New Delhi, 09 September 2026: Vande Bharatam, Mr Gautam Adani’s nationwide initiative to discover and celebrate India’s grassroots innovators and entrepreneurs, continued its television run with Episodes 3, 4 and 5, introducing nine startups tackling some of India’s most pressing challenges from arsenic-contaminated groundwater to rural pollination and last-mile diagnostics — pitching before a panel of investors and mentors that included Pranav Adani, Managing Director of Adani Enterprises Ltd; Ankur Dahiya, Co-Founder & CEO of Rozana; Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Co-Founder & President of Venture Catalysts; Vijay Kedia, Founder & Director of Kedia Advisory; and Pratham Mittal, Founder of Tetr College of Business & Masters’ Union.
Episode 3 (Aired 4 September): Navmarg, Jan Niti and Plenti
Navmarg Research and Innovation, a Bihar-based deep-tech water startup founded by a brother duo in their early twenties, presented MARU, a patented magnetic-separation system that removes arsenic from drinking water without chemical dosing. The startup has already delivered over 3.19 million litres of safe water across field deployments. Pranav Adani extended in-house mentorship with the Adani Group through Vande Wings, while Ankur Dahiya offered help implementing the technology across the Gangetic plains using Rozana networks.
Jan Niti, a Haryana-based AI policy-simulation platform founded by IIT Kanpur and Stanford alumni, models socioeconomic outcomes of government and enterprise decisions before implementation. Pranav Adani offered a Vande Wings along with support for a pilot project via implementation in the Dharavi redevelopment project led by the Adani Group; Ankur Dahiya offered a strategic mentorship and partnership and also expressed interest in participating in their ongoing investment rounds.
Plenti, a Kerala-based hyperlocal surplus-food marketplace that has grown twelve-fold in eight months, lets restaurants sell unsold food as discounted meals. Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma offered to connect offline for further discussions.
Episode 4 (Aired 5 September): Dharaksha Ecosolutions, Humble Bee and Bhaumya Innovations
Humble Bee, a Uttar Pradesh-based venture, empowers rural and tribal women as owners of climate-resilient beekeeping enterprises through its AI-enabled BEEKIND platform. Pranav Adani extended Adani Group’s mentorship through a Vande Wings award, along with a potential opportunity to work in Adani’s apple farms and plug-in opportunities at Adani airports; Ankur Dahiya offered help with rural connections through Rozana networks while Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma offered a ₹5 Cr investment, with valuation to be discussed later.
Bhaumya Innovations, a Telangana-based agri-hardware startup behind RUDRA — India’s first patented tractor-mounted stone collector — secured a ₹2 Cr investment, split between Vijay Kedia and Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, along with assured mentorship from both.
Dharaksha Ecosolutions, a Haryana-based startup, grows compostable packaging from crop stubble and mushroom mycelium — addressing both stubble burning and petroleum-based packaging waste. Ankur Dahiya extended Vande Wings commitment and an offline discussion to explore packaging opportunities; Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma offered to connect offline to evaluate a potential deal.
Episode 5 (Aired 6 September): Thinkerbell Labs, Primary Healthtech and JivaScope
Thinkerbell Labs, a Karnataka-based edtech startup founded by BITS Pilani alumni, has built Annie, the world’s first self-learning braille literacy device. Pratham Mittal committed to collaboration and office visits at Thinkerbell Labs; Vijay Kedia, Ankur Dahiya and Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma each expressed interest in investing, with Ankur Dahiya also offering grassroots distribution support through the Rozana network and Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma offering connections within his investment community.
Primary Healthtech, a Uttar Pradesh-based startup, has built Mobilab — described as the world’s first AI-powered “lab in a suitcase” — already deployed across 300 sites in 15 states, delivering pathology results in 30 minutes. Pratham Mittal committed a ₹1 Cr allocation at the startup’s stated ₹100 Cr valuation; Ankur Dahiya offered grassroots distribution assistance, product trial support and peer connections while Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma committed mentorship.
JivaScope, a West Bengal-based startup, has built an offline, AI-powered auscultation device that screens for cardiac, respiratory and tuberculosis conditions without internet connectivity. Pratham Mittal extended an invitation to attend a biotech summit in Delhi with a dedicated stall.
These three episodes take the season’s roster of featured startups further into water-tech, climate innovation, agri-hardware, edtech and healthtech, reflecting the breadth of Vande Bharatam’s more than 26,000 applicants from across India and the world. The season builds toward its Grand Finale on 17 September, where the winners will receive a ₹2 Cr cash prize backed by Adani Group.
