Maruti Suzuki India’s Nurture program selects 6 early-stage startups from East and Northeast India for Proof of Concept

financialexpress.com:

Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker is giving an impetus to the startup ecosystem in the East and Northeast India. The company has declared the names of the 6 startups selected under its Nurture program, conducted jointly with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP).

The selected startups – DriverShaab, Route2Jute, OiHelp, Hopun Innovations, Backyard Creators and Salutem Ridegear – extend solutions in the domains of driver aggregation services, jute-based accessories, hyperlocal delivery services, development of micro electric cars, non-surgical wearable hearing devices and safety apparel.

The shortlisted startups were judged on competencies like innovation, business model, relevance to Maruti Suzuki’s business operations, leadership & team structure, and revenue model. These startups will now undertake a paid Proof-of-Concept to assess the viability of their proposed business solutions in a real-world scenario. They were also presented with a cash reward of Rs 50,000 each and secured further mentorship opportunities under Maruti Suzuki’s innovation programs.

The Grand Idea Hunt finale took place in the presence of senior leadership of Maruti Suzuki and IIM Calcutta.

The carmaker says it aims to augment the startup ecosystem across the country through co-creating solutions relevant to the automobile industry, for which it has undertaken multiple initiatives. It collaborates with startups across level of maturity:

Incubation program is targeted towards startups that are in the ideation to proof-of-concept stage

Nurture program extends mentorship opportunities and an enabling growth environment to early-stage startups from the East and Northeast region to shape their ideas to reach a viable product stage

Mobi