Guwahati: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, in partnership with the BRICS Youth Council, organised an entrepreneurship pre-consultation event on February 7 themed, "Empowering Northeast India – Youth Innovations for Sustainable Growth and National Connectivity."
Over 500 applicants and 80 startups’ from the northeast region took part in the event, which served as a platform for young businesspersons and scholars to display their ground-breaking ideas and foster partnerships in Northeast India.
The Chief Guest, Kausar Jamil Hilaly, Secretary, Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Assam, emphasised the importance of Northeast India's youth in novelty, sustainability, and entrepreneurship.
He emphasised that the region has a unique chance to become a future entrepreneurial hub due to its strategic location as a gateway to Southeast Asia. Today's youth have access to the resources, knowledge, and tools needed to turn their entrepreneurial vision into reality.
A key highlight of the event was a mega startup exhibition, curated by IIT Guwahati-BioNest incubator, which featured over 80 startups from the Northeast region showcasing their innovations and products in various domains, including deep-tech, healthcare, agri-tech and renewable energy. Devendra Jalihal, Director of IIT Guwahati, emphasised the significance of youth contribution to nation-building and the need to channel this energy towards nation-building.
Deba Kumar Mishra DC Kamrup said that the event aligns perfectly with the Indian Government's vision for youth empowerment. The event also featured insightful sessions by distinguished industry leaders, such as Sagar Daryani, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Wow! Momo shared his business journey and visions for the startup ecosystem. He emphasised the importance of embracing disappointment and unceasingly moving forward, encouraging young businesspersons to stay interested and believe in their dreams despite setbacks.
ALSO READ: BioNEST Hosts BRICS Meet To Propel Biotech Start-Ups, CEO Highlights Opps In Northeast
A panel discussion on the topic "Navigating the Funding Landscape: Strategies for Startup Success & Sustainable Growth" with experts from the industry and entrepreneurial ecosystem, took place wherein they discussed the rapidly evolving startup landscape in the county and how different funding strategies can help in sustainable growth of startups.
Business North East (BNE) spoke to Swapnil Sinha, Chief Executive Officer of IITG Bio NEST, who stated, “It’s been a really great experience as we had an overwhelming footfall of students, startups, innovators, entrepreneurs across the northeast. We targeted around 400 participants. But, right now, we have over 800 participants here, I am looking forward to having more such events in IIT Guwahati.”
The event concluded with an Idea challenge pitching session, where aspiring entrepreneurs and startups pitched their ideas to potential investors. The event at IIT Guwahati aimed to empower aspiring entrepreneurs in Northeast India to play a key role in achieving an innovation and entrepreneurship-driven future.
FIRST Business Portal addressing the potential of business capability of North East Region.
