Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday launched the ‘India WaterPitch-Pilot-Scale Start-up Challenge’, under which the government will select 100 start-ups and they will be provided with Rs 20 lakh each as funding support as well as mentorship, a statement said.

According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the new initiative aims at empowering start-ups in the water sector to grow through innovation and design that will drive sustainable economic growth and generate employment opportunities.

The initiative was launched at an event here by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri under the ministry’s Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0.

Puri emphasised on the important role being played by the start-ups and assured them of full and active support from the government, according to a statement from the ministry.

“Start-ups are the flavour of the season, as the number of ‘unicorns’ in the country has jumped, by leaps and bounds,” the minister said.

He said that the success of the government’s schemes hinges, to a large extent, to the role and contribution of stakeholders and others in the ecosystem, adding that the stakeholders’ responses in the water sector are crucial for formulating government programmes.

Puri said AMRUT 2.0 is a transformative and unique scheme, with a huge outlay of over Rs 2.77 lakh crore. He said that the scheme will ensure water security in the country, reduce its transportation costs, reduce groundwater contamination, and increase water utilisation capacity.

The Union minister also said that for the success of the mission, start-ups will have to play a meaningful role by bringing in innovative ideas, technology, novel delivery mechanisms, etc.

At the event, several start-ups from various parts of the country engaged in water gave their presentations with innovative ideas and cutting edge technologies, the statement mentioned.

The minister and other officials also saw the exhibition on the water sector, organised by various stakeholders engaged in water management, it added.

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