Maruti Suzuki Announces the Winners Of Its Nurture Program As per the company, the six selected startups will now undertake a paid Proof-of-Concept to assess the viability of their proposed business solutions in a real- world scenario
By Teena Jose
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Maruti Suzuki has announced the names of six startups that secured top spots at a competition held under the company's Nurture program, Grand Idea Hunt. The competition was held jointly with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP). Initiated in November 2022, Nurture program aligns to the government's Startup India initiative.
The selected startups were DriverShaab; a next generation agile driver aggregation platform, Route2Jute; a startups which Jute-based sustainable accessories and fashion apparels made by prisoners, OiHelp; last mile hyperlocal delivery service and logistics- pick up and drop service startup; a platform building a 2-seater micro electric car for intra city travel, Hopun Innovations Pvt. Ltd; a healthcare platform aims to create a non-surgical wearable hearing device for individuals with congenital hearing loss, Backyard Creators Pvt. Ltd; . and Salutem Ridegear; a startup manufactures safety products for two-wheeler riders and defence personnel.
As per an official statement, these startups have been judged on competencies like innovation, business model, relevance to Maruti Suzuki's business operations, leadership & team structure, and revenue model. The winners also extended 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 statement further added that the six selected 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 INR 50,000 each and secured further mentorship opportunities under Maruti Suzuki's innovation programs.
Depending on the level of maturity, the startups are provided with an enabling ecosystem with the right mentorship, networking, and growth opportunities under Maruti Suzuki Innovation programs. Selected startups also get an opportunity to test the viability of their solutions across various business verticals of Maruti Suzuki, the company added.
