50Above50: Agetech startup Khyaal launches nationwide talent contest for senior citizens
Founded in 2020 by Hemanshu Jain and Pritish Nelleri, Khyaal’s 50Above50 initiative wishes to ignite a purpose in the lives of those above 50 years of age.
Many entrepreneurs around the world lead shining examples of starting up at an age many don’t consider ‘entrepreneurial’. Falguni Nayar founded Nykaa at the age of 49, Harland Sanders started KFC only at 62, and Henry Ford was 45 when he introduced the first Ford Motor car to the public. So why do we celebrate and cheer for only young entrepreneurs with lists like 25Under25 and 30Under30?
For Satish Chohan, a former Indian Army Captain and architect-planner, retirement at 68 was a turning point in his life. Chohan reconnected with his long-lost passion for writing, and is currently working on a novel and two collections of poems.
“Retirement is not an end, but a fresh beginning. Through poetry, I continue to write the latest chapters of my life,” Chohan writes in a blog post for agetech startup Khyaal.
Life begins at 50, characterised by financial stability, wisdom and the freedom to chase one’s passion, and not deadlines.
With this thought in mind, Khyaal has launched 50Above50—a talent event initiative for people over the age of 50. It also features under-50 categories.
Khyaal community
“This is a celebration of passion and purpose—a reminder to the world that age is just a number. Let’s show everyone that life truly begins after 50,” says Bhupinder Kaur who is participating under the ‘Travel Influencer of the year’ category, from Mumbai.
Founded in 2020 by Hemanshu Jain and Pritish Nelleri, Khyaal provides services to senior citizens on a subscription basis, catering to their physical, mental, emotional and social well-being. It has more than three million users. “This works in line with the Ikigai concept—building the whole new purpose of life after retirement,” says Jain, Founder and CEO of Khyaal, in a conversation with YS Life.
“We saw a trend where seniors loved to participate in different kinds of activities, which led to the creation of different interest groups,” he adds.
The platform has been running in-house contests within these groups for more than two years. On request, the founders decided to come up with an event that brings together Khyaal users from across the country under one roof. Thus, the idea of 50Above50 was born.
The startup has been hosting online video auditions for the pan-India competition since May 1, and has 20 cities—Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Lucknow, Jaipur, Kochi, and Indore, among others—where it’ll host carnivals to bring together contestants from that particular city together, host a day of fun-filled activities, and also conduct in-person auditions for people interested in participating in 50Above50.
The 50 categories for the competition include arts, innovation, entrepreneurship, community service, and others. After the initial filtration by the Khyaal team, the top 10 finalists from each category will be shortlisted by respective category experts and finally followed by public voting to select the best under each category.
The jury members include magician Nakul Shenoy, author Geeta Ramanujam, visual artist Selvaprakash Lakshmanan, poet and editor Vinita Agarwal, and President of Karnataka Numismatic Association, Rajendra Marudhar, among others.
Khyaal will be awarding winners a total cash prize pool of Rs 1 crore, that is, each winner will receive Rs 1 lakh each, and the remaining amount will be distributed between the finalists. The grand finale is scheduled to be hosted in November in Mumbai’s NESCO ground.
50Above50 has received more than 10,000 nominations so far, and with auditions being held until August 31, Jain expects the number of nominations to go up to more than one lakh. The platform charges Rs 999 as an entry fee for each participant to enter up to two categories.
“Khyaal reignited the craftsperson in me…It’s a real joy, not just about the prize, but the experience of participating,” says Emilia Dennet from Mumbai, who is participating under the ‘Craftsperson of the Year’ category.
(The story was updated with details)
Edited by Kanishk Singh