Nilansh Gupta and Archit Dhir on stage at Innopreneurs Season 12, Viksit Bharat Conclave Nagpur.
Quick Answer
Innopreneurs Season 12 is the twelfth edition of India's national innovation programme by Lemon Ideas, founded by Deepak Menaria in Nagpur. From 2,500 applications, only 10 were named the Top 10 Innovations of India and presented at the Viksit Bharat Conclave at RTMNU Nagpur (April 10–11, 2026). Nimitai was one of those 10, facilitated on stage by Maharashtra Education Minister Pankaj Bhoyar.
Key Takeaways
- 0.4% selection rate — 2,500 → 1,200 → 500 → 100 → 25 → 10
- Union Minister Nitin Gadkari wrote a letter appreciating the cohort
- Maharashtra Education Minister Pankaj Bhoyar facilitated all 10 finalists on stage
- Met 24+ investors including Ind44 Capital, Enrisson India Capital, Fluid Ventures
- Pitched live AI demo to 400+ people and a panel of 5 judges
What Is Innopreneurs Season 12 by Lemon Ideas?
Innopreneurs is a national innovation programme organised by Lemon Ideas, a Nagpur-based entrepreneurship organisation founded by Deepak Menaria. Now in its 12th season, it evaluates early-stage startups from across India through a multi-stage selection process and names 10 as the Top 10 Innovations of India.
Season 12 culminated in the Viksit Bharat Conclave at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) on April 10–11, 2026 — organised with VED Council (Vidarbha Economic Development Council). Union Minister Nitin Gadkari wrote an appreciation letter, and Maharashtra Education Minister Pankaj Bhoyar personally facilitated all finalists on stage. The event is part of the broader Viksit Bharat 2047 initiative by the Government of India.
2,500 → 10: The Selection Journey
Selection rate: 0.4% — fewer than 1 in 250 applicants
We had been building Nimitai quietly for most of 2025 — analysing hundreds of B2B sales calls, interviewing founders about where deals broke down. When the Innopreneurs selection came through, it validated months of work we had done largely out of view.
The Pitch: 400 People, 5 Judges, Live AI Demo
The pitch happened in the main auditorium at RTMNU Nagpur — packed with 400+ people. Five jury members sat in front. We did not just present slides. We ran a live demo of Nimitai's AI agent — real-time conversation analysis, buyer intent signals, and the research agent in action. No safety net.
The Q&A was intense. Judges drilled into user metrics, accuracy, and go-to-market strategy. Dr. Vishesh Kasliwal (Medyseva) pushed us on numbers. Sagar Bhajani (Khichadiwala) reframed how we think about pivoting. Akash Kirtane (Acube AI) told us to go deeper on research every single day.
"Pivot is not the end; it is the next step ahead." — Sagar Bhajani, Co-founder of Khichadiwala
Watch the full interview: Nilansh explains Nimitai at Innopreneurs Season 12 on YouTube.
Key People We Met at Innopreneurs Season 12
VCs, judges, industry leaders, and the Lemon Ideas team — prioritised by the depth of interaction and impact on our journey.
Dr. Abhay Deshmukh
Director, Incubation Foundation
The single most impactful conversation of the event. Spent a full hour with us on day two, breaking down how we should position Nimitai — not around features, but around the emotional pain sales leaders feel when deals slip away. Reframed our entire go-to-market thinking.
"Focus on emotional needs over just functional needs."
Deepak Menaria
Founder & Chief Idea Farmer, Lemon Ideas
The architect of Innopreneurs. Personally connected us with VCs, introduced us to the right people in the room, and provided strategic guidance that went far beyond the competition itself.
Amit Singal
Partner, Fluid Ventures & Indicorn Angels
VC investor (fluidvc.in), head judge, and guest speaker. One of the most active investors in the room — engaged with multiple startups and gave pointed feedback.
"He appreciates our ideas."
Harsh Deodhar
Principal, Enrisson India Capital
Venture capitalist and guest speaker. Gave direct feedback during the lunch session on what institutional VCs look for in early-stage AI startups.
"You are doing well. Keep it up."
Yaseen Shareef
Venture Partner, Ind44 Capital
Jury member for the final-stage pitch evaluation. Had a detailed post-event conversation about Nimitai and the conversation intelligence market in India.
Dr. Vishesh Kasliwal
Founder, Medysense Technologies
Judge who drilled into metrics, user count, and product accuracy during our pitch. His clinical precision in questioning pushed us to tighten our numbers.
"Work on accuracy and improve user numbers."
Sagar Bhajani
Co-founder, Khichdiwala
Judge for the pitch round. A founder who built Khichdiwala from scratch — his advice on pivoting came from lived experience, not theory. One of the most quotable people at the event.
"Pivot is not the end; it is the next step ahead."
Rina Sinha
President, Vidarbha Economic Development Council
President of VED Council — the co-organiser of Innopreneurs Season 12. Discussed how Nimitai could fit into the broader Vidarbha business ecosystem and offered to make introductions.
"She loved the idea and wants to connect."
Shreyas Ugemuge
Chief of Staff, Vidarbha Infotech
One of the youngest leaders at the event. Provided sharp startup insights and connected us with the Vidarbha tech community. His encouragement was genuine and specific.
"He appreciated us and wished us good luck."
Ravi Kumar
Founder, UdChalo / VR BIKE
Built UdChalo (udchalo.com — defence personnel travel platform) into a well-known brand. Offered to make introductions and discussed founder-to-founder challenges.
"He loves the idea and will connect to help."
Akash Kirtane
CTO, Acube AI
AI industry leader who gave us technical guidance during the pitch discussion. His advice to do deep research every day became a team mantra.
"Stick to it and do deep research daily."
Vilas Kale
Past President, VED Council
Guest speaker on building stable companies. Decades of business experience distilled into advice that was direct and memorable.
"Be strong at your last point."
Mukesh Ashar
Director, Lemon School of Entrepreneurship
Runs the Lemon School of Entrepreneurship under Lemon Ideas. Supportive throughout and offered ongoing mentorship.
"You are doing good and keep working on that."
Deepak Menaria and Lemon Ideas
No coverage of Innopreneurs is complete without Deepak Menaria. He built Lemon Ideas and Innopreneurs from the ground up in Nagpur, and over 12 seasons it has become one of the most competitive startup programmes in India.
Lemon Ideas also runs the Lemon School of Entrepreneurship (directed by Mukesh Ashar). For Season 12, it partnered with VED Council and brought government ministers, VCs from firms like Fluid Ventures, and industry leaders under one roof at RTMNU Nagpur. Deepak personally connected us with investors and gave strategic guidance that went well beyond the competition itself.
Everyone Else We Met
Founders, speakers, and professionals from across the Innopreneurs Season 12 ecosystem — 24 people total.
| Name | Role & Company | Discussion Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Bibhuti Anand | Founder, vitt.ai | Spoke about sales mindset — "In a startup, everyone is a salesperson and marketing person." |
| Bibhuti Dash | Founder & CEO, LOUOJ | Shared his vision on building a marketplace model at scale. |
| Dilip Kamdar | Co-founder, Naivedyam Hospitality | Guest speaker seeking investment. Inspired the team to think bigger. |
| Vimal Panjwani | Founder & CEO, AgriVijay | Listened to our Nimitai pitch on day one and appreciated the AI approach to sales. |
| Shiv Varun Singh Rajput | Founder & CEO, Nautical Wings Aerospace | Fellow Top 10 cohort member — aerospace startup building in defence tech. |
| Vamsi Udayagiri | Founder & CEO, HESA | Rural commerce founder in the cohort. Discussed distribution challenges in Tier 3+ India. |
| Kanikka Dewani | Founder & CEO, Mintree Cosmetics | Post-lunch conversation on day one about D2C and brand building. |
| Madhur Rathi | Co-founder, Recycle Bell / Econiture | Sustainability-focused startup. Discussed circular economy models. |
| Krishnkant Chaturvedi | Founder, Kommon School | Edtech founder reimagining school education. Exchanged notes on AI in education. |
| Rahul Joshi | Co-founder & CEO, Techdome | Day one meeting — shared technology insights and discussed similar AI architectures. |
| Devendra Jahagirdar | CEO, Drive-Tech Intelligence | Guest speaker and panelist — told us "Keep it going. You're doing great work." |
| Dr. Shri Ramjee Pallela | Sr. Consultant, ISBA | Guest speaker on strategic investing. Admired our approach and encouraged us to keep going. |
| Dushyant Deshpande | Director, Vidarbha Defense Industrial Hub | Day one guest speaker. Appreciated our idea during the lunch interaction. |
| Abin Alexander | Director & Founder, Join Habibi | Met end of day one. Expressed interest in Nimitai's avatar module for his business. |
| Danish Ali | Founder & CEO, Dialit CRM | Curious about Nimitai's product — discussed potential CRM integration possibilities. |
| Akiev Samson | Director, San Industries | Loved the Researcher and prep agents. Discussed AI automation for industrial workflows. |
| Pranay Rokde | Director, EEC Exports Pvt. Ltd. | Day two post-ceremony. Said he is ready to onboard Nimitai as a service for his export business. |
| Vikram Gandhe | Winner, MasterChef India 2026 | Day two guest speaker. Shared his journey from cooking passion to entrepreneurship. |
| Dr. Chandra Mishra | Founder & CEO, Beggars Corp | Social enterprise founder in the cohort. Discussed impact-driven business models. |
| Poonam Menaria | Counsellor, Lighthouse People | Mental health startup. Discussed founder mental health challenges in early-stage companies. |
| Vaishnav C H | Co-founder & CBO, Aviotron Aerospace | Aerospace and drone technology startup in the cohort. Exchanged notes on deep-tech fundraising. |
| Devendra Parekh | Past President, VED Council | Day one guest speaker on startup success and building discipline as a founder. |
| Kaustubh Chavhan | Mgmt. Trainee, Sakal Media Group | Media professional. Loved the idea and discussed potential media coverage opportunities. |
| Shri Sanjay Ingale | Marketing Head, MADC | Government representative from Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation. |
Recognition: Top 10 Innovations of India
On the final day, Maharashtra Education Minister Pankaj Bhoyar personally facilitated all 10 finalists on stage. Our name was called. We walked up. The recognition validated that the problem Nimitai solves — helping sales teams understand why deals are lost — is recognised as one of the most important innovation challenges in India.
We left Nagpur with 24+ investor conversations in progress, strategic introductions, and a clearer picture of where Nimitai fits in the national startup landscape.
For Founders Applying to Innopreneurs
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Written by
Nilansh Gupta
Co-founder & CEO, Nimitai
Nilansh spent 6 months analyzing 350+ real B2B sales calls before founding Nimitai. He previously built Digitalpatron.in, a CRO consultancy for SaaS companies. Nimitai is incubated at IIT Ropar Technology Business Incubator and was named in India's Top 10 Innovations at Innopreneurs Season 12 by Lemon Ideas.
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