What is this challenge?
Maruti Suzuki India Limited launched the Mobility Challenge in partnership with Hyderabad-based business incubator T-Hub. The challenge is launched in order to explore the new-age technologies and help growth-stage startups to scale up their business. The sole purpose of the programme is to drive innovation for business efficiencies.
Why is Maruti Suzuki Doing the challenge?
With the launch of Mobility Challenge, the firm is looking forward to working with mature Indian and overseas startups, to expand and upgrade their business operations. The challenge provides the selected startups with an opportunity to execute a paid proof of concept, mentorship, and opportunity to become a business partner with Maruti Suzuki. Through this initiative, the automaker is eager to partner with startups, including players who are already established with an existing customer base and have a ready solution.
Which sector or industry is it eyeing upon?
Mature startups from series A to unicorn startups, across the globe with innovative ideas and solutions in the mobility space can apply for this challenge. The challenge is basically for the technology-based startups with area focus on AI, AR/VR, Autonomous Mobility, Automotive Remote Diagnostic, Automotive Serving Efficiency, Big Data Analytics, Electrification, Internet-of-things, Mobility-as-a-service, and Smart Infrastructure.
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The challenge provides the selected startups with an opportunity to execute a paid proof of concept, mentorship, and opportunity to become a business partner with Maruti Suzuki.
How will this challenge help the Startups?
The selected startups will receive support and mentoring from experts at Maruti Suzuki and T-Hub. It will also help the startups:
- By providing them with a Paid PoC Opportunity to execute and develop innovative business solutions under any focus area.
- The finalists of this challenge will be awarded with a PoC grant of Rs 10 Lakh.
- By giving them an opportunity to collaborate with Maruti Suzuki and get the largest testbed on cutting-edge solutions which can be applied at a large scale.
- To get a fast-paced learning experience alongside a proper mentorship and guidance from leading experts of Maruti Suzuki and T-Hub for scaling up of the startups.
Eligibility Criteria for Startups to Apply
The challenge is for applicants or teams who are capable of demonstrating potential conceptualization and execution of a quick PoC for the suggested focus areas. Only those growth-scale startups can apply who fulfill all the eligibility criteria:
- Each startup team must have one full time employee. A ‘Full Time Employee’ by definition means someone who maintains standard business hours working on technology or ventures (at a minimum, Monday to Friday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm).
- The product or technology the startup is offering for consideration provides a functionality or capability not currently available in any off the shelf product, or a functionality/capability demonstrated to possess a significant advantage over current offerings in some aspect.
- The product or technology the startup is offering for consideration represents original ideas wholly owned with freedom to use or is licensed by the team.
Startups fulfilling all these criteria can apply for this challenge and win an exciting opportunity to club their startup with the big names and scale up their ventures alongside some free guidance straight from the experts itself. The deadline to apply for this challenge is till 12th July, 2021.
