Empowering ideas- My journey through the iStart Rajasthan Acceleration Program

In January 2025, I was selected for an extraordinary opportunity that would shape my entrepreneurial journey: the iStart Acceleration Program, organized by the Government of Rajasthan. As the flagship initiative for promoting startups in the state, iStart invited applications from across Rajasthan, aiming to identify and support the next generation of changemakers.

Out of hundreds of applicants, only 100 startup founders were chosen after a rigorous multi-stage evaluation. I was humbled and proud to be one of them. I knew these five weeks would be spread from mid-January to early March 2025 and that I would have to maintain a fine balance between my academics and the online masterclasses of the program. I was determined to do both!

Five weeks of learning, growth, and transformation

The program was a five-week immersive experience, filled with masterclasses, mentoring sessions, and hands-on training in essential startup building blocks:

• Identifying real-world problems

• Designing effective and innovative solutions

• Conducting market research

• Creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

• Building a sustainable revenue model

• Perfecting the art of pitching to investors

Each session was guided by experienced mentors, industry professionals, and successful entrepreneurs, offering us invaluable insights not typically found in textbooks or classrooms.

The grand finale – A celebration of innovation

After weeks of intense work, 25 founders, including myself, were selected to pitch our startups before a high-profile jury. This jury included investors, government officials, industry leaders, and stakeholders from the startup ecosystem.

The final event was hosted on March 27th and 28th, 2025, and drew over 1,000 attendees, including numerous other startup teams, enablers, and ecosystem builders. The atmosphere was electric, a perfect celebration of youth, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Standing on that stage and sharing about the journey of my startup Naayika, an AI-powered chatbot that guides women entrepreneurs to access the right government loan schemes, was one of the most thrilling and rewarding moments of my life!

An honour to remember

Out of the 25 finalists, five founders were selected as winners. I am honoured to share that I was one of them.

Even more unforgettable was the moment when I received the award from Shri Rajyavardhan Rathore, Hon’ble Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs, and Information Technology, Government of Rajasthan. His words of encouragement and recognition were a huge source of inspiration.

This moment, now captured on YouTube and shared widely, represents not just a personal win, but a symbol of what is possible when young people are given the right platform, mentorship, and support.

What I learned and what I want others to know

This experience taught me that age is not a barrier to entrepreneurship, mindset is. Whether you are 16 or 60, what matters most is:

• Solving a real problem

• Listening to your users

• Starting small and growing with feedback

• Learning to communicate your vision effectively

• And staying resilient, even when things feel uncertain

The iStart program did not just accelerate my startup, rather it accelerated my growth as a founder, a learner, and a changemaker.

Looking ahead

As I continue to build and improve my startup, I carry forward the lessons, connections, and confidence this program has given me. I am deeply grateful to the Government of Rajasthan and the iStart team for creating such a visionary platform for young innovators like me.

To every student or aspiring entrepreneur reading this, you do not need to wait for the "right time." The time is now.