It was a proud moment for Assam’s startup ecosystem when three startups from the state won the country’s biggest innovation challenge ‘Startup Maharathi Challenge’. The event was held on April 5 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, Delhi. The winning startups included Dream Hives Private Limited (Agritech), Quintino Labs Private Limited (Electric Vehicles) and Grohub – Connecting B2B Private Limited (B2B Sector). Each startup was given a prize money of Rs 3 lakh.
Unique initiative to connect Assam’s tradition with modern taste
Dream Hives is the North East’s first ‘meadery’, which produces traditional honey-based drink ‘mead’. It includes local flavors like Bhut Jolokia chilli, ginger and pineapple. Dream Hives aims to bring the rich culinary heritage of Assam and North East India to the world. Dhruv Jyoti Deka of Dream Hives said, “This award is a huge achievement for us. We are committed to take this dream project of ours to the global level.”
Quintino Labs and Grohub also showed the power of innovation
Quintino Labs has developed India’s first portable EV power bank called ‘Quint’, which easily fits in the trunk of any car and gives a backup of up to 35-40 km. This is a big step towards solving the problem of ‘range anxiety’ associated with electric vehicles.
On the other hand, Grohub is a B2B e-commerce platform that provides a market to the handicraft artisans of Northeast India by connecting them with technology. This startup is making local artists self-reliant and taking regional craftsmanship to national and international platforms.
Honored in Startup Mahakumbh, Assam became the center of innovation
These startups were honored in the presence of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, actress Sonam Kapoor, Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bhikhchandani, Shark Tank India investor Aman Gupta and Prashant Prakash of Excel India.
Assam Startup issued a statement saying, “This national recognition proves that Assam is emerging as an emerging hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. Congratulations to the winning startups, who have brought national recognition to regional talent.”
The Startup Maharathi Challenge is an initiative organized under Startup Mahakumbh 2025, which aims to recognize and support promising startups across the country.
