(openPR) - Chennai, Oct 2, 2008: DilSeBol.com, an online destination for creating unique, customised t-shirts, mugs and other merchandise, from the city has been nominated for the coveted TATA NEN Hottest Startups Awards.
The First ever ‘Public Choice’ awards to recognize India’s new wave of growth, the TATA NEN Hottest Startups is an online contest where people can nominate companies & vote for them both on internet & through SMS.
The Awards are a unique collaboration between the Tata Group, India’s most respected business conglomerate and National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN), the largest representatives of new & future entrepreneurs in India. The Awards aim to showcase and recognize high potential young companies in India, with the goal to attract visibility for over 800 entrepreneurs & their ventures in India, and engage over 5,00,000 people.
DilSeBol.com offers online custom made merchandise based on users own designs. The website has a unique and easy to use design application called "The Artist" that lets users quickly create any design of their choice by uploading photos, caricatures or text. These custom designs can be printed on a variety of products including t-shirts, shirts, ceramic coffee mugs, glass mugs, mouse pads, posters etc. All orders are printed-to-order and shipped by courier all over India within 2 to 3 days.
Commenting on the nomination for the Hottest Startups award, Ravi Kumar, Co-founder, says "the TATA NEN Hottest Startup Award is a blessing for young start-ups like DilSeBol as it gives us recognition for our efforts and visibility to both potential users and investors. We are thrilled that we have been nominated and look forward to interacting with many of the other startups and experts on the NEN panel."
The TATA NEN Hottest Startups Awards are designed to engage the public in the selection process. People can nominate and check out the nominations online. Voting can be done online or via sms. Comments can be shared online about the Nominees – people can campaign for their favorite startup, get their friends to vote and participate in Hottest Startup events! People can also enter Lucky Draws to win Hottest Stuff!
The structure of the competition ensures both engagement and credibility. After the first round a shortlist of 30 companies will be selected based on the most number of public votes, combined with the highest expert ratings. Finally top 5 winners will be chosen from these 30 companies. The expert judges will be a pool of over 100 people including investors, entrepreneurs, academicians, professionals and representatives across industries.
There are three requirements for participating startups. The company must be: 5 or fewer years old; headquartered in India; and a stand-alone – not a subsidiary or division of a larger company. In addition, the company should be highly innovative, growing rapidly, and have the potential of changing their industry.
Winners of TATA NEN Hottest Startups will receive a potent combination of publicity and business support, designed to spur their growth to the next level.
The Awards has the outcome of directly helping the 30 shortlisted companies, and providing even greater support and visibility to the Top 5 Winners.
The 2008 Tata-NEN Startups Awards will showcase a wide range of high potential startups from multiple sectors, ranging from healthcare, retail, mobile technologies, biotech, hospitality, lifestyle, IT and service providers.
Lending support in the cause are Helion Ventures, Seedfund and Wadhwani Foundation. In addition, all the established entrepreneurial, academic and corporate communities including, Microsoft, IIM-Bangalore, IIM-Ahmedabad, Open Coffee Club chapters, Mumbai Angels, Indian Angel Network, Venture Woods, Proto.in, Kickstart and TiE are partnering in the initiative.
Voting for the TATA NEN Startups Awards opened on August 27, 2008. Last date for sending nominations is October 22, 2008. In phase I, public votes and expert reviews will decide the 30 shortlisted companies, which will be announced on November 6. Phase II will comprise on-ground and online campaigning by the 30 shortlisted startups and culminate into a major voting drive where the public will vote for the Top 5 Winners who will be declared on December 23, 2008.
Dilsebol.com is an online portal that allows users to customize and create online designs for t-shirts, shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads, coasters, posters and ceramic tiles. An easy to use online design application makes the whole process easy and fun. These customized designs are processed under strict quality standards and within 2 - 3 days. As the name DilSeBol (say it from the heart!) implies, this portal is aimed at creative individuals who want to express their passion and attitude. There are no "minimum order quantity" restrictions and small order sizes are also processed. Currently, the portal caters to the Indian market only.
DilSeBol.com
No 3, 1st Cross Street,
Kasturba Nagar, Adyar, Chennai - 600 020
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