Premier one-day event ‘IdeaXchange’ by Atal Incubation Centre promotes disruptive entrepreneurship across states

Delhi : The Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) at the Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi-NCR, hosted the second edition of IdeaXchange today, its annual flagship event. The full-day event saw the convergence of over 150 delegates from across the country, including investors, business experts, diplomats, technophiles, and startup exhibitors. The startups conveyed the unique value of their product or service and narrated their startup pitch for funding and collaboration opportunities. The event was a creative flow of ideas with several potential investors experiencing the products first-hand and mentoring startups on various parameters such as scaling up and capacity building. Mr. Parameswaran Iyer, CEO, NITI Aayog, Government of India, inaugurated the event along with Mr. Shikhar Malhotra, Chancellor, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi-NCR and Trustee, Shiv Nadar Foundation, and Dr. Ananya Mukherjee, Vice Chancellor, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi-NCR.

Mr. Iyer, the Chief Guest for the event, said, “I would like to congratulate the AIC – Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence for another successful edition of IdeaXchange and their continued efforts to encourage entrepreneurial growth in the country.” Speaking about the success of Atal tinkering labs in more than 10,000 schools, he observed that the power of incubatory innovation and technology has transformed the country into a national think tank. Still, it is crucial to nurture the innovative mindset at the state level and embrace entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country. Mr. Iyer remarked, “The power of technology and the Atal Incubation Mission’s initiatives towards innovation has scaled up the role that Atal Incubation Centre plays today. And I believe that Mission is a fabulous collaboration with Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi-NCR.”

In his address, Chancellor Shikhar Malhotra encouraged emerging entrepreneurial mindsets and thanked Mr. Parameswaran Iyer for supporting efforts toward fostering startups at the Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi-NCR. Throwing light on the importance of education in one’s development and growth, Chancellor Malhotra rightly observed that it takes centuries for an institution to become world-class – an average of 120 years. He pondered whether any of us would witness the youngest Institution of Eminence achieve its maximum potential, but what matters is that we are significantly growing year after year.

The Guest of Honour, Mr. Deepak Bagla, Managing Director, Invest India, Government of India highlighted that India is currently going through the most unprecedented transformation in human evolution due to innovation. Addressing the audience, he shared, “Today, we have startups registered from 680 districts across India, and the new growth engine of India is in each and every village. Innovation is driving growth – for the first time, a startup has gained 100 million customers in just 180 days.”

In her address, Dr. Ananya Mukherjee, Vice Chancellor, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi-NCR, emphasized that the goal of the Atal Incubation Centre at Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi-NCR is to act as a catalyst in enabling the promising startups establish themselves and scale up. The Vice Chancellor remarked, “The AIC is a tech-agnostic incubator where we have sensitized 2000+ young minds, supported 64+ startups, and have helped startups raise over six crores. With world-class facilities, including 154+ labs, and stimulating research centres, we will continue to support promising entrepreneurs by giving them a well-grounded foundation in the entrepreneurial way of life. We do this by offering an enabling environment that includes comprehensive and integrated support, including incubator support, business support services, mentorship, high-end technology infrastructure, investment platforms, and networking opportunities.”

The power-packed event also included fireside chats with key industry leaders from Tata 1 mg, Greenscape Eco Management, Invest India, Business Finland, Cian Analytics, HCL Tech, Deloitte, and panel discussions on empowering startups and innovators. Mr. Anand Ramamoorthy, Vice President and Managing Director, Micron Technology, delivered the keynote address. He spoke about the need for innovation and commercialization and how to innovate in the face of supply chain challenges.

Mr. Prashant Tandon, Founder, Tata 1mg announced, “Having built my own startup, I believe that one needs to have a clear view of the variables one can control – to focus on those and zone out the others beyond one’s control. We get the best results when we put our heads down while executing our strategies.”

Over 17 startups participated at the Startup Runway showcased at IdeaXchange. These included:

Bookvala – an EdTech startup allowing buying and reselling of books in 3 minutes
CallerDesk – an ICT-based cloud telephony company
Helo Health – a health-tech startup developing portable diagnostics Health ATM solution
KwikPay – a B2B SaaS-based platform enabling effortless credit card payments
Moolaah – a wealth management aggregator platform
Jan Elaaj – a health-tech solution providing personalized healthcare solution
Charavidhi Agri Solutions Pvt. Ltd. – an Agri-tech startup offering a one-stop solution to dairy farmers
VirtuBox – a B2B SaaS solution for a self-service internet kiosk
Recyclink Pvt. Ltd. – a Waste and Climate Tech startup mapping personal environmental footprint based on financial transactions
Orchvate – a remote-first social impact enterprise offering sustainable employment for the marginalized and neurodivergent
Zenida Studios Pvt. Ltd. – a startup developing Hyper Casual games
Target C Investigations and Forensics Pvt. Ltd. – a tech-based investigation and surveillance startup
AIStreet Technologies Pvt. Ltd. – an AI-enabled radiological diagnostic solutions
Amiraj Wahan Pvt. Ltd. – an enterprise mobility startup allowing gated communities affordable transport
Banc- Biodegradable and Natural Composites – an agri-tech startup manufacturing compostable plastic from agri-waste
Evigway Technologies Pvt. Ltd. – a cybersecurity startup offering military intelligence & advanced IT solutions
The Children’s Post of India – a media startup offering enriching news for young minds
MyEra – a SaaS-based startup helping the overall health of a brand
Human First Global Ventures Pvt. Ltd. – a blockchain startup offering marketplace solutions for agri-tech
Preate – a Green Mobility solutions provider

The Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence – AIC was awarded the prestigious Atal Incubation Centre grant by the Atal Innovation Mission of NITI Aayog (Government of India) in the very first round in 2017. These include sectors such as Industry 4.0, Robotics, AI & Machine Learning, B2B SaaS, Edu-Tech, Agri-Tech, and others. Further, the incubator has carried out over 85 trainings and outreach events and has reached out to over 2000 young minds to foster entrepreneurship and stimulate innovation. Currently, the incubator has 28 tech-agnostic active startups that have raised more than six crores in grants and funding.