| MIET, FICCI FLO JKL host JK startup conclave | | |  Early Times Report
JAMMU, Nov 8: Model Institute of Engineering and Technology (MIET), Jammu and FICCI FLO JKL, successfully organized the Jammu Kashmir Startup Conclave 2024 on 8th November at MIET campus. The conclave celebrated the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, particularly within the J&K region, and provided a robust platform for budding entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas.
The event commenced with a welcome address by Prof. Ankur Gupta, Director MIET, who extended a warm welcome to the distinguished speakers, Mr. Bhuvan Gupta, Co-founder and CTO of OfBusiness and OxyZo (Both Unicorns), Dr. Aarti Gupta, National Head FICCI FLO Startup Cell & Chief Investment Officer at DBR Ventures, Mr. Mahavir Pratap Sharma, Chair of TiE India Angels & Rajasthan Angels and Dr. Deepak Motwani, Principal Investor Relations, Wadhwani Foundation. Mrs. Ruchika Gupta, Chairperson FICCI FLO JKL, also welcomed the dignitaries and highlighted the vision of empowering entrepreneurs within the region. She further emphasized the transformative role of FICCI FLO JKL and its SheRises initiative, which aims to uplift and empower women entrepreneurs, driving growth and fostering innovation throughout the region.
The event featured a lineup of highly accomplished keynote speakers, each bringing valuable insights to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in J&K. The speakers deliberated on solving real problems, building startups, challenges for founding teams, fundraising and scaling up the startups, providing unique insights to the audience. Ideas for providing structured support in developing grassroot entrepreneurs and startups were also discussed.
The second half of the event was marked by the presence of several senior government officials who addressed the audience, reinforcing the government's support for entrepreneurship and startups in J&K. Dr. Arun Kumar Manhas (JKAS), Director of Industries and Commerce, delivered a keynote address emphasizing the role of industries in supporting startups. Rajinder Kumar Sharma (JKAS), Director of JKEDI, and G. Velladurai (IEDS), Joint Director of MSME, each spoke on the importance of government initiatives and policies that foster a supportive ecosystem for startups. They expressed confidence in the entrepreneurial spirit of the youth of J&K.
The Startup Awards were a highlight of the event, with 10 prominent startups from Jammu and Kashmir receiving the prestigious JK Startup Pride Award for their outstanding contributions. The awardees included Atomic North, RVS IT, Cabkaro, SabziNow, Curve Electric, Namhya Foods, INR Deals, Wildfloc Adventures, Waste to Health, and Nazrana. These companies were recognized for their role in driving innovation and growth within J&K. In the Early Stage Promising Startup Awards, three emerging startups were awarded cash prizes of Rs. 75,000, Rs. 50,000, and Rs. 25,000, respectively, from a pool of 50 early-stage startups. Collectively, over Rs. 2.5 lakhs in cash prizes were distributed, exemplifying the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that the conclave aimed to foster.
The elevator pitching competition held during the afternoon session received an overwhelming response, with over 500 entries from institutions across the region out of which twenty teams from University of Jammu, SMVDU, IIIM Jammu, IIT Jammu, and MIET were shortlisted to compete. After thorough evaluation, the top three prizes were awarded with cash prizes of Rs 25,000, Rs 15,000, and Rs 10,000 respectively.
The event concluded with a networking session where participants had the opportunity to connect with experts and industry leaders. Other notable dignitaries present at the event included core team of FICCI FLO JKL Varuna Anand, Aarti Choudhary, Varsha Bansal, Sona Mehta, Mona Saraf, Pooja Gandotra, Nandita Bajaj, Dr. Vivek Sharma, CIO IIM Jammu, Ajay Khajuria, Professor of Practice, MIET, Prof. S.K. Sharma, Prof. Sahil Sawhney, Ruchita Rane, Strategic Alliance Head & Head Territory Development J&K and Dr. Ankita Nanda, Head School of Management, MIET. |
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