By Ronita Torcato
Twelve start-ups from nine Indian states have been declared winners at the 5th Edition of Youth Co: Lab National Innovation Dialogue India.The 2022-23 edition received 378 applications from 28 states across the country.
National Innovation Dialogue 2022 Winners include SaralX- Enhancing access and opportunities for people with disabilities
Founded by Pune based Akashdeep Bansal; Edubuild – Experiences for youth,founded by 27 year old Saksham Gupta from Jaipur, ans Project Baala – Menstrual hygiene for economically marginalized menstruators, founded by Soumya Dabriwal( 23) in Mumbai.
Youth Co:Lab India 2022-23 focused on thematic areas like digital and financial literacy for youth, gender equality, biodiversity conservation, and biodiversity-friendly lifestyles through technological solutions.
From the applications received, 47 short-listed start-ups received one-on-one mentoring and capacity-building sessions from experts for two months through the Youth Co:Lab Springboard Programme, a start-up support platform for SDG innovators. These start-ups then presented their ideas to a jury in May 2023, from which the 12 winners were selected.
The winners across each thematic area received a seed grant of US$ 5,000; while the runners-up received US$ 3,000. This funding will help the winners scale their ideas into tangible products or services.
Youth Co:Lab, co-created in 2017 by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Citi Foundation, aims to establish a common agenda for countries in the Asia-Pacific region to invest in youth, in order to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Youth Co:Lab was launched in India in 2019 in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog.
Felicitating the winners, Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, AIM said,”Social startups are not merely businesses; they are catalysts for social change. They address pressing social and environmental challenges, stimulate economic growth, inspire other businesses, leverage technology, and promote collaboration. “
Speaking at the event, Shoko Noda, Resident Representative, UNDP India said, “With 254 million young people aged between 15 and 24 years, India has a unique opportunity to lead innovation and social entrepreneurship and make the voices of young people count. I am excited to see the diversity of ideas and frugal innovation the winners bring this year. With Youth Co: Lab, UNDP is happy to provide a platform for young social entrepreneurs to scale their initiatives and recognize, value, and support the solutions they bring.”
Congratulating the finalists, Ashu Khullar Citi India CEO said, “Citi places great emphasis on supporting the aspirations of youth and young entrepreneurs. There has been tremendous innovation and creativity in addressing various social challenges through the Youth Lab.”
Sanjana Sanghi, Actor, and UNDP Champion, added, “Youth Co: Lab offers them a platform to convert their ideas into solutions that transform lives and communities. Youth have the passion, the ideas, and the drive to make a difference in the world.”
Since 2017, Youth Co:Lab has reached
240,000 young, aspiring, and inspiring social entrepreneurs in 28 countries and territories in Asia and the Pacific via national dialogues, regional summits, social innovation and entrepreneurial skills development activities.
It has served over 14,000 young people and launched or improved 1,530 youth-led social innovation teams.
UNDP has worked in India since 1951 in almost all areas of human development.With over 30 projects on the ground in almost every state, today, UNDP India works to achieve Sustainable Development Goals by transforming traditional models to do development differently.
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