Applications Invited for Bharat Livelihood Challenge

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About the Organization

Built at IIM Ahmedabad in 2002 as an entrepreneurship centre and incorporated in 2007-08 as a section-8 company, IIMA Ventures (Formerly known as IIMA-CIIE) is the innovation continuum that studies, educates, incubates, accelerates, and invests in early-stage startups, aspiring entrepreneurs, and Investors.

IIMA Ventures has mentored over 10,000 founders, accelerated over 2000 startups, provided catalytic capital to over 700 companies, and inspired over a million people with our 400+ publications. It has been a pioneer on multiple fronts including India’s first accelerator - iAccelerator, India’s largest idea scouting competition - The Power of Ideas, India’s first climate fund - INFUSE Ventures, India’s biggest platform for inclusive fintechs   -   Bharat   Inclusion   Initiative,   India’s first entrepreneurship bestseller - Stay Hungry Stay Foolish, Startup Compass and many more.

About the Challenge

The Bharat Livelihood Challenge is a virtual startup hackathon organized by IIMA Ventures in collaboration with Apna, focused on solving India’s most pressing challenges around jobs, livelihood, and skilling for the urban lower and middle-income population.

As India races towards becoming the world’s youngest workforce by 2030, nearly a billion working-age individuals — many in Tier 2/3 cities — face barriers like underemployment, skill mismatch, job discovery hurdles, and career stagnation.

This challenge aims to identify and support early-stage startups and emerging founders who are building scalable, tech-led solutions that can uplift these communities — whether through better job access, smarter skilling, or income generation models.

This is not just a hackathon. It's a launchpad for real-world impact.

Eligibility

To apply, your team/startup must meet all the following conditions:

• Team size/Number of Founders: 1 to 4 founders
• Age & Education: All founders must be 18+ and must have completed or be pursuing an undergraduate degree. Post-graduates are also eligible to apply.

Startup Stage:

• Both registered startups and unregistered startups (ideas/prototypes) are welcome
• If registered, the startup must have been incorporated within the last 5 years

Entity Type (for registered startups only):

• Private Limited or LLP preferred
• Other entity types must convert if selected

Target Group: The idea/startup must serve urban or semi-urban low-income communities (household income ≤ ₹5L)

How to Apply

Registration Deadline: 30th August, 2025

Register Now

For more information please check the Link

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