JKLU conducts 18th edition of Startup Master Class with NITI Aayog and IIT Kanpur

NEW DELHI, JULY 29: India is a cauldron of talent with bright ideas coming from youngsters eager to create their own startups. Running into its 18th edition, Startup Master Class (SMC), co-hosted by NITI Aayog, IITK Alumni Association and Atal Incubation Centre – JKLU, to empower young minds with real-time market expertise while honing their burning ideas.

This year’s theme focused on the important areas like Social impact, Energy, Transportation, and Defence. Eminent bodies such as, Entrepreneurship Cell IIT-Kanpur, Energy Efficient Services Limited (EESL), Social Alpha, Samarth Community, Start-up Oasis, AIC-Banasthali, Amazon Web services, HeadStart, MASH Foundation and more partnered in this endeavor. The participation of 400 to 500 members from the entrepreneurial ecosystem was witnessed, making it a convergence of rarities.

Ambrish Kumar, Commissioner and Special Secretary, DoIT, GoR said “What young minds need to take into consideration is the need amongst mass- providing solutions to problems in the most comprehensive way possible. This startup masterclass provides ways to understand the core of what people want.”

Pradeep Bhargava, Founder and CEO, Gladminds and President, Alumni Association IIT Kanpur said, “While the birth of an idea is important, people should know the nuances of ideas and also what they will execute as the idea itself will not become business.”

Speaking on the same vein, Ramanan Ramanathan, Director Atal Incubation Mission, Niti Aayog said “Startups are the crux of the GDP of this nation, providing it with a new flush of the economy. For the success of these startups, the right amount of assistance – from mentoring, to access to exact tools and technology, is essential.”

“The fire burning within the young mind is often left unattended or even quelled, owing to financial and other constraints. At this Startup Masterclass, through competitions like SMC Select and Ideathon, we intend to nurture and incubate brilliant minds into providing value for the nation” said Asheesh Gupta, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, JKLU.

The event witnessed a great confluence of brilliant minds. A slew of activities like Ideathon, SMC Select, Innovation talk, Success Stories, Reverse Pitch, How to create a Killer Pitch, were specially crafted to bring the energy, tools, and knowledge to this audience. Also present were two panel discussions, one on “Rajasthan as a startup ecosystem” and another on “Go-to-market strategies”. Challenges were proposed by businesses and the government, inviting entrepreneurs to participate in a real-world challenge. The event witnessed over 250 one-on-one meetings with mentors.