The Hans India - 19th June 2019
Facebook-owned WhatsApp and Invest India on Tuesday picked 5 Indian startups who would receive nearly Rs 35 lakh ($50,000) each to further develop country-first products to solve real-life problems being faced by millions in the country. The start-ups are: digital healthcare platform MedCords; virtual reality content platform Melzo; WhatsApp-based conversational AI platform Javis; agri-tech platform Gramophone; and MinionLabs that provides real-time device level electricity consumption insights to businesses. The winners were part of the 'Startup India-WhatsApp Grand Challenge' -- launched earlier this year to inspire entrepreneurs to develop solutions that have socio-economic impact on the Indian economy. "The Indian startup ecosystem has undergone a dynamic transformation in the last few years, with the addition of many successful unicorns and high growth in venture funding," said Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). "We are constantly working to strengthen the ecosystem to support our startups by simplifying regulations, building infrastructure and establishing meaningful partnerships," he added. In October 2018, Invest India and WhatsApp announced their partnership to give an impetus to the Indian entrepreneurial community. They have trained 15,000 aspiring entrepreneurs from Tier 2 and 3 cities. A flagship initiative of the government, the Startup India programme has over 19,000 startups registered with it, spread across 513 districts.
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MinionLabs is the World Leader in Energy Efficiency for Cities, Businesses, and Consumers for the Internet of Things. Our Artificial Intelligence-based products, systems, and services enable our users to be energy efficient, reduce carbon footprint, prevent climate change and make people’s lives safer and comfortable, and businesses more productive and cities more livable in a sustainable way. Visit us at www.minionlabs.tech