iCreate launches India’s largest EV innovation challenge EVangelise '23

iCreate (International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology), an innovation-based startup incubator, has launched EVangelise '23, the third edition of India’s largest EV innovation challenge. Jagdish Vishwakarma, Minister of State, Government of Gujarat and Bhupendra Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat were present at the event.

EVangelise '23 will be open to innovators and startups from across India. This year, the challenge aims to encompass various classes of vehicles including heavy electric vehicles, earthmovers, and mining trucks. By involving various universities, colleges, and incubators through roadshows, iCreate aims to scout for and help top startups and the brightest innovators forge partnerships with industry-leading brands.

For this edition, iCreate has partnered with esteemed tech innovation hubs such as the TEXMiN Foundation, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Lukasiewicz Research Network in Poland and other scientific research organisations in India. These strategic alliances aim to drive advancements in EV subsystems and explore technology partnerships.

iCreate has also announced the RISC-V Challenge, a hardware development contest through which startups, businesses, students, and technology enthusiasts can showcase their skills and expertise in building applications based on the RISC-V architecture. This will be an open-source development platform that will open up multiple technology use cases that solve India-specific challenges in the EV domain. Up to 10 winners will receive a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh each.

Bhupendra Patel said, “As we embark on a journey towards a cleaner and greener future, the rise of electric mobility plays a pivotal role in shaping our civic mobility and infrastructure, towards the realisation of Atmanirbhar Bharat, as envisioned by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I am confident that through collective efforts and challenges such as EVangelise, India will become a global leader in the electric vehicle industry.”

A panel discussion titled “Steps to Make India a Global Leader in the EV Sector” was held during the launch event. Esteemed panellists from renowned companies such as Matter, Altigreen Propulsion Labs, and LML Emotion shared their insights and expertise on strategic actions and initiatives that India can take in order to achieve a prominent and leading position in the electric vehicle industry worldwide.

EVangelise '23 will have two categories: The idea Stage and the scale-up Stage. Startups at the ideation stage (TRL 4 or below) will have the opportunity to present their concepts and potentially form strategic partnerships with industrial partners. Meanwhile, startups at the scale-up stage (TRL 5 or above) will have the opportunity to connect with venture capital firms to secure the necessary funding for their growth and expansion.

The challenge will conclude in December with a grand finale, featuring an EV Expo, award ceremony, thematic knowledge sessions, masterclasses, and an R&D track showcasing cutting-edge innovations in collaboration with research organisations in India and partner countries.