Biggest Entrepreneurship Conclave in Delhi/NCR was High on Josh!!!

eChai was one of the community partners for Headstart Delhi's Biggest Entrepreneurship Conclave in Delhi/NCR - the 125th edition of Startup Saturday.

Headstart Network Foundation is one of India's oldest and largest startup ecosystem development organizations. Established in 2007, they have been chasing the vision 'changing the world with entrepreneurship' ever since.

A not-for-profit organization, almost entirely volunteer-driven, they have helped numerous startups showcase their offerings and get feedback on their products, facilitated tens of thousands of connections to potential co-founders, customers, vendors, mentors, investors, and employees. They are all in it for the love of building and sustaining communities. Headstart volunteers are a passionate bunch - entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship enthusiasts, with a fervent desire and commitment to being change agents.

On 18th May, Delhi Chapter of Headstart Network Foundation celebrated 125th edition of Startup Saturday, their flagship initiative, that happens across multiple Indian cities on the 2nd Saturday of every month, on a particular theme which typically includes expert talks on a focused subject, panel discussions, startup pitches and demos.

You can also check out the contextually curated highlights from social media about #SSDelhi125 here.

While Delhi Chapter has been in existence for more than a decade now fostering entrepreneurship, but there was a different energy at India Islamic Cultural Center last Saturday. 20+ volunteers of Headstart Delhi and Headstart Gurgaon worked tirelessly to bring the best of startup ecosystem in Delhi/NCR under one roof with 400+ young aspiring and existing entrepreneurs, 30+ partners supporting the initiative, a power-packed agenda and a stellar line-up of 30+ speakers, jury and investors including, Dinesh Agarwal (Founder and CEO, IndiaMART), Abhiraj Bahl (Co-Founder, UrbanClap), Sairee Chahal (Founder, and CEO, SHEROES), Upasana Taku (Co-Founder, MobiKwik), Syna Dehnugara (Features Editor at CNBC-TV18 & Co-author of Young Turks), Padmaja Ruparel (Co-Founder at Indian Angel Network & Founding Partner of IAN Fund) and others sharing their entrepreneurial journey.

And this is not all, top 10 startups from Delhi/NCR battled to find the spot among top 3 startups at Kickstart - a closed-door pitching session where pre-selected start-ups selected from 200+ applications were invited to pitch in front of a panel of investors. Top Kickstart finalists include - Asha Didi, Funnearn, Gigzo, Secondhandkart.com (in no particular order).

Journey for Headstart continues, with the grand success of their Delhi Chapter the entire organization is now getting themselves ready for Headstart X - a celebration of the spirit of #PayingItForward as NATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONCLAVE happening on 8th June at IIIT Hyderabad with more excitement, representation from 20+ cities across India, power speakers/talks, mentor sessions, startups pitches, investors, hands-on workshops.

You can also check out the contextually curated highlights from social media about #SSDelhi125 here.

We had also hosted the pre-event #SSDel125 TweetChat with Arpit Agarwal (Principal, Blume Ventures) and Amit Singh (MD, Headstart Network Foundation). You can read the complete summary here.


Startup Stream

The eChai Effect - In Their Words

"eChai has played a truly pivotal role in HummingBird’s journey — even before Day Zero. From ideation to establishment and into growth, it’s been a constant source of support. It connected me with incredible people who’ve become more than just friends. One of the biggest reasons I chose to stay in Ahmedabad is because of the eChai community. It has shaped my growth — both personally and professionally — in ways that are hard to articulate. Honestly, words fall short when I try to express what eChai means to me. I’m deeply thankful and forever grateful to eChai for being such an integral part of my journey."
Harsha Bhurani - Founder, HummingBird Consulting Group
Harsha Bhurani
Founder, HummingBird Consulting Group
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Sahil Shah - Founder- Hungrito & Netsavvies. Digital Marketing Evangelist
Sahil Shah
Founder- Hungrito & Netsavvies. Digital Marketing Evangelist
"eChai isn’t just a startup community … it’s a mindset . eChai has been one of the most impactful communities in my entrepreneurial journey. It’s been a turning point . In a world where building something can often feel isolating, eChai gave me a sense of belonging. I’ve found mentors, collaborators, and friends here — people who genuinely want to see you succeed. It’s a space where ideas are challenged, actions are celebrated, and founders grow not just in scale, but in clarity and confidence. From late-night ideas to early-morning pitches, this community has quietly but powerfully shaped the way I build, think, and dream. I’ll always be grateful for the way eChai creates spaces where founders don’t just grow businesses — they grow together."
Koumal Kalantry - Founder, Bignano Ventures
Koumal Kalantry
Founder, Bignano Ventures

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