Here are the seven startups from small cities that shone at UP Startup Yatra
As many as 1,000 startups pitched, and nearly 100 were selected for incubation at Startup Yatra’s UP leg. We take a closer look at seven from the pool of selected startups.
Startup India Yatra claims to be one of the largest Tier II and Tier III initiatives undertaken by the government. In the last six months, it has helped nearly 14,000 aspiring entrepreneurs in three states of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.
An initiative of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Startup Yatra aims to promote entrepreneurship at a remote level by reaching every state. The Yatra aims to work hand-in-hand with the Centre’s ambitious Startup India scheme.
In UP, the Yatra travelled to seven cities, including Agra, Bareilly, Kanpur, Lucknow, Sultanpur, Varanasi, and Noida. The Yatra witnessed a participation of over 6,000 people; around 1,000 startups pitched and around 100 startups were selected for incubation. Selected startups received incubation offers from IIT BHU, IIT Kanpur, iB Hubs, BIMTECH, IIM Lucknow, and others.
From the pool of selected startups, we bring to you seven innovative small-town business ideas that stood out from the rest.
Prosoc
Based in: Kanpur
In 2015, IIT Kanpur alumnus Eshan Sadasivan founded Prosoc Innovators, a for-profit social enterprise that designs and develops innovative products and services in the fields of livelihood, education, agriculture, and healthcare, among others to empower people at the bottom of the pyramid. Currently, the startup offers two such products - a newspaper carry bag and DESKIT (school bag-cum-study table).
Udn Khatola
Based in: Varanasi
Started by a team of six IITians, Udn Khatola is a proximity-based advertising solution launched in 2017. The solution comprises tablets fitted inside auto-rickshaws; these have the UdnKhatola app installed for entertainment as well as providing the best deals to commuters. The platform hopes to scale effectively by making the best use of the commute. The platform also has a customer portal that helps advertisers keep track of the number of autos and times advertisements are being played in a day.
Antrax Labs
Based in: Allahabad
Incubated in Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, Antrax Labs is an IoT startup that has developed a comprehensive Smart Home and Security System that can be easily installed and claims to be cost-effective. Founded by Zaid Alam, Ishita Bansal, and Arqum Ahmed, the startup has developed a unifying device that can be connected to all smart home devices and can be controlled via voice, app, or web. Antrax Labs smart switch claims to turn any dumb device into a smart device and can be easily connected to the smart home network. The company has also introduced a smart door lock to ensure the safety of homes.
Aatm Nirbhar
Based in: Mathura
Established in UP’s holy city of Mathura, Aatm Nirbhar is a social venture that was started in 2017 by Pawani Khandelwal. Aatm Nirbhar aims to build a nationwide women-driven community that employs women from marginal families to help upskill other women and, in turn, empower them. The initiative is currently operating in the form of a two-wheeler driving school enabled by female trainers in Mathura, Bharatpur, and Jaipur where Aatm Nirbhar Learning has trained more than 250 women in riding a two-wheeler through 18 women trainers.
chai calling
Based in: Delhi
A chain of cozy and nicely decorated tea stalls, chai calling intends to give another dimension to tea lovers’ rendezvous with India’s most loved beverage. It brings together cozy décor and the feel of a traditional chai stall under one roof. chai calling is looking to create its presence in high street zones like institutes, colleges, malls, residential areas, hospitals, and others. Started by two engineers, Abhinav Tandon and Prameet Sharma, chai calling is currently running nine tea stalls in Noida and Bareilly, earning approximately Rs 1 crore in a year.
TechEagle Innovations
Based in: Lucknow
Founded in 2015 by IIT Kanpur alumnus, Vikram Singh, TechEagle Innovations imparts technical and practical knowledge in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles/drones to bridge the gap between students’ theoretical and practical knowledge. It aims to provide students a headstart in the UAV Industry.
VGM Lite
Based in: Varanasi
VGM Lite is a smart and small internet mobile browser – it’s just 600kb. Developed by 20-year old ethical hacker Mrityunjay Singh, the browser is currently available on Google Playstore for Android users.