MUMBAI: If stock markets run on bulls and bears, India’s newest marketplace is running on ideas. At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), where fortunes rise and fall by the tick, Ideabaaz, the country’s first integrated startup-investor marketplace and entrepreneurial reality show was officially launched, promising to turn kitchen-table dreams into boardroom deals.
Ideabaaz pitches itself as more than just another startup show. It combines investor matchmaking, mentorship, professional services, and transparent tracking, all with a strong focus on growing Indian cities. Its mission: to empower a billion dreams and turbocharge India’s economic engine.
“This is not just about entertainment,” emphasised the team. “It’s about access to capital, to mentors, to opportunities that were once out of reach for small-town innovators.”
For Della Town founder & CME Jimmy Mistry the platform resonated with his vision of building “Brand India” on the global stage. “When Subhash showed me the idea of Ideabaaz, he knew how much social impact and brand India meant to me. At Della Township, we’re building the world’s first self-generating townships. My dream is to create India’s first global metal luxury brand something that hasn’t happened in 78 years of our freedom.”
Mistry called Ideabaaz a movement as irreversible as globalisation in the ’90s, “Every family in India should have one member aspiring to be part of the startup ecosystem. With Ideabaaz, the exponential growth in startups could be 10x. India will never be the same again.”
Sharrp Ventures managing partner, Rishabh Mariwala praised the grit behind the show itself. “I wouldn’t have imagined something like Ideabaaz happening at NSE. But here we are, it started as an idea, and today it’s a reality. In venture capital, we invest in founders, and what I’ve seen here is grit and determination. From a seed stage, this idea has gone on to an IPO. That’s timeless.”
He also tipped his hat to the unsung backstage crew: “The titans get the praise, but the team Raj, Mudit, Jeet, Kailash are the heroes. Two years of hard work made this happen.”
IDFC First Bank head of retail liabilities Ashish Singh spelt out why it was backing the platform financially. “At IDFC First Bank, we believe India’s true strength lies in the aspirations of ordinary men and women with extraordinary dreams. Ideabaaz gives middle-class Indians with ideas the wings to fly. For us, it’s not just about banking, we don’t just provide banking, we provide belief.”
He laid out how the bank plans to power entrepreneurs “from idea to enterprise”: “Through zero-balance current accounts, digital-first cash management, lending products and an ecosystem of mentors and investors, we want to walk with startups from the earliest stage. Together, we’re not just launching a programme, we’re unlocking the Bharat of our dreams.”
Adding glamour to grit was Wizcraft co-founder & director Sabbas Joseph who joined as an investor and mentor. His presence underlined the show’s crossover appeal, blending entrepreneurial drama with real-world impact.
The launch also welcomed IIT Madras Research Foundation CEO Madhav Narayan who brings decades of global tech leadership to the startup fold, and Devostat, global CEO Venkat Raju known for incubating ventures in AI, fintech, healthtech and EVs.
Rounding out the ecosystem voice was ISBA (Indian STEPs and Business Incubators Association) CEO Prasad Menon who reminded the gathering that: “In India there has never been a deficit of ideas, nor of money. The deficit has been of empathy and compassion. Incubators, like Ideabaaz, exist to bridge that gap. We’re not-for-profit, we’re enablers and when the intent is strong, success is inevitable.”
From luxury brands to self-generating townships, from Tier 3 innovators to legacy business leaders, the voices at NSE agreed on one thing: Ideabaaz is not just a show, but a movement.
The platform hopes to democratise entrepreneurship in a way that India has never seen before. As Jimmy Mistry put it, the herd will follow once the first few succeed and Ideabaaz wants to ensure the runway is long enough for everyone to sprint.
Liberty Shoes executive director Anupam Bansal admitted his initial hesitation, “When Raj (Nayak) first called me about Ideabaaz, I was nervous. We’re real businesspeople, not actors. But when I came to the show, I saw it was about real people and real startups.”
He added, “Coming from a legacy business, I’ve learnt so much from the youth here, their innovation, their energy. We’ve even started collaborating with engineering institutes thanks to the ideas sparked. Supporting the ‘Made in India’ ecosystem is an honour. Our campaign ‘Mera Joota Hindustani’ aligns perfectly with this spirit.”
Perhaps the most heartfelt reflection came from V3 Ventures co-founder & managing partner Arjun Vaidya who said: “When I returned to India in 2013, the dream was to leave. Today, the dream is to build here. In 2016, only 500 startups were funded annually. I myself pitched to 75 investors and failed every single time. That’s why platforms like Ideabaaz matter, they give founders validation, not just valuation.
He recalled a standout moment, “On the show, we saw the largest deal in Indian TV history. But the best moment for me was when a founder’s mother quietly sat in the audience, then broke down in tears as her son won a deal. That’s what entrepreneurship is, it’s about families, sacrifices, and dreams taking flight.”
The tagline of Ideabaaz “Idea aapka, paisa hamara” summed up the mood. For some, it was about investments. For others, mentorship. For all, it was about creating a democratic platform where every founder, from a village kitchen innovator to a tech disruptor, could showcase their vision.
As Arjun Vaidya aptly put it, “Entrepreneurship is India’s new cricket, and founders are the new rockstars. Actors and athletes get fame, but every founder is putting in 14-hour days whether they’re doing Rs five lakh, Rs 50 lakh or Rs five crore a month. Ideabaaz finally gives them a stage.”
The launch at NSE wasn’t just a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, it was a statement. India is no longer content with being a land of job seekers; it is a nation of job creators.
With Ideabaaz, the bell has been rung. Now, it’s time to see which startups echo loudest across India’s entrepreneurial corridors.
