New Delhi: ShopClues, India’s first and largest managed marketplace recently organized the third phase of ShopClues’ Next Big e-Preneur Challenge.
Announced in October 2015, ShopClues’ Next Big e-Preneur Challenge is a platform to enable budding and established entrepreneurs to showcase their business ideas, brainstorm over them with leading entrepreneurs of the country, and receive feedback.
The shortlisted participants were invited for the final event at The Westin, Gurgaon in order to present their ideas to the founding team. Ornativa, a fashion jewellery start-up, won the award for the Next Big E-commerce Idea.
Ornativa is jewellery brand designed to become the market leader in Web based sales of unique designer fashion jewellery, accessories with a strong focus on quality and affordability.
The first runners up of the event were Pepper Agro, an urban gardening and agriculture venture, launched by Titus John and Sunimol John and Glam Studio, a brand of technology driven affordable salons founded by Sadiya Naseem; followed by Scrapify, a start-up that aims to make scrap selling transparent and hassle-free, founded by Arihant Karnawat.
The winners were also awarded with ShopClues – UpGrad Entrepreneur Scholarships in association with UpGrad, India’s leading industry-centric e-learning platform.
ShopClues’ Next Big e-Preneur Challenge was divided into three phases. The initial phase attracted a total of 1000 entries from 40 cities across India. A manifestation of ShopClues’ overpowering reach in tier II and tier III geographies, a majority of the entries received by ShopClues were from these areas.
Out of the initial entries, 199 were shortlisted during the second phase of the competition after an in-depth analysis of the detailed business plans shared by each participant from different segments. Each segment catered to selling unique products and introducing new e-commerce models/marketplaces, including online services, customised clothing, healthcare and financial services etc.
“The kind of ideas and novel concepts that we have come across during the ‘Next Big e-Preneur Challenge’ have been truly exceptional and overwhelming. It’s indeed heartening to see that the next clutch of entrepreneurs in India are really pushing the envelope of innovation and are also carefully looking at execution and profitability. I believe that challenges such as these are an ideal way to encourage fresh approach and help bolster the enthusiasm that is already present in India’s start-up world,” said Founder of ShopClues and Droom, Sandeep Aggarwal.
“We are pleased to reach the concluding juncture of our Next Big e-Preneur Challenge. As one of the most significant and game-changing e-commerce ventures in India, we believe it is our onus to give entrepreneurship in the country a boost. All the entries we received were promising in their own way, and they made it apparent that the Indian business eco-system as a whole is moving towards a more vibrant, innovative and solution-centric future,” said Co-Founder and CEO ShopClues, Sanjay Sethi.
“The environment has become much more competitive and one needs to possess substantial ideas in hand to have an edge over others. Events like these are a part of the process of getting the right exposure to explore, express and understand where you belong in the startup community,” said Senior Anchor and Editor at Bloomberg TV, Abha Bakaya. (ANI)