At 6.30 on a breezy weekend morning, when the city is only just waking up, an unusual gathering begins near the entrance of the Botanical Garden in Kondapur. A few people stand in small clusters, greeting each other with handshakes and smiles. Some arrive in running shoes, others with backpacks, and almost all carry an idea.Within minutes, the crowd grows. Founders, professionals, aspiring entrepreneurs and mentors assemble, not for a formal meeting, but for a 3.5-km walk in the park that blends fitness with entrepreneurship.This is the ‘Millionaire by Health’ initiative, an effort under TG10X, which aims to build a stronger startup ecosystem in Telangana while promoting physical well-being.Walking the talkThe concept is simple: walk together, talk about ideas, and grow together. Every Saturday and Sunday from 6.30 am to 8.30 am, participants gather at the Botanical Garden in Kondapur, KBR Park, and even at a park in Nizamabad to discuss businesses, products, and the challenges of building startups.Once the group assembles, participants usually pair up and begin the walk around the park’s circular path. What begins as a walk soon turns into a moving exchange of ideas. The 40 to 45-minute walk doubles up as an informal brainstorming session. Some discuss product ideas, others explain the stage their startup is in, while many seek guidance.“You choose someone to walk with and talk about what you are building, and also understand what they are working on,” an organiser explains to first-timers before they start the walk. “The idea is to exchange knowledge and learn while walking.”The philosophy behind the walk is equally simple. “A millionaire is often understood to be someone who has a very large bank balance. But here, if you walk 3,500 steps every day, you become a ‘millionaire by health’ in a year. Health is essential if you want to build wealth,” said Shaberinath, a volunteer with the initiative.Structured discussionsAfter completing a loop around the park, the participants return to ground zero, near the entrance. This is when the discussions become more structured.Founders begin pitching their ideas to the group — sometimes describing early concepts, sometimes explaining products already in development. Many openly ask what they are looking for: investors, co-founders, partners or even early users.Some seek validation. Others look for honest feedback. Often, suggestions pour in immediately from fellow participants, mentors and organisers.The format may be informal, but the intent is serious. “We want to strengthen the startup ecosystem by helping ideas move from zero to one,” explained Shaberinath. “The toughest phase is the beginning. If that becomes easier with the right ecosystem, scaling follows more smoothly.”The park setting, organisers say, is deliberate. “When you are building something, your health is just as important,” he added. “Parks are the perfect space to combine both fitness and entrepreneurship.”Growing numbersThe initiative was started by entrepreneur Chennapa Naidu Darapaneni, venture partner at Factoryal and founder of MeraEvents.Chennapa Naidu, who has been part of the Telangana startup ecosystem since 2009, said the initiative, which began as a small gathering, has steadily evolved into a growing community.Today, the network has over 1,500 members, with participants joining from across Hyderabad and other districts.Every Sunday, the session features a guest speaker — typically a founder, investor or industry expert — who shares insights on entrepreneurship, leadership and growth.Building resilient networksSpeakers have included Sid’s Farm founder and CEO Dr Kishore Indukuri, Photriya Academy founder Photriya Venky, MIVI co-founder Midhula Devabhaktuni, and Leaders for India Organization founder & CEO Mohnish Yerra.While deals are not always struck instantly, organisers say meaningful outcomes are already visible. “Every week we see one or two people benefiting… they may find clients, a co-founder, or someone who helps them take the next step,” Shaberinath said. “Investment doesn’t happen overnight. But connections start here.”Participants echo the sentiment. Prem, who attends the walk once a month, said the gathering brings together people from across the startup ecosystem.“You meet founders, investors and people offering services like marketing,” he said. “If you want to start something of your own, this is a great place because you meet many different people who can help.”For Akash, who is developing a digital legacy vault platform called Amanat, the session helped him overcome a critical roadblock. “I had built the MVP but was stuck on what to do next,” he said. “Here people guided me on how to validate the product and how to take it live.”Turning ideas into actionOthers attend simply for the exchange of ideas. Rohit, who has been attending the sessions for more than two months, says the value lies in the consistency. “It’s pure value and knowledge exchange,” he said. “You keep meeting people, and someday that person might become a partner, customer or collaborator.”For some, the initiative is even drawing participants from outside the city. First-timers too said this meet was inspiring. Manognya, who came to the park for a casual walk, found herself unexpectedly drawn into the discussion.“I’ve always been interested in starting a business, but I never knew where or how to begin,” she shared. “Attending this meeting, even for just a day, gave me valuable insights into what it takes to run a business. It was incredibly helpful for someone like me who aspires to become an entrepreneur.” Jayakrishna, who travelled overnight from Chittoor in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to attend the meet, said the discussions helped him understand the importance of process in building a startup.“Before coming here, I thought I could start anything or build anything,” he said. “But after attending the session, I understood what customers actually need, what type of product to build and which market to choose.”Making knowledge accessibleExplaining the larger vision behind the initiative, Chennappa Naidu said the idea is to make entrepreneurial knowledge more accessible.“Many people want to start something these days, but don’t fully understand where to start,” he said. “We wanted to create a space where people can walk, share and learn freely.”He said the programme was started as a free, non-profit effort to help aspiring founders gain clarity and connect with the ecosystem.“We realised many people want to build startups but don’t have access to the right knowledge,” Naidu said. “So, we decided to create a place where people can walk, share knowledge and learn from each other.”The long-term vision, he added, is to take the concept to more parks across cities. “Every neighbourhood park should ideally have a community where people can walk, meet and discuss ideas,” he said.Until then, every weekend morning, at a quiet corner near the Botanical Garden gate, the scene repeats itself. A few early risers gather. Conversations begin. Ideas take shape.And somewhere between a few thousand steps and a shared conversation, a startup quietly finds its first footing.
