**Summary:**
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the "DhartiAabaTribePreneurs 2025" initiative under the Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh, commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. Held from April 3-5, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, as part of Startup Mahakumbh 2025, this initiative aimed to provide a platform for Scheduled Tribe (ST) entrepreneurs to showcase innovations, network with investors, and participate in technical sessions. Key objectives included fostering inclusive economic growth, securing mentorship and investment opportunities, and facilitating market expansion for tribal-led enterprises. The ministry has partnered with institutions such as IIM Calcutta, IIT Delhi, IIM Kashipur, IIT Bhilai, IIT Guwahati, IFCI Venture Capital Funds Limited, and META to support the initiative. A Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Tribes has been established with an initial corpus of ₹50 crore to further promote entrepreneurship and innovation within tribal communities.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Tribal Affairs: The Indian government ministry responsible for tribal affairs. Organizer of DhartiAabaTribePreneurs 2025.
Anurag Singh Thakur: Member of Parliament, mentioned in the context of a question asked in Lok Sabha.
Narayan Tatu Rane: Member of Parliament, mentioned in the context of a question asked in Lok Sabha.
Ananta Nayak: Member of Parliament, mentioned in the context of a question asked in Lok Sabha.
Bijuli Kalita Medhi: Member of Parliament, mentioned in the context of a question asked in Lok Sabha.
Durgadas Uikey: Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs.
Lok Sabha: The Lower House of the Indian Parliament, where a question related to tribal affairs was answered.
DhartiAabaTribePreneurs 2025: A flagship initiative organized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, aimed at promoting tribal entrepreneurship.
Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh: Year commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
Bhagwan Birsa Munda: A revered tribal freedom fighter and leader, whose 150th birth anniversary is being commemorated.
Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi: The location in New Delhi, Delhi where DhartiAabaTribePreneurs 2025 took place.
Startup Mahakumbh 2025: Event where DhartiAabaTribePreneurs 2025 was held as a part of.
IIM Calcutta: Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, a partner institution of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
IIT Delhi: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, a partner institution of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
IIM Kashipur: Indian Institute of Management Kashipur, a partner institution of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
IIT Bhilai: Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai, a partner institution of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
IIT Guwahati: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, a partner institution of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
IFCI Venture Capital Funds Limited: A partner organisation of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
META: A partner organisation of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Scheduled Tribes: Refers to the officially designated tribes in India that are recognized by the Constitution as needing special protection. Often abbreviated as ST.
Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Tribes: A fund with an initial corpus of 50 crore dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in tribal communities.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Tribal Start-up Ecosystem
Posted On: 07 AUG 2025 3:11PM by PIB Delhi
Replying to un-starred question of Shri Anurag Singh Thakur,Shri Narayan Tatu Rane, Shri Ananta Nayak
and Smt. Bijuli Kalita Medhi, the Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey informed
Lok Sabha today that DhartiAabaTribePreneurs 2025, a flagship initiative under Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh,
commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, a revered tribal freedom fighter and
leader, was organized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs from April 3-5, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New
Delhi as part of Startup Mahakumbh 2025. The initiative provided a transformative platform for budding and
established Scheduled Tribe (ST) entrepreneurs and brought together India’s most promising tribal startups,
offering them unparalleled exposure to industry leaders, venture capitalists, and impact investors—fostering
inclusive economic growth and empowerment.
The initiative provided tribal entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase their innovations, network with top
investors and engage in technical sessions featuring unicorn founders, venture capitalists and startup leaders.
DhartiAabaTribePreneurs 2025 served as a launchpad for tribal-led enterprises, helping them secure
mentorship, strategic networking, and investment opportunities with a strong focus on innovation,
inclusivity, visibility on a larger scale and market expansion to elevate their businesses to national and
global platforms.
Ministry has partnered with premier institutions/organisations such as IIM Calcutta, IIT Delhi, IIM
Kashipur, IIT Bhilai, IIT Guwahati, IFCI Venture Capital Funds Limited and META to ensure deep
and lasting impact on the tribal startups. A major milestone in this journey is the establishment of a
Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Tribes, with an initial corpus of 50 crore, dedicated to fostering
entrepreneurship and innovation in tribal communities.
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(Release ID: 2153515)