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 Michelin, the world leader in tyre technology, announced the winners of the Michelin AI Challenge, the first AI challenge in the sector. Launched in collaboration with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), and Startup India, the initiative aims to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the Indian AI startup ecosystem while exposing them to global best practices.

The award ceremony undertaken at IIT Delhi, was honored by the presence of our special guests Mr. Petros Sourmelis, Minister-Counsellor, Delegation of EU to India and Bhutan, Ms. Marie Khater, Deputy Head of the Regional Economic Department for India and South Asia, Embassy of France, Dr. Ambica Rajagopal, Michelin Group's Chief Data and AI Officer, and Mr. Shantanu Deshpande, Managing Director of Michelin India.

During the event, 10 startups pitched their ideas, and Kogo.ai, Prophecy, and Zangoh.ai were recognized for their innovative contributions, learning opportunities to co-build on strategic projects and receive mentorship. The startups were carefully evaluated by a team of Michelin’s AI data scientists, business leaders, product managers and developers. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been signed between Michelin and DPIIT, aimed at fostering sustained innovation and entrepreneurship, while creating an enabling environment for startups to thrive.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Ambica Rajagopal, Michelin Group's Chief Data and AI Officer said " The Michelin AI Startup Challenge is designed to identify and support innovative startups to build solutions using AI agents, LLMs, computer vision, and robotics to enhance manufacturing, product quality, road and pedestrian safety, and how to use AI in a responsible, explainable and ethical way. By leveraging LLMs and generative AI, we are not just automating workflows but enabling intelligent agents to discover optimal paths of action through complex choices. These AI systems are now able to generate insights from distributed knowledge, linking structured and unstructured data to build deeper models of customer behavior. The potential to unlock creativity and innovation has never been greater.”

 Mr. Shantanu Deshpande, Managing Director of Michelin India, said; “At Michelin, our commitment to India is reflected in our decision to establish our AI headquarters in Pune and in our continued partnership with the government through initiatives like the MOU signed with DPIIT. We believe in the power of collaboration, where our global expertise and mentorship, combined with the government's scale and vision, create a win-win scenario. We sincerely extend our gratitude to DPIIT for their invaluable support in making this challenge a success."

 Mr. Petros Sourmelis, Minister-Counsellor, Delegation of EU to India and Bhutan, said; “The AI Challenge is a novel initiative of Michelin that aims to expand Data and AI capabilities and bring innovation to the forefront. That it has received 200+ applications from startups across the country speaks volumes about the interest this program and its themes have generated. I hope this will give a huge spur to industry linked innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.”

 Ms. Marie Khater, Deputy Head of the Regional Economic Department for India and South Asia Embassy of France said; “The work and activities engaged by Michelin in India embodies the profound and concrete partnership that our two countries have on digital technologies. Not only is Michelin an industrial group, one of the leaders in tyre manufacturing but the company is deeply engaged in innovation and R&D, particularly in the digital space. I am really looking forward to seeing how we can build on existing initiatives from French and Indian companies like this one to find synergies and strengthen our bilateral ties on innovation, notably in the perspective of the Indo-French year of innovation in 2026.”

 The Michelin AI Challenge, a 12-week-long initiative, was undertaken in multiple stages which included, outreach, applications, shortlisting and mentorship until September 2024, followed by the grand finale featuring the shortlisted startups. The challenge saw an overwhelming response, with 106 startups applying from all over the country. Around 60% startups from tier 1 cities and tier 2 cities applied, showcasing diverse, innovative AI solutions that highlight the nation's talent and break geographical barriers.

The top ten AI innovators from the AI Startup Challenge presented their projects at the demo day at IIT Delhi. The three winning teams were awarded paid pilot projects from Michelin, with funding of up to INR 5 lakh each. Furthermore, these winners will gain access to global contracts and incubation support from Michelin leadership.

DPIIT has been proactively working towards mobilizing startups in the manufacturing space, and to provide them with early-stage support necessary for their growth. The Department is building an initiative to bridge the gap between industry and startups, by supporting with setting-up of incubators and incubation programs led by the industry. The initiative aims to empower manufacturing startups with innovative technologies and sustainable practices, enabling them to become leaders in the global market through incubation supported by the industry.

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