‘Make in India has become reality’: Rajeev Khandelwal on hosting Adani Group’s ‘Vande Bharatam’ initiative

Ahmedabad, Aug 14 (IANS) Actor Rajeev Khandelwal, who has been declared the brand ambassador of the Adani Group’s ‘Vande Bharatam’, is set to host the initiative that aims to identify and support innovators, entrepreneurs and problem-solvers from across India.

Addressing reporters inAhmedabad, Khandelwal said: “‘Make’ in India was a campaign for me until I left this platform; today it has become a reality that we can achieve. It is not merely about saying that we will build a self-reliant India. That self-reliant India is actually being built.”

Designed as a first-of-its-kind platform, Vande Bharatam seeks to identify promising entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers from every corner of the country, from metropolitan cities to remote villages. The initiative aims to provide grassroots talent with visibility, mentorship, and access to funding, enabling ideas with real potential to flourish and contribute to India’s growth story.

This marks a significant milestone in Khandelwal’s career, as he steps into a purpose-driven space focused on entrepreneurship and nation-building. Unlike traditional entertainment-led formats, Vande Bharatam carries a larger vision, celebrating ideas that can create impact and inspire progress.

Mentioning that the idea behind the initiative was that of Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, Khandelwal said: “He (Gautam Adani) repeatedly says that India has so much potential that there should be a Gautam Adani in every city, and he will do whatever he can to help people become one…So, that was the thought behind the foundation of this entire Vande Bharatam initiative.”

Describing the format of the project, the actor said: “It was open to the entire country. You had to apply and send your ideas. There was a website for Vande Bharatam where people could submit their ideas. When registrations opened, we thought that even if 15,000 people registered, it would be good…but then we received more than 26000 applications, out of whom shortlisted people were called here in Ahmedabad.”

“They were trained at a boot camp where they presented their ideas. From there, we understood who among them had the potential to go further, as it was not possible to select everybody. But all those who were left also got connected to ‘Vande Bharatam’ as their names have got linked with this database,” he added.

Khandelwal said that there was a scoring system in which all the judges, whom he referred to as “mentors”, participated.

“They were not judges, and they were not investors because they were not sitting there merely with an investment mindset. The Adani Group’s thinking was absolutely clear that they would not seek any partnership with anyone because they did not want a stake in anyone’s life or business. They had said that they were only there to encourage the participants and would not discuss business. They would help them as much as possible because they had the capacity to do so,” he said.

Further, Khandelwal said that the ‘Vande Bharatam’ platform provides an opportunity to people to come and present their ideas and put them before people who are successful and can give them an opportunity.

“It takes them to doors which they often felt would never open for them,” he said.

–IANS

cg/vd