Startup challenge to be hosted during Mumbai Festival 2024

Mumbai: In a ground-breaking move, Mumbai will witness a new era of innovation and entrepreneurship by introducing the StartUp Mumbai Challenge during the Mumbai Festival 2024.

In collaboration with Turbostart and the United Nations India, this initiative aims to position Mumbai as a global hub for innovative and sustainable development.

The initiative is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mission LiFE- Lifestyle for Environment and India’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Mumbai Festival is slated to be held between 20-28 January, 2024.

The StartUp Mumbai Challenge named ‘Forever Planet’ signifies a forward-looking commitment to nurturing early-stage startups, specifically focusing on sectors like sustainability, entertainment, media, sports, and lifestyle enhancement.

Apart from being a competition, it offers a transformative journey, providing selected startups with robust support, funding, mentorship, and market access through Turbostart's extensive network.

Participating startups will get the unique opportunity to receive mentorship from some of the brightest entrepreneurial minds and also funding up to $5,00,000.

“The launch of this ‘Forever Planet’ challenge will position Mumbai as a global nucleus for innovation and sustainable development. This ground-breaking StartUp Mumbai Challenge is a call to action for budding entrepreneurs to contribute their transformative ideas towards a sustainable future, said state Tourism and Rural Development Minister Girish Mahajan.

"The StartUp Mumbai Challenge is particularly exciting with its focus on environment-friendly business ideas. We are grateful to the esteemed panel of mentors for shouldering the responsibility to guide our youth in this area. The Forever Planet Challenge not only provides a platform for these visionaries but also underscores the pivotal role that innovation plays in addressing global challenges. It is a unique opportunity for startups to receive the support they need to turn their innovative ideas into scalable solutions,” added Jayshree Bhoj, Secretary, Tourism.