Boosting India’s Startup Scene: SPRINT North Edition Kicks Off with Big Promises
A fresh push for India’s booming startup world unfolded on Friday as the SPRINT North Edition launched under the exciting 100 Startups 100 Days initiative. Hosted by IIT Ropar’s TIF (iHub – AWaDH, a DST Technology Innovation Hub under NM-ICPS), along with ANNAM.AI (a CoE for AI in Agriculture by the Ministry of Education) and TBIF, this event lit up the deeptech startup ecosystem.
The lively gathering happened at IILM University in Gurugram, drawing top industry leaders, government officials, investors, entrepreneurs, and academics. Everyone came together to spark new ideas and build stronger connections in the deeptech space.
Dr. Radhika Trikha, CEO of IIT Ropar TIF, kicked things off by spotlighting the AWaDH mission to create a thriving deep tech ecosystem in India. Dr. Ravi Kumar Jain, Director of the School of Management at IILM University, gave a warm welcome. Then, Dr. Mukesh Kestwal, CIO of IIT Ropar TIF, dove into the details of AWaDH’s flagship programs—SPRINT and 100 Startups 100 Days. He shared how their startup portfolio has grown to over 160 companies, with Rs 17 crore invested so far and more than Rs 110 crore raised from outside investors. That’s real momentum for Indian startups!
Speakers like Kishan Goenka, Chairperson of the Water Council at Wheels Global Foundation, and Tanushri Sharma, Senior Scientist-C at DST NM-ICPS, inspired the crowd. Pilot Neeraj Shekhawat, National Incharge for Research and Policy at BJP Kisan Morcha, also joined in. The inaugural panel and keynote session opened with thoughts from Prof. (Dr.) Padmakali Banerjee, Vice Chancellor of IILM University.
As the chief guest, Rekha Sharma, Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha and former Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, praised IIT Ropar’s quick strides in supporting startups. She pointed out how SPRINT Haryana, launched just three months ago in May, has already spread to Hyderabad and Gurugram. From the northern region alone, they’ve picked 13 standout startups. "These big, speedy efforts are key to turning India into a global innovation and entrepreneurship powerhouse," she said.
Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director of IIT Ropar, joined virtually and called 100 Startups 100 Days a true movement. It focuses on empowering entrepreneurs with speed, scale, and sustainability—perfect for India’s startup journey. Dr. Pushpendra Singh, Project Director of iHub – AWaDH and Annam.ai, stressed the importance of seed capital and a dedicated fund of funds. He believes this will supercharge deep-tech startups and help India become a worldwide R&D hub.
One of the event’s biggest moments? A cheque and certification ceremony for 13 selected startups and three innovators from the GENESIS EIR program. These trailblazers got recognition for their bold ideas and passion in the Indian startup scene.
The discussions heated up with a panel called "Beyond Borders: Unlocking the Future of DeepTech Investment." Experts like Maya Sherman from the Embassy of Israel in India, Nemesisa Ujjain from The Circle FC, Neha Malhotra from MeritX Ventures, Mayank Kumar from NASSCOM, and Himanshu Joshi from AIM NITI Aayog shared insights. Santosh Sharma from BookMyJet moderated, exploring how deeptech startups can grow globally.
Next came a Founder Talk, where Dr. Preet Sandhu from AVPL International and Khalid Wani from One Capital Ltd & KWCG opened up about their entrepreneurial paths. Attendees loved the live startup pitches that followed, showcasing fresh innovations.
The event wrapped up with exciting unveils: the AWaDH Progress Report, the launch of DTC Accelerate – ClimateTech in partnership with NASSCOM, and updates on Bharat Innovate 2026. This Ministry of Education initiative involves 13 IITs to spotlight India’s top 100 innovations on a global stage in France next June.
Prof. (Dr.) Saurabh Trivedi, CEO of IILM University’s Incubation Centre, closed with the results announcement and a vote of thanks. He thanked over 50 VC partners, 40+ incubators, and key government players like MeitY Startup Hub, Bhashini, Startup India, IndiaAI, and Seafund. More than 130 stakeholders from industry, startups, and government made it a success.
This launch shows India’s startup ecosystem is charging ahead, blending tech, innovation, and support to create real winners.
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