Tribal Business Conclave Open Grand Challenge

Ministry of Tribal Affairs invites DPIIT-recognised startups to solve healthcare, education, and livelihood challenges for tribal communities — ₹12 lakh prize pool.

Tribal Business Conclave Open Grand Challenge is a national innovation competition launched by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, in collaboration with Startup India. The challenge calls upon DPIIT-recognised startups to develop innovative, contextual, and scalable solutions addressing the most pressing developmental challenges faced by India's tribal communities across three critical sectors: healthcare, education, and livelihoods.

Who Should Apply All DPIIT-recognised startups are eligible — at any stage from Ideation to Scaling. A wide range of domains are relevant, including AI, computer vision, agriculture, fintech, green technology, and enterprise software. Founders do not need to be from a Scheduled Tribe background; the challenge is explicitly open to all recognised startups.

Themes & Problem Statements Three core problem areas define this challenge

• Healthcare: Build inclusive, accessible, and culturally attuned healthcare solutions for tribal regions — addressing infrastructural gaps, strengthening healthcare human resources, and improving health-seeking behaviour through community-driven and technology-enabled interventions.
• Education: Develop innovative solutions for recruiting, training, and retaining a skilled teaching workforce in tribal areas, including capacity-building tools and platforms for educators.
• Livelihoods: Create solutions that build a resilient and sustainable livelihood ecosystem for tribal communities — improving market access, access to credit, value addition, and design support for tribal artisans and entrepreneurs.
• Format & Timeline This is a portal-based submission challenge run through the official Startup India platform.
• Applications open May 1, 2026 and close June 15, 2026.
• Results will be announced on July 10, 2026.
• Three winning startups will receive monetary incentives from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Prizes Total prize pool of ₹12,00,000 distributed across three winners

• Eligibility All DPIIT-recognised startups across India are eligible to apply, regardless of founding team background.
• Open to startups at Ideation, Validation, Early Traction, and Scaling stages.
• How to Apply Apply through the official Startup India portal. Registration closes June 15, 2026.