India Mobile Congress will host the first India edition of the Startup World Cup from October 8 to 11 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi. The startup contest forms a part of IMC’s Aspire programme, which focuses on early-stage innovation, placing young ventures and new ideas at the centre of the multi-day schedule.
Event timeline and venue
The India edition of the Startup World Cup is scheduled to run over four days, from October 8 to 11, at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi. The choice of a multi-day window suggests the contest will be embedded within the wider activities taking place at India Mobile Congress across the same period. With the dates and the venue publicly stated, the event timeline provides a clear frame for participants and observers to align their plans around the proceedings at Yashobhoomi, where the startup-focused activities are set to be conducted under the IMC umbrella.
Debut India edition
Hosting the first India edition of the Startup World Cup within India Mobile Congress underscores the event’s introduction to a new national setting. The debut marks the formal arrival of the contest in India, aligning the competition with one of the country’s prominent technology gatherings. By anchoring the contest within IMC, the organisers have positioned the premiere edition in a well-defined forum with a fixed location and timeline in New Delhi. This debut framework allows the contest to launch in a structured environment, with clear dates, venue, and an established event ecosystem surrounding it.
Role within IMC’s Aspire programme
The startup contest sits under IMC’s Aspire programme, which focuses on early-stage innovation. Embedding the competition within Aspire links the Startup World Cup to a specific initiative that emphasises the initial phases of venture development. This association signals that the contest’s objectives are aligned with fostering young ventures and ideas that are still at an early stage. By locating the competition within Aspire, IMC has indicated the thematic orientation guiding the selection and activities, foregrounding early-stage innovation as the lens through which this India edition is being framed during the October schedule.
Emphasis on early-stage innovation
The Aspire programme’s stated focus on early-stage innovation sets the tone for the Startup World Cup’s India debut. Early-stage innovation often centres on formative concepts, first products, and foundational business models, and the contest’s placement within this focus implies that its spotlight will remain on nascent solutions and teams. By highlighting early-stage priorities, the programme offers a clearly articulated emphasis for the four-day window at Yashobhoomi. This thematic clarity helps frame expectations around the kind of innovation that will be showcased during the event dates, while keeping the attention on the earliest steps of venture-building.
Outlook for the October showcase
With the dates and venue confirmed, attention now turns to the Startup World Cup’s inaugural presence in India as part of IMC. The New Delhi setting at Yashobhoomi and the four-day duration provide a concise structure for the contest’s activities under the Aspire programme. As the event approaches, the alignment between the Startup World Cup and IMC’s early-stage orientation offers a clear narrative: a multi-day platform in October dedicated to emerging ideas. The confirmed schedule provides a definitive anchor for participants and audiences tracking the debut edition in India.