Startup Mahakumbh: India’s largest startup gathering returns to New Delhi

The second edition of Startup Mahakumbh, touted as the world’s largest startup gathering, is set to take place from April 3 to 5, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

The event aims to bring together over 3,000 startups, 1,000 investors, and 10,000 international delegates, alongside 50,000 business visitors.

With the theme “Startup India @ 2047—Unfolding the Bharat Story,” the event is expected to be a significant platform for fostering collaboration between startups, investors, and policymakers. It will provide a significant opportunity for startups, investors, and industry leaders to network, collaborate, and contribute to India’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The previous edition saw the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and set the foundation for what has become a key gathering in India’s startup ecosystem.

Key discussions and speakers

The event will feature prominent industry leaders and policymakers. Some of the notable speakers include:

• Peyush Bansal (CEO & Co-founder, Lenskart) – Exploring the evolution of Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brands.
• Dr V Anantha Nageswaran (Chief Economic Advisor, Government of India) – Discussing India's macroeconomic position and its implications for startups.
• S Krishnan (Secretary, MeitY) – Presenting India’s artificial intelligence roadmap.
• Amardeep Singh Bhatia (Secretary, DPIIT) – Addressing policy-driven growth for startups.
• Ananth Narayanan (Founder & CEO, Mensa Brands) – Providing insights on scaling digital-first brands.
• Kris Gopalakrishnan (Co-founder, Infosys & Chairman, Axilor Ventures) – Discussing India’s technological evolution.
• Nithin Kamath (Founder & CEO, Zerodha) – Exploring fintech disruptions and opportunities.
• Manish Sabharwal (Vice Chairman, TeamLease Services) – Offering perspectives on workforce innovation and employment trends.

Additionally, Bollywood celebrities-turned-investors like Sonam Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, and Rana Daggubati will join the event, showcasing the growing link between entertainment and entrepreneurship.

Sector-focused pavilions and key startups

The event will showcase dedicated pavilions highlighting key sectors such as AI, deeptech, cybersecurity, healthtech, biotech, agritech, climate tech, fintech, B2B models, gaming, sports, mobility, defence, and space tech.

Several high-profile startups will be showcased, including:

• Mobility: Ather, Ultraviolet, River, Rapido, and Battery Smart.
• Health and Biotech: UR Advanced Therapeutics, Shira Medtech, Brain Sight AI, and Niramai.
• D2C Brands: Appliance.AI, Go Desi, Assembly, Indus Valley, and Snitch.

A major highlight of the event will be exciting product launches, including a D2C brand and a flying taxi. Another standout session, "Rivals in Business, Allies in Disruption," will bring together competitor brands SNITCH and The Souled Store.

Startup Mahakumbh 2025 is curated by a committee led by FICCI, with support from ASSOCHAM, NASSCOM, TiE, IVCA, and Bootstrap Foundation, and backing from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).