The term ‘startup’ has been doing the rounds for quite some time now. In recent years, popular lexicon has made startups synonymous with tech companies, which they clearly aren’t. Dictionaries define startups as “a business or undertaking that has recently begun operation.” The Indian government defines a startup as “an entity less than seven years young with an annual turnover of less than 250 million rupees and headquartered in India”. But entrepreneurs have time and again contradicted these definitions. To entrepreneurs, being a startup is a way of life. Quoting Adora Cheung, Co-founder & CEO, Homejoy, “Startup is a state of mind”.

India has become a haven for business innovation: It is the third largest startup ecosystem in the world. And it is no safe business to innovate and solve problems, like Neil Blumenthal, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Warby Parker rightly said, “A startup is a company working to solve a problem where the solution is not obvious and success is not guaranteed.”  With their out-of-the box solutions, startups are changing not just the fabric of business globally, but also our lifestyles. Retail startups are no different. They are changing the way India consumes.

To acknowledge and appreciate the daring feats of retail startups, Retailers Association of India institutionalised what has now become a beacon that inspires new entrepreneurs to dream, dare and innovate. This award puts up and coming retailers on the map, giving them industry exposure and the chance to meet and be critiqued by stalwarts. The awards are given away during a gala ceremony at the Retail Leadership Summit, India’s largest knowledge-sharing platform by the industry and for the industry, which houses the who’s who of retail over a span of two days.

Are you the next big thing? Are you the best retail startup in India? Come test your mettle at Retail Startup Awards 2020.

How to apply?

• Click here and fill the entry form with all the accurate details.
  
  

Eligibility criteria:

• The startup should be a legal entity that has been in business for at least one year and not more than seven years.
• Applicant/s must be Indian nationals who are residents of India and must be above 18 years of age.
• The start-up should be directly or indirectly involved in retail, either offline or online.
• The solution should be innovative, add value to customers and be commercial.
• The solution should be beyond the idea stage, address a clear opportunity, and have a scalable transactional model.
  
  

Any other criteria as decided by the Awards Jury.

Decision of RAI jury regarding terms and conditions, eligibility and selection will be deemed final.

Awards Process

• First level screening
• Last date for entries 31st January 2020.
• Preliminary Jury will shortlist 10 entries.
• Shortlisted 10 startups will give 8 minutes’ presentation (5 minutes presentation and 3 minutes Q&A) on 26th February 2020.
• Top 3 startups will be awarded on 26th February 2020
  
  

Please note:

• This award is only for retail companies and not for retail technology companies i.e. for retailers and not for service providers, for retail technology startups check out: https://retechcon.com/retech-startup-awards-2019/
• Companies should be B2C companies and not B2B companies i.e. must sell products directly to the end-consumer and not to other businesses.
  
  

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