Grassroots Innovations Flourish In Gujarat’s Startup Ecosystem

A faculty member at Government Polytechnic-Palanpur informed him of the Gujarat government’s Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP). He received a grant of Rs 30,000 under SSIP to build the machine. About four years later, his company Prahantam, has sold 450 machines in cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune.  

Koumal Kalantry, co-founder of Ahmedabad-based Bignano Ventures, developed a kit to detect pregnancy in milch cattle. While traditional methods require testing after 90-120 days, this kit can detect pregnancy after about one month. She credits i-Hub, set up under the Gujarat government’s SSIP, for facilitating tests with the state’s animal husbandry universities. 

Gujarat government’s policies like the SSIP, i-Hub, and other schemes under the Industries Department have gone a long way in promoting grassroots innovations and startups across the state. “The team at i-Hub left no stone unturned to help us. We were able to run trials of our products at various universities,” Kalantry told The Secretariat. She runs a production facility for the testing kits at Naroda in Ahmedabad and plans to expand it. 

Harsh Agrawal, co-founder of Neerex, uses farm-based sensors and satellite data to provide farmers with real-time insights on soil and weather conditions. This enables precise decisions regarding the timing and quantity of fertilisers, water for irrigation, and pesticide use. He initially received Rs 5 lakh under i-Hub’s Srijan scheme, followed by an additional Rs 25 lakh from the state government. 

“No state government, except Gujarat, provides support to startups at the seed stage, which is extremely important for them to survive and grow. No investors will bet their money at this stage,” Harsh said.

Dhaval, Koumal and Harsh are just a few examples of startup founders driving grassroots innovation with the support of state government policies and institutions focused on startups and innovation. Dhaval’s automatic glass-washing machine helps roadside tea vendors avoid disposable glasses and ensures hygienic and clean glasses for reuse.

Koumal’s easy-to-use, highly accurate pregnancy detection kit enables early identification, helping manage the cow’s and foetus’ diet or plan the next mating cycle if not pregnant. Similarly, Harsh’s solution provides real-time, actionable, farm-specific inputs that lead to up to 50 per cent water savings, 25 per cent fertiliser savings, and a 25 per cent increase in fruit and vegetable productivity.   

“The state government schemes provide Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to startups and innovators, so it does not matter where these startups are based. Policies help startups with validation of their ideas, scaling up, and connecting them to the mentors and investors,” said Hiranmay Mahanta, CEO of i-Hub.

i-Hub offers collaborative co-working spaces that encourage cross-startup interactions and idea sharing. Startups benefit from focused mentoring, networking, early adopters, customer connects, investment opportunities, support mechanisms, and futuristic labs — all under one roof. It undertakes strategic interventions to develop a benchmark incubation support system in the state by linking students, academia, industry, and society at large.

SSIP facilitates assistance for student-led startups and innovations. Its key role lies in developing a pre-incubation ecosystem that fosters a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation among students. It also integrates other stakeholders and has set up an end-to-end support system in educational institutions to convert student ideas into practical innovations and sustainable startups.