CeBIT India announces +91 Start-up Challenge

BANGALORE, INDIA: IT services major Infosys will be supporting the +91 Start Up Challenge, scheduled to be held alongside the inagural CeBIT India 2014, the premier international IT/ICT event organized by Hannover Milano Fairs India Pvt Ltd (HMFI), the Indian subsidiary of the Global JV Company HMG (Hannover Milano Global).

The genesis of +91 lies in the Start-up Village that was started at CeBIT Hannover as an international initiative for digital pioneers, innovators and ground breaking start-ups. Initiated over a decade ago, the Start-up Village has since been supporting outstanding business talent and their exceptional business ideas, providing them with a platform for dialog, and therefore stimulating and accelerating innovation in the field of technology. Poised to take Indian talent to an international audience, +91 will connect entrepreneurs to other entrepreneurs, global media, consultants, support programs, angel investors & venture capitalists.

Five finalists from the +91 challenge will get an opportunity to showcase their product/solution to a global audience at CeBIT Hannover, Germany which will be scheduled from 16-20 March, 2015

Mehul Lanvers-Shah, Managing Director, Hannover Fairs India Pvt Ltd.  said “India is destined to be home to 11,500 startups, employing over 2,50,000 people, by 2020. The Indian landscape is fresh with young entrepreneurial talent and we need to boost the startup ecosystem and encourage more global strategic players to look at India as part of their future growth strategy. CeBIT India is all about ‘New Perspectives of IT’, and the introduction of +91 at our debut event in India will recognize home-grown entrepreneurial talent, showcase them to global stakehloders and inject a fresh round of vigour in the start-up community.”

Pravin Rao, Chief Operating Officer, Infosys, added “It is an exciting time to be an entrepreneur in India, and we believe India’s budding start-ups are going to be a hotbed for innovation. Our association with +91 is an extension of the work that we are doing with start-ups across the globe. We are firm believers that many start-ups with their cutting edge technologies are going to be game changers for businesses in the future. We are excited to be associated with the +91 challenge. This is a fantastic platform aimed at encouraging the vibrant ecosystem of entrepreneurs in India and promoting them among global audiences.”

Participants at the +91 challenge will be judged by a distinguished panel consisting of leading CXOs, VIPs, and IT stalwarts. Members of the CeBIT India Executive Club, the panel will critically evaluate the business potential of each entrant to finalize the winning startups.

The well recognized international CeBIT show is slated to be a first of its kind Business IT and ICT show in India, dedicated to boost new business in the Indian IT & ITes market and create a platform for generation of new national and international business opportunities, drive new ideas, profitability & growth in India with an exposure to the International markets. The first CeBIT India will take place in 2014 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, (BIEC) on Tumkur Road in Bangalore.