ST-Led ventures incubated at IIM Kolkata & IIT Guwahati receive national awards
Ministry of Tribal Affairs marked a significant milestone in empowering tribal entrepreneurship by showcasing 45 tribal-led startups from across India at the Startup Mahakumbh held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Organized under the flagship initiative “DhartiAabaTribepreuners 2025” as part of Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh, the event witnessed innovation from sectors ranging from deep tech to organic farming and green energy.
Two tribal-led startups, incubated at premier institutions—IIM Kolkata and IIT Guwahati—received prestigious national recognition from Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, affirming the growing role of tribal entrepreneurs in India’s startup ecosystem.
Award-Winning Startups founded by ST entrepreneurs include OurGuest Travels (Top View Pvt. Ltd.), which was incubated at IIM Kolkata and is in the sustainable tourism sector.
Based in Gangtok, Sikkim, OurGuest Travels (www.ourguest.in) was conferred the D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) Award. As the first Online Travel Aggregator (OTA) from Northeast India, it offers a curated collection of homestays, farmstays, resorts, and guided experiences across Sikkim, North Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Based in Gangtok, Sikkim, OurGuest Travels (www.ourguest.in) was conferred the D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) Award. As the first Online Travel Aggregator (OTA) from Northeast India, it offers a curated collection of homestays, farmstays, resorts, and guided experiences across Sikkim, North Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. With over 600 homestays and 50+ guides, the platform has served more than 6,000 travelers and supports rural livelihoods and eco-tourism. This recognition is a key milestone under the Ministry’s 100-Day Agenda to build a strong tribal startup ecosystem.
On this achievement, JualOram, Hon’ble Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, and Vibhu Nayar, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, congratulated the winning startups for their exemplary innovation and dedication to community-led development. They commended the efforts of all participating entrepreneurs for representing the aspirations and potential of tribal India on a national platform.
Ngurie Organic received the AgriTech Award for its transformative work in sustainable agriculture. The startup harnesses data-driven research, precision agriculture, and blockchain-enabled transparency to empower farmers with solutions that: reduce water usage, improve soil health, increase crop yields, promote environmental sustainability, and strengthen food security.
Ngurie Organic received the AgriTech Award for its transformative work in sustainable agriculture. The startup harnesses data-driven research, precision agriculture, and blockchain-enabled transparency to empower farmers with solutions
The event featured a high-impact panel titled “Investing in Bharat: Unlocking Startup Potential Beyond the Metro”, with thought leaders from India’s startup and investment ecosystem.
In addition, faculty from IIT Delhi conducted a Design Thinking Workshop, guiding tribal startups to refine and scale their business ideas.
The 3-day program concluded with the distribution of participation certificates to:45 tribal startup founders,100 EMRS (Eklavya Model Residential School) students, 150 tribal students availing higher education scholarships.
Participants also took part in a bootcamp at IIT Delhi and attended exposure visits across the startup ecosystem during the Startup Mahakumbh.