Startup India launches the NavIC Grand Challenge, accepting applications from 17 May 2022. It envisions the challenge to leverage NavIC services and give India a kickstart towards mapping and enhanced navigation capabilities. The NavIC Grand Challenge is a step forward to promote, encourage, and nurture innovations in indigenous geospatial offerings.
Startup India is a one-stop destination for all stakeholders to enter the startup ecosystem, interact with other venturers, exchange knowledge and learn collaborations. With this event, it aims to invite proposals to use indigenous NavIC-enabled technologies in drones. The drones shall be responsible for capturing data on possible damage to farm field topography. The technology should also be able to process the captured data and make it commercially viable.
The program is open only to relevant stakeholders and industries. All DPIIT-recognized startups, irrespective of the stage, are strongly encouraged to apply. Ideation, Validation, Early Traction, and Scaling Stage startups can apply until 31 July 2022. The relevant sectors are spanning, including areas like AI, Analytics, Automotive, Finance Tech, Design, Nanotech, Social Impact, Sports, Healthcare & Lifesciences, and many more.
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The application should not only successfully design NavIC-enabled drones but also deploy them across all types of terrain. Startup India will consider all novel approaches if they offer a flexible, easily deployable, scalable, and affordable solution.
The NavIC challenge also brings several incentives for the applicants other than exposure and experience. The panel will select seven startups for Phase I, offering a grant of Rs 50 Lakhs each for six months. These startups will have to present their prototypes for further validation. In Phase II, three out of the seven startups will be shortlisted and granted Rs 100 Lakhs each for six months. This grant should cater to developing a fully functional product that can be combined with the PMFBY (Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bina Yojana) infrastructure.
