Amity Innovation Incubator, in collaboration with the Bharat Startup India Summit, organised the Noida edition of the Bharat Startup Yatra, which saw an enthusiastic gathering of over 1,100 startups and a live audience of 5,000 from 14 countries and 29 cities worldwide.
Hosted at Amity University, Noida, the Bharat Startup Festival marks a historic milestone as the first multi-country startup ecosystem hybrid programme held in Bharat.
The event’s chief guest, Sunil Kumar Sharma, Minister of Electronics and IT, Government of Uttar Pradesh, commended Dr Aseem Chauhan, Chancellor of Amity University, and Vinayak Nath, President of Bharat Startup India Summit, for initiating this unique national programme. He emphasised the importance of leadership and highlighted the government’s commitment to empowering young entrepreneurs to drive the state and national economy forward.
Speaking at the event, Aseem Chauhan, Chancellor of Amity University and President, Amity Innovation Incubator, highlighted Amity’s leading role in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across its campuses. He praised the Amity Innovation Incubator for its efforts in supporting budding entrepreneurs on their journey to success and establishing Amity as a model in the startup ecosystem.
Awanish Awasthi, IAS (Retd.), Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, noted the timeliness and impact of the Bharat Startup Festival, emphasising its role in guiding startups through the ecosystem with a holistic approach. He emphasised Uttar Pradesh’s mission to achieve a $1-trillion economy under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and expressed confidence in Amity’s startups to contribute significantly to the state and nation’s economic growth.
Vinayak Nath, National President of Bharat Startup India Summit (BSIS), shared insights on India’s rapid ascent as the third-largest startup ecosystem globally, with aspirations to reach the second position by 2026. He highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s talent pool, noting that nearly half of India’s unicorn founders originate from the state. Nath also announced the launch of a BSIS Industry Cell at all Amity campuses globally, which will provide a single-window interface to connect startups with investors, mentors, and government programmes.
The event featured panel discussions and fireside chats with experts from well-known corporations including Microsoft, Thinkuvate, and Kent RO, who discussed the future of AI and deeptech and their impact on startup fundraising.
Vinay Kumar, Director of AI Microsoft, APAC, outlined the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in industries such as healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and education, stressing AI’s potential to drive data-driven decisions and automate processes for enhanced customer experiences.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Swati Nath, CEO & Secretary General of BSIS, and was attended by prominent leaders, including Col. Saurabh Sanyal, Advisor-in-Chief, BSIS; Mahesh Gupta, Chairman, Kent RO; Dr Balvinder Shukla, Vice-Chancellor, Amity University – Uttar Pradesh; and Shammi Khanna, Co-funder & Managing Partner, Dolce Vita Advisors.
