Earlier this year, our CTO Vivek Jha represented Second Quest at the inaugural Startup Mahakumbh 2025, held at the iconic Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. As one of the country’s largest and most ambitious startup showcases, Startup Mahakumbh brought together innovators, investors, policymakers, and thought leaders to shine a spotlight on India’s next generation of startups.
This grand gathering truly underscored Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to nurturing a thriving startup ecosystem and a self-reliant, ‘Viksit Bharat’. We believe wholeheartedly that gaming has a crucial role to play in this vision, and we were there to prove it!
We had the honour of participating in not one, but two capacities:
1. Model Trains Showcase
As winners of the Bharat Tech Triumph Program, Second Quest was invited to showcase our debut title Model Trains at Startup Mahakumbh 2025. For many attendees, this was their first hands-on experience with Model Trains—a sandbox simulation game that brings the joy of model railroading to a richly detailed digital world. The feedback and conversations from the event will continue to shape how we build forward.
2. Startup Maharathi Challenge Winner
The highlight of the summit for us was being selected as a winner in the Gaming & Sports track of the Startup Maharathi Challenge 2025. This multi-phase, highly competitive national challenge was spearheaded by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, with support from partners like Avaana Capital, LetsVenture, and HDFC Bank.
Being recognised among the top startups in the country is not just a moment of pride—it’s a strong signal that the gaming industry in India is starting to get the attention and support it deserves. The initiative aligns with the government’s broader vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, placing gaming alongside 10 other high-impact sectors poised to shape India’s future.
As a young studio building simulation games with a global vision, we believe this kind of visibility and validation is critical. We’re building in India for the world—and the support we received at Startup Mahakumbh reaffirmed our belief that Indian studios can lead the next wave of innovation in gaming.
If you haven’t already, check out our early prototype of Model Trains and join our playtest program at beta.secondquest.games.
Here’s to dreaming big, building together, and putting India on the global map for simulation games!
🚂 Shagufta
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