Maruti Suzuki India, in collaboration with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), has announced the names of six startups chosen for its Nurture programme. These startups include DriverShaab, Route2Jute, OiHelp, Hopun Innovations, Backyard Creators, and Salutem Ridegear. The startups offer solutions in various areas such as driver aggregation services, jute-based accessories, hyperlocal delivery services, micro electric car development, non-surgical wearable hearing devices, and safety apparel.
The selection of the startups was based on their competencies in areas such as innovation, business model, relevance to Maruti Suzuki’s operations, leadership and team structure, and revenue model. These six chosen startups will now engage in a paid Proof-of-Concept (PoC) to evaluate the feasibility of their proposed business solutions in real-world situations. As a token of recognition, each startup received a cash reward of Rs. 50,000 and gained access to additional mentorship opportunities through Maruti Suzuki’s innovation programs. The finale of the Grand Idea Hunt took place in the presence of senior leaders from Maruti Suzuki and IIM Calcutta.
Aiming to augment the startup ecosystem across the country through co-creating solutions relevant to the automobile industry, Maruti Suzuki has undertaken multiple initiatives. The Company collaborates with startups across level of maturity:
Incubation program is targeted towards startups that are in the ideation to proof-of-concept stage.
Nurture program extends mentorship opportunities and an enabling growth environment to early-stage startups from the East and Northeast region to shape their ideas to reach a viable product stage.
Mobility & Automobile Innovation Lab (MAIL) engages technology-based startups that are at the budding stage.
Mobility Challenge focuses on growth-stage startups.
Depending on the level of maturity, the startups are provided an enabling ecosystem with the right mentorship, networking, and growth opportunities under Maruti Suzuki Innovation programs. Selected startups also get an opportunity to test the viability of their solutions across various business verticals of Maruti Suzuki.