How the Rajasthan government is nurturing its startup ecosystem through the Rajasthan DigiFest 2022

Though Rajasthan has long been one of India’s most attractive destinations for the tourism industry, there has been a shift towards promoting and scaling other industries in the state, especially the IT and startup sectors, in recent years.

The state government’s iStart Rajasthan program has seen great success in nurturing the startup ecosystem in the state, through its network of incubators, mentors, accelerator programs, and more — even disbursing a total of Rs 9.5 crore worth of funding to startups since August, 2021.

To encourage that spirit of entrepreneurship, the Government of Rajasthan will be hosting the Rajasthan DigiFest on August 19-20, 2022, at Birla Auditorium, Jaipur with a focus on engaging the youth, to help drive sustainable and equitable economic growth for the people of Rajasthan.

The two-day fest is part of the Rajasthan government’s effort to build and incentivise entrepreneurship and digitisation across industries by providing a platform for startups, industry leaders, mentors, students, and more to network and showcase developments in IT and technology that helps improve interaction between various stakeholders in society for Ease of Doing Business.

This mega event will also engage Rajasthan’s youth in both urban and rural areas across the social spectrum. This is being done to widen their scope for employment and introduce them to the concept of entrepreneurship. It will include events such as startup expos and conferences, as well as knowledge sessions for mentoring startups, interview upskilling, workshops to automate government processes, and more.

The Rajasthan DigiFest 2022 is the first large-scale, in-person event after the COVID-19 pandemic to be organised by the Department of Information Technology and Communications.

About the importance of hosting such an event, Akhil Arora (IAS), Principal Secretary to the Government of Rajasthan and Commissioner of Department of Information Technology and Communication says, “With new technologies being introduced to the world nearly every day, it is important now, more than ever, for our infrastructure to be future proof. The Rajasthan DigiFest helps bring all the stakeholders in our economy on one platform to do just that — from entrepreneurs and startups to government bodies and established enterprises, and even students. With a focus on the youth, it will ensure that the current and next generation are aware of the opportunities available to them, both as entrepreneurs and job-seekers.”

Events at the Rajasthan DigiFest include:

Startup expo: An exhibition of products and services featuring startups exclusively from across Rajasthan. These will include more than 100 startups that are being nurtured under the state government’s iStart program. This allows startups to showcase their offerings directly to mentors, investors, government officials, and other stakeholders in the ecosystem.

Startup bazaar: The bazaar will be a platform for startups to sell their products directly to consumers, and will also include SHGs and entrepreneurs from rural areas of the state.

Knowledge sessions and conferences: The event will feature open and closed-door sessions with various stakeholders in the startup and entrepreneurial space, from industry leaders to ecosystem enablers, who will help decode the current state of startups and the path forward to encourage innovation in Rajasthan. Sessions will include conferences, power talks, fireside chats, and panel discussions from leaders in industries such as fintech, edtech, and more.

iStart School Student Fest: To engage youth from an early age, the DigiFest will also include various activities such as B-Quiz, AD-MAD competition, and pitching sessions that will reach more than 3,000 students from 50+ schools across Rajasthan.

Other highlights of the event include a drone expo with a dedicated space for drone OEMs to display, a technology film festival, performances by in-house talent, corporate training, and other wellness sessions for startups and other participants of the event.

Stay tuned for details on the agenda and speakers for the event!

Visit the Rajasthan DigiFest website to learn more about the event,