EDII Launches Empresario 2024 Startup Summit

The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), on Thursday, kick started its annual startup summit and entrepreneurship festival— Empresario 2024. The event was inaugurated by Shri Banchha Niddhi Pani, IAS, Commissioner, Technical Education, Office of Commissioner of Higher Education,  Government of Gujarat. Other dignitaries at the inauguration included Shri Vishal Chiripal, Director, Chiripal Group, and Dr Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII.

The two-day festival (March 7-8, 2024) includes master classes by industry veterans, talks by successful startup founders, workshops, discussions, networking sessions, and startup awards. The summit also comprises panel discussions on Agritech and Healthtech. A special round table of startups, which participated in Shark Tank, like Bottom Line Sprays, Maisha, WeHear, Simply Salad, and Torch it will also be held as part of the summit. A Big Pitch event, where over 75 startups will pitch their products and services to a panel of investors with the objective of garnering funds. The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Tech Innovations’.

In his inaugural address, Shri Banchha Niddhi Pani, said, “India is on the brink of a big tech revolution, and AI is playing a vital role. We're already the world's IT capital, with tons of opportunities for young people. Through iHub, Gujarat's government is here to support entrepreneurs with everything from legal advice to mentoring. Our goal is to make sure our youth aren't just looking for jobs, but creating them. With Viksit Bharat 2047 in mind, we're committed to helping India become a $5 trillion economy.”

Speaking about Empresario, Dr Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII, said, “We're thrilled by the decade-long surge in entrepreneurship, epitomized by events like Empresario. In just 10 years, startups have soared from 500 to 1 lakh, with incubation centers skyrocketing from less than 50 to about 2,000. Empresario celebrates innovation, driven by our nation's youth. Technological advancements in AI and machine learning are powering startups and MSMEs. Looking ahead, we're dedicated to fostering this entrepreneurial spirit.”

Shri Vishal Chiripal, Director, Chiripal Group, said, “At the heart of entrepreneurship lies fearlessness and a willingness to embrace risks. Startups in India are not just businesses; they are the engines driving our economic growth. As an investor, I prioritize passion, purpose, scalability, and market potential. For young entrepreneurs, sectors like rescaling, robotics, EV-shared storage, and semiconductors offer promising opportunities for success.”

Some of the notable speakers over the two days include: Shri Ravi Varmora of Univia; Shri Mihir Shah of Agriown Farmtech; Shri Hit Desai of Bull Agritech; Dr. Harsh Shah of AgroCast; Dr. Abhisheka Tripathy from Axiom; Shri Dhruv Patel of D3S Healthcare; Shri Vaibhav Shitole of IOTA; Dr. Karnav Patel of Altea Enterprise; Shri Kuldeep Sagar, Director; Sanket Foundation.