SIIC IIT Kanpur celebrated the greatest innovations led by incubated startups in the 3-day annual showcase event, Abhivyakti, with a clarion call of going vocal for local

Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh- Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) IIT Kanpur’s annual showcase event - ‘Abhivyakti’ came to an end on 18th December 2020. In the three eventful days from 16th to 18th December 2020, SIIC roped in an illustrious line-up of speakers synch as Keynote Dr Ajay Kumar, IAS, Defence Secretary, Govt of India, Shri Satish Mahana, Hon'ble Cabinet Minister, Department of Infrastructure & Industrial Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Pravir Krishna, IAS, MD, TRIFED, Shri Alok Sinha, Agriculture Production Commissioner & Addl Chief Secretary, Commercial Tax Department, Govt of UP, Ms. Jette Bjerrum, Consul General, Head of Trade and Innovation Centre, Denmark Dr Anita Gupta, Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Department of Science & Technology, Govt of India etc. International startups from, to bring informative, engaging, and pathbreaking conversations putting innovation at the heart of the matter.

The event facilitated peer-peer connect between national and international startups to discuss the challenges of penetrating into international markets. Mr. Yatir Zaluski, CEO, CONFIRMU, Israel, Mr. Aninda Mukherjee, Co-Founder and COO iTechGenic Global, Singapore, Mr. Daniel Seybold, CEO, TeleOrbit, Germany and Mr Satoshi Nagata, Chief Strategy Officer, SAgri, Japan were some of the global startups.

Day 3, on 18th December 2020, began with a keynote address by Shri Kapil Dev Agrawal, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Vocational Education & Skill Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Mr Manish Khemka, Co-chairman, UP State Chapter, PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The previous two days focused on the Government of India’s ongoing efforts at nurturing the entrepreneurial ecosystem and India’s quest to mark its place on the map of global tech.

During the inaugural session, Shri Kapil Dev Agrawal encouraged the startups, "The collaboration between UP Government and IIT Kanpur has led to immense progress in the field of entrepreneurship. We hope that this collaboration paves the way for future startups." Mr Manish Khemka added, “The Government of Uttar Pradesh has been investing in startups with a dedicated 1000 crore startup fund. We look forward to innovations in agri-tech where the State holds immense potential for growth.”

On Day 3 of Abhivyakti 2020, 7 startups in the domain of agriculture incubated at SIIC IIT Kanpur, showcased their innovations eminent dignitaries from the Government of Uttar Pradesh, esteemed academic institutions, and business and industry leaders. Their ideas received much applause from eminent and a keen audience who joined with their vehement support, in large numbers. The diverse set of panelists including Ms. Sandra Flores, International Finance Corporation, Ms Shruti Singhal, Indian Angel Network, Ms Neha Saraf, Avishkar Capital etc. engaged in conversations focused on fostering startup to government connect, harnessing the power of indigenous talent through turning academic institutions into powerhouses of entrepreneurship, and closing the loop through strengthening ties other stakeholders. Nocca Robotics, HackLabs Innovations and Earthanalyitcs emerged as the winners of the Innovation showcase.

Concluding the event, Dr Saurabh Srivastava, Founder Indian Angel Network said “ Norms are changing and i urge startups to take up challenging problems that can serve the masses”

Day 1 covered a plethora of issues including persisting gaps in the incubation ecosystem in India, India’s quest to conquer the global tech market, and the role of industry and Government in enabling inclusive support systems to address issues from the bottom of the pyramid. Day 2 focused on conversations on engaging women in tech, forecasting the future of artificial intelligence, and demystifying the intricacies of fundraising. India’s potential as one of the leading startup hubs and prospective collaborations with national and international industry players took a front seat as the panelists and audience deep dived into simplifying entrepreneurship for a cause.

Prof Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur remarked, “At SIIC IIT Kanpur we have 70+ incubates with a valuation of 1000 crores funded by angel investors, venture capitalists, and industry leaders. This vehement support has strengthened our incubation program that offers a rich portfolio of startups in domains of health care, bio tech, agriculture, and environment. These companies contribute to the local economy, solving problems persisting at the bottom of the pyramid.”

Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, CEO of Foundation for Research and Innovation in Science and Technology (FIRST), commented, “In last 3 days, SIIC brought every possible stakeholder of the innovation ecosystem on a single platform and connected them with our startups. SIIC is the place which can give wings to your entrepreneurial dream ”

About Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur

Startups and social enterprises are widely regarded as the key to addressing developmental challenges, especially in emerging economies such as India. With path breaking innovation brewing at incubate startups, SIIC IIT Kanpur aims to create impact at the bottom of the pyramid. Established in the year 2000, Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur is one of the oldest technology business incubators with many successes under its belt. The multifaceted, vibrant incubation ecosystem nurtured over a period of 2 decades aims to fill all the gaps that exist on the road to convert an idea into business. SIIC has developed the experience base and ecosystem that become key ingredients in the development of early-stage, technology-focused start-ups disrupting paradigms across the domains such as agriculture, healthcare, aerospace, energy, water, and education.