With less than two weeks to go before voting closes on December 22, it is full speed ahead for the TATA NEN Hottest Startups awards. Conducted by the National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) in partnership with the TATA Group, the awards aim to showcase and support high-potential startups in the country.

The 30 startups that were chosen from a pool of 588 nominees in Phase 1 cut across sectors and cities. Agri-business, software testing, sports management, education and teleradiology all rub shoulders with IT, retail, and healthcare. Though the majority is headquartered in big cities such as Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad, a sizeable number is located in smaller cities such as Jaipur, Patiala and Belgaum.

Laura Parkin, the Executive Director of the Wadhwani foundation, is delighted at the response and the results of the first round. aThe 30 finalists showcase the variety and depth of entrepreneurial talent in todayas India a across sectors, and across geographies. Some are poised to take Indiaas leading IT industry to the next level; others are tackling some of the most critical problems of today including healthcare delivery, unemployability, the need for quality education, the supply chain issues in agriculture; still others bringing entertainment to peopleas lives, or easing travel to remote corners of the country, and many more. We are thrilled to provide a platform for these startups, and we will work to ensure these awards provide a powerful boost to these companies, connecting them to resources to enhance their continued successa she said.

The 30 startups are currently running extensive and innovative campaigns to engage the public. While many are using the combined power of word-of-mouth advertising and the online media to win votes, a few have seized on the power of SMSes to reach a wider audience.

The five startups that garner the most number of votes by December 23 will be the ones to walk away with the awards which include business support from TATA Consultancy Services, Microsoft, IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore along with publicity in leading media.

Prizes for top five Winners in TATA NEN Hottest Startups Awards 2008 include: