It’s not every day you walk into a venue and see a six-seater electric air taxi parked next to an AI-driven organ transplant platform. But then again, this isn’t your average startup showcase. On Day 1 of Startup Mahakumbh 2025, held in Delhi, the country’s biggest innovation mela opened its doors to thousands of entrepreneurs, students, investors, and curious onlookers.

Spread across multiple thematic pavilions, the event saw pitches flying faster than drone demos. From futuristic healthtech solutions to concrete made for climate resilience, the day packed more disruption per square metre than most year-long incubators manage.

AgriTech startups pitch live for big money

The AgriTech pavilion felt more like a Shark Tank pop-up. An impromptu pitch competition had founders battling for investor attention. Everge Agroscience won the Aavishkaar Ultimate Agritech Pitch, walking away with ₹3 lakh. Agrolt Solutions came second with ₹2 lakh.

AI makes its way into government websites and deeptech dreams

Meanwhile, NASSCOM, in partnership with Zinnov, launched its “Road to Recovery – Indian Tech Start-up Landscape 2024” report. It paints a cautiously optimistic picture for Indian tech startups, signalling renewed growth after a turbulent year.

At the AI & DeepTech pavilion, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) dropped a quiet bombshell. They launched MeitY Mitra, India’s first government-hosted AI chatbot. It’s now live on their updated Samarth portal for higher education bodies. The system includes voice and chat support in regional languages, thanks to Lia Plus AI integration. Honestly, it’s not every day you see babus and bots in the same sentence.

D2C’s gut health revolution and a bio-entrepreneurship boost

The Good Bug, a direct-to-consumer health startup, unveiled a new product promising science-backed weight loss using natural GLP-1 based methods. Backed by clinical data, they’re claiming over 12% reduction in weight and BMI in just 90 days.

Not far away, the HealthTech & BioTech pavilion saw the launch of the 8th National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition. With ₹15 crore in cash and investments up for grabs, the event opened its doors to next-gen biotech innovation.

Futurpreneurs bring AI to rural India

The student pavilion was buzzing. A few standout ideas included:

AI blockchain tools to cut organ transplant waiting times.

Smart drones and rovers to improve pesticide use in farming.

Menstrual care products doubling as diagnostic devices.

These weren’t just passion projects. Many of them already have working prototypes.

Space-tech and sewage solutions at one venue

At the Defence & Space Tech corner, IN-SPACe signed an MoU with DRIIV to support innovation in the aerospace sector. Meanwhile, Lambert Technovation showcased a wastewater treatment reactor that doesn’t need chemicals — a game changer for cities.

In the Energy & ClimateTech pavilion, Mumbai-based UrjanovaC revealed a tech that uses seawater or industrial wastewater to trap carbon dioxide. IIT Madras-backed SatiQ Concrete is also working to cut emissions in construction.

Mobility dreams and incubator realities

The mobility zone had one showstopper—Sarla Aviation’s electric air taxi called Shunya. The six-seater aims to become the most cost-effective ride-sharing model in the skies.

On the other end, incubator showcases discussed serious numbers. With over 1.5 lakh startups reportedly supported by IITs and educational institutions, platforms like Vedanta Spark and ENTICE 2.0 shared plans to back clean energy and digital ideas.

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