The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee organized 'Startup Expo 2022' recently on the occasion of its 175th foundation day. During the Startup Expo, 50 startups showcased their products and technologies in emerging fields of AI-ML, drone technology, robotics, health sciences, agriculture, environmental, energy sector and e-commerce.
The event was conceptualized with a defence-centric theme. The objective was to serve as a medium of interaction between the founders and various stakeholders, thus promoting a thriving entrepreneurial culture. IIT Roorkee students, faculty, startups, and more than 100 industry representatives participated in the event. Stalls of commemorative stamps and coins issued on the occasion of 175 years were also a major attraction among the visitors at Startup Expo.
The event was inaugurated by Dr Kailash Kumar Pathak, Director, DFTM DRDO; Colonel Virbhadra Singh Rawat, Defence Coordinator Government of Uttarakhand and Shambhu Sharma, Head of Operations, OPTEL, in the presence of other dignitaries.
Also Read || IIT Roorkee Bags 'The Most Innovative Research Institute Of The Year' Award For Industrial Innovation
In the event, the Best Startup award was given to four startups from various domains. The winners were Indigenous Energy Private Limited, Cypher, Ballice Smart Devices, and Super Good Nano Private Limited.
Some of the key startups that participated in the Startup Expo 2022 include RavenEye Geospatial Tech Limited, DTown Robotics Private Limited, Indi Energy, Perovskite Innovations Private Limited and Powerzest Energy Solutions Private Limited.
Another session was to pitch ideas for launching new startups. Three such ideas were pitched by Jagdish Neduri, Chaudhary Mohammad Tariq and Gajanan Gitte and successfully drew the attention of jury members. Pahul Singh Sawhney and Kunal Shah pitched the two most promising ideas and provided pre-incubation support at the Tinkering Lab of IIT Roorkee.
A panel discussion was held on high-tech and deep-tech technologies to strengthen the nation's startup ecosystem, focusing on taking Indian technologies to the global level to meet its commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Also Read || IIT Roorkee, International Pulsar Timing Array Help In Capturing Black Hole Symphony
Dr B V Mohan Reddy, Chairman, Board of Governors, who is a first-generation entrepreneur, motivated all the founders of startups present during the startup expo by sharing his journey in building a Billion-Dollar enterprise. He emphasized the need for scaling startups once they have robust products or services. Speaking to the media, he said that various policies at IIT Roorkee are facilitating faculty members to be non-executive directors in these startups and contribute their knowledge and wisdom.
Professor K K Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, welcomed guests and wished them a happy 175th anniversary of the institute. He recalled the events from 1847-2022 that have resulted in new age IIT Roorkee. He stressed that start-ups must work for the Make-in-India initiative and deliver products and services that match and exceed global quality standards. “We will encourage young students and faculty members to be a part of our Start-up ecosystem, and we will always strive for innovation and keep the nation's values on top.”
Dr Kailash Kumar Pathak, Director, DFTM, DRDO, said this startup expo is a positive step towards improved prospects and avenues to address the nation's critical and futuristic defence technology requirements. We should enhance our operational capabilities to strengthen the manufacturing sector for achieving Aatmanirbharta in Defence.
