limited, and Nitin Jain, Co-Founder of 1Buy.AI.

A panel discussion titled From Innovation to Scale: Strengthening Collaboration Between Startups, Industry, Investors & Financial Institutions included representatives from the Government of Haryana, IAN Group, Schneider Electric, Smartworks, AZB & Partners and Startup Haryana.

The programme concluded with one-on-one meetings between shortlisted startups and venture capital firms, angel investors and institutional investors.
ASSOCHAM said future editions will continue to focus on creating direct connections between companies seeking investment and investors interested in businesses across technology, manufacturing, mobility, climate, finance, healthcare and other emerging sectors.

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