The Ministry of Tribal Affairs marked a significant milestone in empowering tribal entrepreneurship by showcasing 45 tribal-led startups from across India at the StartupMahakumbh.

At the event, two tribal-led startups, incubated at premier institutions — IIM Kolkata and IIT Guwahati — received prestigious national recognition from Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, affirming the growing role of tribal entrepreneurs in India’s startup ecosystem.

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OurGuest Travels, based in Gangtok, Sikkim, was conferred the D2C Award while the Ngurie Organic received the AgriTech Award for its transformative work in sustainable agriculture.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Vibhu Nayar, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, congratulated the winning startups for their exemplary innovation and dedication to community-led development.

At the event, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) also showcased its role in supporting startup growth and underlined the potential of public procurement as a tool for promoting innovation and inclusive development.

The event saw sector-focused pavilions that celebrated India’s strength in DeepTech, AgriTech, BioTech, MedTech, Artificial Intelligence, Gaming, and more.

GeM underscored its mission to bridge the gap between innovators and government buyers, enabling faster scale, market validation, and meaningful contribution to India’s global innovation standing.

Speaking on the theme of government-startup collaboration, GeM CEO Ajay Bhadoo said, “Let’s work together and unlock the true potential of public procurement in driving startup growth, inclusive development, and Atmanirbhar Bharat.”