“Your Idea Can Help India Realize Its True Rubber Potential” is a national-level innovation challenge launched on the Startup India platform in collaboration with the Rubber Research Institute of India and MRF MCC. The goal of this challenge is to bring new, affordable, and scalable solutions that can transform the way India manages its rubber plantations. Participants have a golden chance to solve real problems faced by farmers, reduce manual labor through technology, and make rubber plantations more sustainable. The winners will receive a ₹50,000 cash prize along with incubation support to turn their ideas into reality.
About the Program:
India’s rubber plantation sector holds enormous potential but continues to face challenges such as labor shortages, low productivity, and limited use of modern technology. This challenge is an effort to address those gaps. Participants are invited to design low-cost automation solutions, create digital tools or portals that make it easier for farmers to register their requirements, and propose ways to boost overall plantation efficiency.
The program will not only provide financial rewards but also mentorship and incubation support, ensuring that the best ideas don’t just stay on paper but actually reach the ground and create impact. By connecting innovators with industry experts and investors, this initiative aims to drive meaningful change in the agriculture and rubber sector.
Who Can Participate?
This challenge is open to a wide audience, including:
- Individuals with innovative and practical ideas.
- Startups at different stages from ideation and validation to early traction and scaling.
- Innovators with software development skills or expertise in agricultural automation.
- The program welcomes solutions from across the agriculture, enterprise software, and social impact sectors, ensuring a diverse pool of ideas.
Important Dates:
Application Start Date: 15th September 2025
Application End Date: 15th December 2025
Result Announcement: 31st December 2025
Participants are encouraged to submit their ideas early so that proposals can be reviewed, shortlisted, and refined if required.
Problem Statement:
India’s rubber industry is highly dependent on manual tapping, which is both time-consuming and expensive. There is also a shortage of skilled labor in the sector. Moreover, the use of modern tools and technology for plantation management is still minimal. The challenge is to create affordable, easy-to-use, and scalable solutions that reduce manual dependency, improve yield, and empower farmers with better access to resources and support.
Evaluation Criteria:
Proposals will be judged based on innovation, feasibility, impact, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and the clarity of the plan. Well-documented ideas with clear execution roadmaps will have a higher chance of selection.
Recognition:
Winners will receive a ₹50,000 cash prize and incubation support from the Rubber Research Institute of India and MRF MCC. This also opens doors for networking, collaboration, and exposure to industry experts who can help scale solutions to reach more farmers.
- This challenge is more than a contest, it is an opportunity to transform India’s rubber plantation sector. If you have the skills and creativity to design impactful, practical, and scalable solutions, this is your moment. Submit your entry before 15th December 2025, and you could be part of the team shaping the future of Indian agriculture and making a lasting social impact.
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