Over 50,000 contestants are vying for top honours in Season 4 of India’s biggest SME stage, Lufthansa Runway to Success. The 10-episode television series, produced in partnership with The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) and India’s premier business broadcast channel ET NOW, begins June 04, 2016.
Lufthansa Runway to Success has grown exponentially over the past three years to be amongst India’s most popular platform for start-ups & SMEs. Preceding the competitive leg each year, are free mentorship camps held across the country where over 50 mentors invest time in guiding young entrepreneurs. Additionally, this season saw for the first time ‘The Start-up Expo’, co-created by Lufthansa, and recognised as India’s largest ecosystem for start-ups. The unique event brought together 10,000 participants and led to 50,000 applicants for the TV series, a 100 per cent increase over last season.
From the vast array of contenders, the 21 most innovative ventures will be shortlisted by TiE business experts to compete in the series. The Grand Prize winner will fly away with a seat at the prestigious Design Thinking Boot Camp at Stanford University sponsored by Kalaari Capital, a Business Class ticket to any destination in the US and coveted mentorship from TiE.
In partnering the success of Indian business, the Runway to Success platform reflects Lufthansa’s Nonstop You philosophy which pledges a relentless focus on its customers and people in the community. It also reinforces the airline’s commitment to be ‘More Indian than you think.’
“It has been an absolute privilege for Lufthansa to be an enabler in India’s entrepreneurial revolution. The overwhelming response to the Runway to Success platform has led to its progressive expansion over the past three years into what is today a nationwide campaign. It is also an affirmation of the fact that as an airline, Lufthansa truly has an Indian heart within a German soul,” said Wolfgang Will, Director, South Asia, Lufthansa German Airlines.