Qualcomm Unveils Design in India Challenge 2021 Winners
The Qualcomm Design in India Program is committed to paving the way for technology-led improvements in the infrastructural, medical, and rural IoT spaces, supporting innovation and strengthening the startup ecosystem in India.
Qualcomm Incorporated has revealed winners of the sixth edition of Qualcomm Design in India Challenge, India’s longest-running hardware startup incubation program.
Dhruva Space Pvt. Ltd., a space-tech startup with its low earth orbit satellite to enable 5G Radio Access Network is the winner of the 2021 cohort, bagging an award of INR 65 Lakhs.
Rajen Vagadia, Vice President, Qualcomm India Pvt. Ltd. and President of Qualcomm India, said, “The Qualcomm Design in India Challenge is a celebration of the entrepreneurial strength of India’s startup ecosystem and its capacity to create innovative solutions that go on to make their mark globally. The passion and creativity of the participants, as they worked on their ideas, was truly inspiring. As we conclude this year’s edition, I wish the winners the best of luck for their onward journey to innovate for global impact. Homegrown startups have the potential to deliver positive outcomes on many important socio-economic fronts, and the onus is on the private sector to offer the technology, financial, and knowledge support they deserve.”
Sudeepto Roy, Vice President, Engineering, Qualcomm Incorporated, said, “We are entering a new era of innovation with startups creating new business models, attracting global investors, and creating job opportunities. As India looks to leverage the combined potential of 5G, AI, IoT, Cloud, and Big Data, we are proud and privileged to be able to stoke the spark of startup-led innovation across some of the most important sectors. The ideas put forth by the winners and participants over the years validate our confidence that India can provide new-age solutions for its own needs as well as the world’s.”
The Qualcomm Design in India Program is committed to paving the way for technology-led improvements in the infrastructural, medical, and rural IoT spaces, supporting innovation and strengthening the startup ecosystem in India.
Ossus Biorenewables Pvt. Ltd., with their innovative smart autonomous bioreactor generating green hydrogen from industrial effluents and Nimble Vision Pvt. Ltd., with their Ni-Smart manhole product to monitor sewage flow, were the first and second runners-up, winning awards of INR 50 Lakhs and INR 35 Lakhs respectively.
Twelve top startups were selected among 160 applicants, for incubation in areas of technology development, business model and intellectual property rights. Three winners were chosen after the completion of the annual incubation cycle.
The Innovation Commercialization Fund (ICF), launched in 2020 with an initial fund size of INR 60 Lakhs, was continued in 2021 with a fund size of INR 60 lakhs.
ICF is available to all Qualcomm Design in India Challenge alumni startups and is used for reimbursement of the expenses incurred in taking the product commercial – mandatory certification costs, costs incurred on industrial design, and manufacturing costs to fulfill customer purchase orders.
