IT minister launches 'Chunauti' a programme to further boost startups, software product

Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad today launched "Chunauti"- Next Generation Startup Challenge Contest to further boost startups and software products with special focus on Tier-II towns of the country.

The government has earmarked a budget of over Rs 95 crore over a period of three years for this programme. It aims at identifying around three hundred startups working in identified areas and provide them seed fund of up to Rs 25 lakh and other facilities.

Start-ups that are in the ideation stage may be selected under the pre-incubation programme and mentored for up-to six months to evolve their business plan and solution around the proposed idea. Each intern (start-up under pre-incubation) will be paid Rs 10,000/- per month up to a period of 6 months.

Mr Prasad in a tweet today said, Launched "Chunauti"- startup challenge for to encourage startups in some key areas. @GoI_Meity & @STPIIndia will provide Infrastructure, mentoring, funding support to startups selected through this challenge. You can apply by clicking on the following link: https://innovate.stpinext.in".

https://twitter.com/rsprasad/status/1299349826866298881

Under this challenge the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will invite startups in the areas of work including Edu Tech, Agri Tech and FinTech solutions for masses, Supply Chain and Logistic and Transport Management, Infrastructure and Remote Monitoring, Medical Healthcare, Diagnostic, Preventive and Psychological Car as well as jobs and skilling and Linguistic tools and technologies.

Speaking at the virtual event the Minister urged the young, talented innovators of India to come forward and avail benefits of Chunauti challenge of Government and create new software products and app. He said, this the launch is a bold initiative under the clarion call for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In addition to it, Mr Prasad also laid the foundation stone of the digital training and skilling centre of National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) at Muzaffarpur in Bihar. This centre will be developed at a cost of over Rs 9 crore. Bihar government has allocated one acre of land for this institution. This centre will be equipped with the state of the art training facility with a digital laboratory.