The world’s largest entrepreneurial train journey, the Jagriti Express, arrived in Kochi for the first time in its 18 year history. Participants were welcomed at the Kerala Startup Mission where CEO Anoop Ambika addressed them.
The 15 day journey brings together 525 young social and entrepreneurial changemakers from across India. Launched in 2008, the Jagriti Yatra begins in Mumbai each year, travels more than 8000 kilometers through twelve key destinations across the country, and returns to Mumbai.
Kochi and the Kerala Startup Mission were included in the route to highlight the state’s growing startup ecosystem. At an event held at the Digital Hub in Kalamassery, KSUM CEO Anoop Ambika and Jagriti Yatra board member Sunil Pangorker participated. Ambika spoke about how Kerala has become one of India’s most active startup hubs and explained the various support programs offered by the state and central governments.
Kerala now has over 7500 startups. The state is focusing on deep tech, product development, and service innovation. Ambika said that traditional sectors like ports, space, healthcare, creative economy, and renewable energy will remain important but Kerala’s greatest potential lies in deep tech.
Jagriti Yatra CEO Ashutosh Kumar said the visit to Kerala Startup Mission gave participants a chance to see how innovation is shaping India’s future. He added that Kerala’s world class infrastructure shows its commitment to turning strong ideas into successful products.
The train reached Kochi from Hubballi in Karnataka and will continue through Madurai, Sri City, Visakhapatnam, Behrampur, Nalanda, Deoria, Delhi, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad before returning to Mumbai.
Over the past twenty years, Jagriti Yatra has inspired more than 9000 young Indians to become entrepreneurs and nation builders. About 28 percent of past participants have started ventures in education, healthcare, sustainability, and technology, carrying forward the spirit of innovation and transformation across India.
