WhatsApp launches start-up challenge in India

Facebook owned WhatsApp announced a ‘Startup India-WhatsApp Grand Challenge’ in partnership with Invest India to enhance the country’s entrepreneurial and small business community growth. Through this challenge, the company will award five winning start-ups a grant of US$50 000 each. The themes for the start-up challenge vary between healthcare, rural economy, financial and digital inclusion, education, and citizen safety. ‘Entrepreneurs with highly innovative ideas, business models that solve for a local India problem, making a large scale socio-economic impact, are invited to apply,’ WhatsApp highlighted in a press release. The last day to register for the challenge is March 10.