Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, today announced the winners of two prestigious startup challenges – Avinya’25 and Vasudha – at a special ceremony held at ONGC headquarters.

The announcement came at the conclusion of “Energize India: Catalyzing Growth Through Startup Innovation”, a high-powered conclave that brought together energy sector veterans, investors, and innovators.

The winners of Avinya’25, India’s premier energy startup competition, was UrjanovaC Pvt Ltd. The runners up were Breathe ESG Private Limited, AgriVijay, Apeiro Energy and UGreen Technology.

For Vasudha, the global startup challenge in upstream oil and gas sector, the winner was Latin Energy Partners Inc., Paraguay and the runner up was Ultrasound Process Consulting LLC, USA

These winning startups emerged from an intensely competitive field – Avinya’25 received 173 applications from across India, while Vasudha attracted global participation in crucial areas including seismic data interpretation, AI applications, and carbon capture technologies.

The winners of the Hackathon were also announced with IIT (ISM) – Dhanbad emerging as the winner and IIT-Guwahati as the runner up.

Addressing the occasion, Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri highlighted the pivotal role of PSUs under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas in fostering innovation through a Rs. 547.35 crore startup fund. Supporting 303 startups with Rs. 286.36 crore, these efforts propel India’s vibrant ecosystem of over 110 unicorns, creating transformative growth and jobs. 

Speaking on the diversification of energy supply sources, Shri Puri noted that India had already embarked on this path. “Earlier, we used to import from 27 countries; now we are sourcing from 39, with discussions underway with a few more,” he said. He emphasized that diversification provides strategic advantages by ensuring a broader geographical spread. “Our imports are guided by fundamental, self-evident principles: we will source energy from wherever it is available at the right price,” he added. 

Regarding the target of achieving 20% ethanol blending, Shri Puri highlighted that India has already reached at 19% blending. Expressing confidence in surpassing the target ahead of schedule, he revealed that discussions have begun on developing a roadmap beyond 20 percent blending.

The day-long “Energize India” conclave featured thought-provoking panel discussions on identifying opportunities in the energy sector, leveraging emerging technologies, and accessing capital for energy startups. Industry leaders shared insights on how startups can contribute to India’s energy transition while maintaining the delicate balance between security, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability.

Speaking at a panel discussion, Shri Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said, “Fossil fuel is not going anywhere in India for the next 25 years. We have several terrabytes of seismic data on our open waters earmarked for exploration. I urge our bright sparks to think about developing solutions to mine through the data and contribute to hydrocarbon exploration efforts.”

Shri S.C.L. Das, Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, stated during the panel discussion alongside Shri Pankaj Jain, “We are trying to develop a system whereby we assess the maturity level of different startups so that the Ministry can cater to their needs in terms of regulatory compliance or access to capital, in collaboration with other central ministries, state governments and local governments.”

The winning startups will receive prominent exposure at India Energy Week 2025, where they will showcase their innovations to over 70,000 energy professionals from 120 countries. The winners will join fourteen public sector undertaking (PSU) startups in a special startup pavilion at IEW 2025, demonstrating the breadth of innovation in India’s energy sector.

These startup challenges are part of India Energy Week 2025, scheduled to be held in New Delhi from February 11-14, 2025. The event has grown significantly from its previous editions in Bangalore and Goa, and will feature over 700 exhibiting companies, 500 speakers, and more than 6,000 delegates.

****

MN

(Release ID: 2097144) Visitor Counter : 713