The first leg of Business Blasters, the start-up programme launched by the Delhi government, concluded on Sunday, January 2, where the country witnessed the success stories of students from Delhi Government schools and their businesses.
In the last episode, students were seen pitching business ideas to judges, Mekin Maheshwari of Udhyam and Shreyasi Singh of Harappa Education, who were accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia.
The first team to go on the floors was Digital Suraksha. The members of this start-up belong to an area where theft is common. With Business Blasters, the team decided to make a shutter alarm system that not only goes off with a siren when the shutter is moved but also alerts the owner with a phone call.
They have aptly called this alarm ‘Chor machaye shor’. Wowed by the ideas of the students, the judges invested a grand total of Rs 1.75 lacs in their business with Rs 1 lac coming from Mekin Maheshwari and the rest from Shreyashi Singh.
Rainbow Home Industries was the episode’s second team. This start-up, led by girls from the Delhi Government schools, makes hand-knitted products such as bedspreads, sweaters, and ponchos.
They actually started whilst also hiring and training local housewives, who now work on a commission basis with the team to complete the orders. The girls not only managed to get an investment of Rs 25,000 from Mr. Maheshwari but also advanced orders of 40 bedsheets from both the judges. The judges also offered support to the students to help them connect to NGOs that can get them more hands to work with and sales opportunities.
The Mobility Transformers were the third team. This start-up created a prototype of a low-cost motorised wheelchair in order to provide a solution for the specially-abled. They can even personalise the wheelchairs based on the user’s requirements. Hospitals and wholesalers have already approached this start-up for orders! The judges were floored by the invention of these government school students and they offered an investment of Rs 1.75 lacs to the team with Rs 50,000 coming from Shreyasi Singh and the rest from Mekin Maheshwari.
According to the Delhi government, 8 episodes of Business Blasters saw young entrepreneurs receive over Rs 25 lacs in funding, grants, and advanced orders along with mentorship and support.
“Over the course of the eight episodes of Business Blasters, we saw 24 teams bag investments and support from renowned entrepreneurs. The teams did not only get massive funding for their startups but also advanced orders, mentorship, establishment support and training from India’s most respected business minds,” stated the press release issued by the Delhi government.