Patna: Bihar’s startup ecosystem has received a national boost with Navmarg Research and Innovation Private Limited, a Patna-based startup, securing a place among the 54 finalists selected from 26,000 participants in the nationwide Vande Bharatam entrepreneurship and innovation campaign.
The startup’s selection has brought attention to Bihar’s growing focus on innovation and technology-led solutions. Its co-founders, Arpit Kumar and Abhijit Kumar, have also received an opportunity to participate in a 10-day special mentorship programme under the Vande Bharatam initiative.
Patna Startup Makes It to National Platform
Navmarg Research and Innovation has represented Bihar on the national platform through Vande Bharatam, a nationwide entrepreneurship and innovation campaign launched by Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani.
The campaign aims to identify promising innovations and business ideas emerging from different parts of the country, particularly those developing at the grassroots level. It seeks to encourage such ideas and provide them with national-level visibility and support.
Out of around 26,000 participants, only 54 were selected as finalists. Navmarg Research and Innovation’s inclusion among them has placed the Bihar startup in the national innovation spotlight.
The achievement has also been viewed in the context of the state’s efforts to encourage entrepreneurship under the leadership of Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and the guidance of Industries Minister Shreyasi Singh.
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Startup Working on Groundwater Pollution
Founded in 2023 in Phulwarisharif, Navmarg Research and Innovation is working on an innovative technology designed to remove toxic elements and heavy metals from groundwater.
The startup is focusing on one of the major challenges associated with water quality — contamination caused by harmful substances present in groundwater.
Its technology aims to effectively remove these contaminants and make groundwater safer. The approach is being developed as a potential technological response to the wider challenge of water security.
By working on groundwater treatment, the startup is linking entrepreneurship with an environmental and public-interest challenge.
Founder’s Focus on Environmental Solutions
Akshat Adarsh, founder of Navmarg Research and Innovation Private Limited, pursued his education at NIT before deciding to work on solutions to environmental and technological challenges.
With the goal of making groundwater free from harmful contaminants, he developed the technology around which the startup is now building its work.
The company’s journey from Phulwarisharif to a national innovation platform highlights how local startups can develop technology-focused solutions around challenges affecting communities and the environment.
The national recognition has consequently brought wider attention to the startup’s work and Bihar’s emerging innovation ecosystem.
₹10 Lakh Support Under Bihar Startup Policy
The startup has also received financial support under the Bihar Startup Policy 2022, implemented through the Industries Department.
Under the policy, ₹10 lakh in total assistance has been approved for Navmarg Research and Innovation. Of this amount, the startup has already received the first instalment of ₹4 lakh.
The financial assistance is intended to support the startup’s development and has played an important role in helping it move forward with its innovation-focused work.
The combination of policy support, entrepreneurial initiative and national-level mentorship provides the startup with additional opportunities to develop its technology and strengthen its operations.
10-Day Mentorship Opportunity
The selection in Vande Bharatam has also opened a new learning opportunity for the startup’s leadership.
Co-founders Arpit Kumar and Abhijit Kumar have been selected for a 10-day special mentorship programme under the campaign.
Such a programme can provide an opportunity for the founders to gain exposure to entrepreneurial guidance, innovation networks and national-level perspectives as they work to take their technology forward.
For a startup operating in the environmental technology space, this exposure can also help strengthen its understanding of business development and the broader ecosystem surrounding innovation.
A Sign of Bihar’s Emerging Startup Ecosystem
Navmarg Research and Innovation’s national recognition comes as Bihar continues to support young entrepreneurs through its startup policy framework.
The startup’s journey demonstrates how financial assistance and institutional support can combine with an innovation-driven idea to create opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
Its work on groundwater contamination also highlights the potential of startups to address environmental challenges through technology rather than focusing only on conventional commercial products and services.
The recognition of Navmarg Research and Innovation at the national level gives Bihar’s young innovators another example of how ideas developed locally can reach wider platforms.
For the state’s startup ecosystem, the achievement represents the growing visibility of Bihar-based entrepreneurs and their efforts to develop solutions around environmental, technological and social challenges.
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