GUWAHATI: IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, in association with NEDFi, organised the first edition of CONNECT.X Hangout at the NEDFi Convention Centre on Thursday evening.
Termed as Assam's biggest startup networking meet, the event was designed to consolidate the community of startups and related organisations and individuals by encouraging deep-level interactions, peppered with keynotes from industry veterans, according to a press release.
Chairman and Managing Director of NEDFi, PVSLN Murty, attended the event as the chief guest. He was accompanied by S.K. Baruah, Executive Director, NEDFi. The event was attended by over 140 startup founders, professional service providers, startup enthusiasts, and renowned industry experts from the region.
The highlight of the event was a session by veteran startup mentor and investor in India, Nagaraja Prakasam (Partner, Acumen Fund, and Founding Angel, IAN Impact). The veteran industry leader spoke at length about the unique strengths and resources of the Northeast Indian region and how startups can combine these resources with new-age technology to build sustainable and profitable ventures. He also launched his book, "Back to Bharat: In Search of a Sustainable Future," during the event.
Speaking on the occasion, the NEDFi CMD, PVSLN Murty, said, "The germination of the startup ecosystem in Northeast India could be traced back to 2017, when the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, announced a Rs 100 crore dedicated startup fund for Northeast India. Since then, the startup ecosystem in the region has been evolving conspicuously, with many innovative startups emerging on the block. This networking meet by IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, in association with NEDFi, is being attended by a few investors as well, and one may expect some of the startups participating in the event to attract funding."
In his opening remarks, the Chief Operating Officer of IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, Pranjal Konwar, apprised the audience about the objective of organising the biggest such networking event. "Establishing a supportive platform for startup founders and stakeholders to connect, interact, and forge symbiotic relationships is essential for furthering the development of the startup ecosystem in the region. This realization has prompted us to launch CONNECT.X Hangout, a unique networking initiative," he elucidated.
CONNECT.X Hangout is a subprogram of the umbrella initiative, CONNECT.X, which is a grand annual event that will be organised next year and is expected to attract participation from across the country. Networking and exposure are two key areas in Assam's startup ecosystem that need effective addressing. CONNECT.X is expected to serve these specified needs by building a reputed platform that would attract the participation of startups, mentors, investors, and corporates nationwide. IIM Calcutta Innovation Park is a Section 8 company under the aegis of IIM Calcutta, focused on fostering innovative and impactful entrepreneurs and enabling livelihood creation. It has been playing an active role in developing the entrepreneurship landscape in Northeast India since 2017 and has, to date, supported more than 750 startups from the region.
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