The Bharat Startup Festival, organized by Amity Innovation Incubator in collaboration with Bharat Startup and Innovation Society (BSIS), took place at Amity University Noida on Wednesday, drawing over 1,100 startups and a diverse audience of 5,000 people across 14 countries and 29 cities. The multi-country initiative aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among students by connecting them with industry leaders and experts.
Sunil Kumar Sharma, Minister of Electronics and IT, Government of Uttar Pradesh, was the chief guest of the event. He praised Uttar Pradesh’s thriving startup ecosystem, stating that the state is home to around 12,000 registered startups, with nearly 5,000 being led by women. Sharma highlighted the government’s focus on supporting startups in sectors such as agriculture and healthcare and urged students to embrace leadership roles and become job creators.
While Awanish Awasthi, Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, noted that the state is rapidly progressing towards becoming a $1 trillion economy under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He emphasized the significant role startups and tourism play, with both sectors experiencing a 40% growth rate. He commended BSIS for its efforts in creating platforms for startups to gain exposure.
Dr. Aseem Chauhan, Chancellor of Amity University, spoke about Amity’s commitment to promoting startups, describing Amity Innovation Incubator as one of the best in the country. He reinforced the university’s dedication to supporting the government’s mission of expanding the startup ecosystem.
Prof. Vinayak Nath, Co-Chair of Startup20 G20 and National President of BSIS, remarked that 46% of India’s 141 unicorns hail from Uttar Pradesh. He also announced the opening of a BSIS Industry Cell at all Amity global campuses to connect startups with industry leaders and investors.
The festival featured key discussions on topics like “Deep Tech and AI: Future of Fundraising” and “Def Tech Innovation Ecosystem.” Dr. Balvinder Shukla, Vice Chancellor of Amity University, stressed that the festival aimed to ignite young minds to create socially impactful startups.
With innovation-led growth at the forefront, Dr. Jitendra Kumar, MD of BIRAC, highlighted the potential for biotech startups to lead India’s technological future.
By: Dibyendu Mondal
