Sangam 2025 - Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Building for Viksit Bharat

Date: Saturday, Sep 14

Time: 8:00 AM

Location: Westin, Hyderabad

Alumni Registration

Guest Registration

Sangam 2025 - Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Alumni Registration Guest Registration PAN IIT and Partner

SCHEDULE

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SANGAM 2025: YOU.NOW

The Intelligence Age is here. And India is on the move. You.Now challenges YOU to step up, start up, and shape what's next NOW

Derived from the larger phrase “ Why Not You, Why Not Now” , aiming to be motivational, personal and immediate. Hence inspiring existing Entrepreneurs , Startups and Innovators - to execute better, scale and attain greater heights.

Driving India's Innovation & Entrepreneurial Future

The 6th edition of IITMAA's flagship annual conference, in collaboration with IIT Madras, will spotlight Innovation and Entrepreneurship as key drivers of India's emergence as a global leader.

This yearʼs theme celebrates bold research, breakthrough startups, and deeptech innovation—showcasing not only the vibrant IIT Madras ecosystem and alumni success stories but also transformative ventures from across the country.

Speakers

Prof. V. Kamakoti

Director, IIT Madras

Dr. S. Somanath

Vikram Sarabhai Professor ISRO

Kris Gopalakrishnan

Chairman, Axilor Ventures

Co-Founder, Infosys

Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair S.

Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala

Institute Professor, IIT Madras

Prof. Preeti Aghalayam

Director-in-Charge, IIT Madras Zanzibar

Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam

Dean, ACR, IIT Madras

Prof. Shanthi Pavan

Dean, Academic Research, IIT Madras

Anandkumar (Andy) Kannurpatti

CEO & cofounder, Cyklos Materials, Inc.

CEO, IIT Madras Foundation

Shivkumar Kalyanaraman

CEO, Anusandhan National Research Foundation, Govt. of India

Srinivas Narayanan

VP of Engineering, OpenAI

Aparna Chennapragada

Chief Product Officer - Experiences & Devices, Microsoft

Tarun Mehta

Co-Founder & CEO, Ather Energy Ltd.

Sridhar Boovaraghavan

Secretary, IITMAA

Sridhar Tirumala

CEO, Jukshio

Aravind Krishnan

MD & Head of Private Equity South East Asia, Blackstone

Swadeep Pillarisetti

Founding Partner & MD, Blue Ocean Venture Partners

Shyam Raghunandan

Managing Director, Schueco India

Prof. B. Ravindran

Head, Dept. of Data Science & AI, IITM; Head, Centre for Responsible AI, IIT Madras

Prof. Satya Chakravarthy

Co-Founder, Agnikul Cosmos, Faculty, Aerospace Dept. IIT Madras

Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam

Head, IITM Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre and Brain Centre.

Prof. Rajnish Kumar

Professor, IIT Madras

Dr.Taslimarif Saiyed

Director & CEO, C-CAMP

Anand Rangarajan

VP Engineering, Google Deepmind

Tamaswati Ghosh

CEO, IIT Madras Incubation Cell

Natarajan Malupillai

CEO, IIT Madras Research Park

Prof. Prabhu Rajagopalan

Head - School of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, IIT Madras

Avinash Avula

Country President & MD, Applied Materials, India

Srinivas Satya

President Components Business and Supply Chain, Tata Electronics Pvt.Ltd.

Shashwath Thirukkarugavoor Ramkumar

Co-founder & CEO, Mindgrove Technologies Private Limited

Manu Iyer

Founder & General Partner, Bluehill VC

Puneet Kumar

MD, Steadview Capital

K. Vijay

MD Ajax Engineering Ltd

Shalini Puchalapalli

Managing Director and Country Head, Google Customer Solutions

Divanshu Kumar

Co-Founder & CEO, Solinas Integrity & Involve

T.M. Vijay Bhaskar

Board of Governors, AquaMAP

Former Chief Secretary, Govt of Karnataka

Adarsh Sekhar

Partner, IBM Ventures

Suyash Singh

CEO & Co-Founder, GalaxEye

Nirupa Shankar

Joint Managing Director, Brigade Enterprises Ltd.

Ambi Parameswaran

Founder, Brand-Building.com

Prashant Pitti

Co-founder, EaseMyTrip & Optimo

Amrit Acharya

Co-founder & CEO, Zetwerk

Daniel Raj David

CEO, Detect Technologies

Anubama Rajan

Assistant Professor, IIT Madras

Agenda

The conference aims to address key issues related to India’s progress and development through various discussions, key notes, and presentations. It features sessions on technology, policy, and entrepreneurship, encouraging collaboration and innovation. By leveraging the expertise and networks of IIT Madras alumni, the conference seeks to contribute to the broader goal of advancing India’s growth and addressing challenges facing the country.

Participants can expect a range of activities, including keynote speeches from prominent figures, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, all centered around fostering solutions for India’s development.

Panels will cover the following topics

8:45 AM

Inauguration

Panel 1 - 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

IITs: Nurturing Global Leaders for New India

Panel 2A - 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

The Technology Wild West - New Frontiers? Sheriff? Bandits?

Panel 2B - 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Societal Impact or How to make a difference?

Panel 3A - 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

From Labs to Boardrooms: Unleashing the Power of IIT-M Alumni

Panel 3B - 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Happiness, Habits & Success

Panel 4 - 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Startups - What does it take to succeed and the IIT-M Magic Masala

Panel 5A - 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

AI and the NEU World Order

Panel 5B - 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Student Wellbeing at IITs - Challenges, Initiatives and Results

Startup Pitchfest

Investor Registration

Sangam 2025 Pitch Fest is a premier platform for high-potential startups to connect with leading investors and startups across AI, Deep Tech, EV & Automotive, Healthcare, Climate, Agriculture and SpaceTech.

Are you looking to invest in startups diligently building towards a better tomorrow?

Don’t miss the opportunity to discover disruptive startups and engage with 1,000+ innovators, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders at Sangam 2025.

YOU.NOW

IITMAA SANGAM 2025 is more than a conference - it is a movement to inspire action, drive collaboration, and shape a future where Indian innovation leads the world.

Date: Friday, 5th July, 2025

Location: Taj MG Road, Bengaluru

Alumni Registration Guest Registration

This panel discussion will explore AI's impact on global dynamics, focusing on responsible use, economic growth, societal transformation, geopolitical implications, and the vision of a Viksit Bharat. Panelists will provide recommendations for harnessing AI's benefits while mitigating risks, aiming to shape a future where AI drives progress, equity, and human well-being. Attendees will walk away with a nuanced understanding of this key set of technologies that will play an important part in our lives going forward.

Prof. B. Ravindran Center for Responsible AI, IIT Madras

Professor B. Ravindran heads the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI), the Wadhwani School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (WSAI) the Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI) and the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) at IIT Madras. Along with that, he is also the Mindtree Faculty Fellow at IIT Madras. Currently, his research interests are centred on learning from and through interactions that span the areas of geometric deep learning and reinforcement learning. He received his PhD from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and his Master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is a senior member of the Association for Advancement of AI (AAAI) and an ACM Distinguished Member.

Mr. Nagarajan Karuppiah Vice President, Head of AI, Tata Digital Ltd.

Mr. Nagarajan Karuppiah is the Vice President, Head of AI, Tata Digital Ltd. He has more than 25 years of experience in Technology across domains and companies. He is dedicated to building AI-driven solutions and exploring business opportunities for Tata Digital. With over 24 years at TCS, he has held leadership roles in global retail accounts and is an active IEEE member. He holds a US Patent for advanced search algorithms and leads the Machine Learning Center of Excellence for retail, driving strategic initiatives for top retailers and a global mobile manufacturer.

Shivakumar Kalyanaraman CTO, Microsoft Energy & Mobility

Shivkumar Kalyanaraman is the CTO for Energy & Mobility at Microsoft R&D India and Azure Global. He previously served as Executive GM at GE Power Conversion and as Program Director for Special Initiatives at IBM Research – India. Before that, he was Chief Scientist at IBM Research - Australia and held various leadership roles within IBM's research divisions. He is recognized for his work at the intersection of wireless technologies and middleware, has been named one of MIT's top 100 young innovators, and is a Fellow of IEEE and an ACM Distinguished Scientist. He received a B.Tech degree in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, followed by M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at the Ohio State University. He also holds an Executive M.B.A. (EMBA) degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Karthikeyan Shanmugam Research Scientist, Google India

Karthikeyan Shanmugam is a Research Scientist at Google Research India, and is part of the Machine Learning Foundations and Optimization Team. Previously, he was with IBM Research AI, NY and was a Herman Goldstine Postdoctoral Fellow at IBM Research, NY in the period. He obtained his Ph.D. in ECE from UT Austin, and MS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California. He received his B.Tech and M.Tech degrees in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras in 2010. His research interests broadly lie in Graph algorithms, Machine learning, Optimization, Coding Theory and Information Theory. Specifically in machine learning, his recent focus is on Causal Inference, Bandits/RL and Explainable AI.

Tushar Garimalla Co-Founder, Aspire Tech

Tushar Garimalla is a Co-Founder at Aspire, bringing 15 years of experience in product development, growth partnerships, equity fundraising, and credit risk management across various profiles, including super prime, prime, and subprime. He has worked with credit cards, term loans, auto loans, and business loans across different economic cycles and in both the US and India.

Krishnan Narayanan President, Itihaasa Rearch and Digital, Past President IITMAA

Krishnan Narayanan is the co-founder and President of Itihaasa Research and Digital. He previously served on the Infosys Labs Management Council, was President of the IIT Madras Alumni Association, and was a founding governing board member of the AquaMAP Water Centre. With a strong passion for digital innovation, he has extensive experience in various facets of the IT industry. His background includes commercialising and marketing emerging technologies, advising Global 1000 CXOs on innovation and technology adoption, managing alliances with major tech companies, and founding and collaborating with startups.

IIT Madras alumni not only are noted entrepreneurs, academics, corporate honchos, administrators, but also make an impactful difference in the society they inhabit. This panel brings together alumni who have invested significant time and effort to a variety of causes and demonstrate the impact of their choices. Through this discussion, attendees can see the different ways to harness their skills, networks, and resources to contribute meaningfully to social progress and create a lasting, positive impact on communities and beyond.

Dr. Ravishankar Gundlapalli Founder & CEO, MentorCloud

Dr. Ravishankar Gundlapalli is the Founder and CEO of MentorCloud, a cloud-based mentoring platform whose vision is to bring the transformative power of mentorship to 100 million people in the world. A recognized thought leader in mentoring, he authored "The Art of Mentoring" and has spoken at numerous global conferences. Under Ravi’s leadership, MentorCloud has grown into a global movement with users from over 100 countries actively sharing and learning from each other as mentors and mentees. Before launching MentorCloud, Dr. Ravi led supply chain solutions for clients like Boeing and Raytheon. He actively mentors entrepreneurs across the US, India, and Mexico. His mission is to inspire 100 million mentoring conversations worldwide .Dr. Ravi holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, an M.S. from Florida Atlantic University, and a B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

Rajaraman Krishnan Coordinator, Asha for Education

Rajaraman is a Coordinator at Asha for Education. He graduated in Computer Science from IIT Madras and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He worked for six years at Fujitsu Network Communications before returning to India in 2000 to found Solnet Technologies, an STPI unit that provided software development services to multiple clients, including Fujitsu, Datameg, Allied Telesyn, and Novatium. In 2006, he founded Prazas, an education technology startup, and also started the Indian division of Damaka Inc.

Dr. Balaji Sampath CEO, AID India

Balaji Sampath is an Indian educationist and social activist, as well as the CEO of the non-profit organisation, AID India. He is also the founder and CEO of AhaGuru. He obtained his B.Tech. degree in Electronics and Communication from IIT Madras. AID India trains teachers in government schools with the goal of improving the quality of teaching, especially for science and mathematics by using innovative techniques and devising educational aids. AhaGuru is a pioneering education start-up in online coaching that engages in providing training courses on different subjects online. Balaji has written many science books for primary and higher-level education to explain very complex concepts in a simple and easy to understand language for students. Balaji is also the founder and CEO of Ahaguru.A pioneer education start-up in online coaching that engages in providing training courses on different subjects online.Balaji has written many science books for primary and higher-level education to explain very complex concepts in a simple and easy to understand language for students.

Dr. A. Ravishankar Founder & CEO, Chudar

Dr. A. Ravishankar is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Chudar. He has been involved in the field of children’s education for the past 15 years. His primary work has been with Aid India, where he directed large-scale programs to improve learning quality, reaching thousands of children. He has served as a resource person for UNICEF and NCERT and has given invited presentations on education at conferences in India and abroad. Before working in the field of education, he was a full-time faculty member at IIT. He also worked at IBM, where he was awarded three U.S. patents. He holds a PhD in engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.Tech from IIT Madras.

Dr. Sapna Poti Director, Strategic Alliances, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to Govt. of India

Dr. Poti promotes research & innovation in India. She architected Manthan, a platform connecting industries, foundations, academia, & startups. A PhD from IIT Madras, she has 30+ years of experience. A Chevening Awardee, she was interviewed by Forbes and represented India at the Dubai International Festival. She won the Swedish Government’s Leadership for Transformative Change Fellowship 2023. She served at National Skill Development Corporation & Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs. Dr. Poti is a member of Niti Aayog, GIZ MSME committee, USAID, IFIA, NMCG-TERI, ASSOCHAM, etc. She has also published in leading journals.

Dr. Malati Raghunath Green Chemistry Consultant, and Guest Faculty, IIT-M

A proud alumna of IIT-M (M.Sc.Chemistry), Dr. Malati Raghunath has worked for nearly two decades in the chemical industry and briefly taught at academic institutions. Malati is a science consultant in the areas of Green chemistry and material science, specifically catering to industries such as oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and renewables. Currently, she is enjoying her stint as a Guest faculty at IIT-M teaching courses like Happiness, Habits and Success. She is passionate about science education, especially its pedagogy enabling a STEM spark in young minds. She serves as an advisor in content creation of Chudar, a non-profit in the Tamil Nadu school education space and PALS, an IIT-M outreach initiative for rural engineering colleges. When not in the science mode, Malati teaches spoken Sanskrit to children via Samskrita Bharati Balakendram. She is an ardent carnatic music aficionado, a trained vocalist and a kutcheri hopper.

The panel will dive into the essential elements that drive startup success, with a special focus on the unique advantages of the IIT-M ecosystem. Institutions like the Research Park, Incubation Cell, Nirmaan, CFI and others provide the foundation to enable the entrepreneurial spirit of IIT-M alumni to thrive. Led by the inspirational Ashok Jhunjhunwala, this panel will feature startup founders in various stages of success. Panelists will explore the critical factors for thriving in a competitive landscape, such as innovation, resilience, and networking, while highlighting how IIT-M provides the "magic masala" for entrepreneurial success.

Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala Institute Professor, IIT Madras

Ashok Jhunjhunwala is an Institute Professor at IIT Madras, known for his pioneering work in fostering Industry-Academia collaboration. He established India's first university-affiliated business park, the IIT Madras Research Park, and has incubated over 200 companies. His innovations include affordable technologies like Solar-DC systems for homes and electric vehicles, addressing critical national challenges. He holds multiple awards, including the Padma Shri, and is a member of prestigious academies like NAE USA. His contributions have significantly impacted technology adoption and entrepreneurship in India. He has also been conferred honorary doctorates by the University of Maine, USA and Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden. He has just completed one and half years of his services as Principal Advisor to the Minister of Power, MNRE and Railways, Government of India, New Delhi.

Kavitha Sairam Founder & CEO, FIB-SOL Life Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Dr Kavitha Sairam, is a first-generation entrepreneur and Founder of FIB-SOL Life technologies. She has expertise in the field of Microbial Stress Biology and received her PhD in Biotechnology from IIT Madras. Her masters was in Clinical Biochemistry, from JIPMER. She is a researcher with international publications and grants in the field of Stress Biology and Encapsulation techniques. She has received more than 11 grants, for pursuing her research both at IIT and at FIB-SOL. The core technology today at FIB-SOL is on encapsulation of biomolecules, pertaining to Sustainable Agriculture. The team at FIB-SOL is instrumental in developing carrier technologies to increase shelf life of biologicals and enable more Eco-friendly farming. The first technology at FIB-SOL is commercialised with five products in market across four states and in more than 10 crop segments with more than 2 Lac farmers. She is currently aiming to scale the business at FIB-SOL and to develop innovative technologies to address grassroots level problems in Agriculture. She was featured in the top 25 Women Trailblazers of the country in Forbes India in March 2018.

Venkat Rajaraman CEO, Cygni Energy Pvt. Ltd.

Venkat is the Founder/CEO of Cygni Energy, a leading storage technology company with cutting-edge expertise in EV Batteries and Energy Storage Systems. Cygni has deployed over 125MWh of storage solutions and powered over 100,000 Electric Vehicles. Venkat has over 25 years of experience in Product Design and Engineering. Before moving to energy storage space, he was the Vice President of Engineering at Portal Player, a company that was acquired by NVIDIA Corp. He worked at Sun Microsystems, USA and has a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. He also serves as an Advisory Committee member of the National Center for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE), India.

Ranjith Mukundan CEO & Co-Founder, Stellapps Technologies

Ranjith Mukundan is the CEO & co-founder of Stellapps, Ranjith has spent the last 12.5 years, innovating, and deploying Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and frameworks for digitising the dairy industry across India and providing technology & data-led premium market value-chain linkages to smallholder dairy farmers.

Arun Prakash Founder & CEO, GUVI

Arun Prakash is an Indian entrepreneur known for his role as the founder and CEO of GUVI, a prominent startup in the edtech industry offering quality tech education in Indian vernacular languages. His strategic vision and leadership have positioned GUVI as a leading player and pioneer in the field of vernacular educational technology. His efforts earned him recognition as a Youth Icon at the IYONS international summit, further cemented his winning of the Leading Social Entrepreneur Award by ‘Action for India’ in 2019. He also motivated thousands of tech enthusiasts as a Successful Tech Entrepreneur & TEDx speaker.

Dr. Prabhjot Kaur Co-Founder, Esmito

Dr. Prabhjot Kaur is the CEO and Co-Founder of Esmito Solutions Pvt Ltd, which offers advanced battery swap solutions and battery management systems. Previously, she was the Founder and CEO of the Centre for Battery Engineering and EVs at IIT Madras and served as Director at Reliance-TCOE. With numerous patents and publications, she has played a key role in commercialising innovative EV charging solutions and advocating for standardisation and policy in India. Dr. Kaur has received several accolades, including the Vasvik Industry Research Award and the IEEE Technology of the Year Award.

The panel will offer a comprehensive examination of the evolving landscape of student support within IITs. The panelists are the hands-on people who are responsible for student wellness in various IITs. They will discuss the multifaceted challenges faced by students, including academic pressures, relationships, and mental health concerns and will highlight successful initiatives and programs implemented to enhance student wellbeing, share data on their impact, and explore future directions for fostering a supportive and balanced educational environment. An exposure to how different IITs approach the same problem in different ways, each effective in its own way will make clear that a multi-pronged approach might be best.

Prof. R. Sarathi Dean, Planning, IIT Madras

Dr. R. Sarathi is a Professor of Power Systems at IIT Madras. He has a varied experience of over 15 years in research, teaching and consulting. He has been instrumental in conceptualising and developing the state-of-the-art High Voltage Laboratory at IIT Madras. He visited Akita University, Japan as a JSPS Fellow; visited Technical University, Munich as a DAAD Fellow and served as a visiting researcher in leading universities such as Nagaoka University, Japan, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, and Waseda University, Japan. He is currently associated with the UKIERI project, an international collaboration initiative. He was nominated as the Chairman of JEE (Advanced)-2013 and has been actively involved in the institutional initiatives of IIT Madras. In his tenure as Dean, Planning at IIT Madras, he has been keenly involved in all aspects of student wellbeing.

Prof. V Kamakoti Director, IIT Madras

Prof. V. Kamakoti got his MS and PhD in Computer Science from IIT Madras. Before being Director, he was a Professor in Computer Science at IIT Madras. He specialises in Computer Architecture, Information Security, and VLSI Design. He is a member of the National Security Advisory Board and served as Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force. He has over 150 publications, guided many research scholars, and coordinated numerous industry and government projects. He is the recipient of several awards, including the DRDO Academic Excellence Award and Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association Techno Visionary Award. As Director, he is extremely involved in promoting happiness in the campus and keeps regular tabs on wellbeing initiatives.

Prof. Santanu Misra Head, Counselling, IIT Kanpur

Professor Santanu Misra is a faculty member in the Department of Earth Sciences at IIT Kanpur. His research focuses on the physics of earthquakes and the rheology of materials under extreme conditions. Since 2022, he has been leading the Institute Counselling Service (ICS) at IIT Kanpur. He earned his Master's and Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. Before joining IIT Kanpur in 2015, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher and faculty member at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. He also served as a Senior Scientist and Visiting Faculty at GNS Science and Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (2012 - 2014). He has been honoured with several accolades, including the Swiss National Fellowship, the INSA Young Scientist Award and the prestigious Swarnajayanti Fellowship from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. As the Head of the Institute Counselling Service, Prof. Misra plays a crucial role in promoting mental health and fostering a supportive environment for the student community at IIT Kanpur.

Prof. Avlokita Agrawal Associate Dean, Students Welfare, IIT Roorkee

Prof. Avlokita Agrawal is an Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. Her academic interests include climatology and passive design. She received her PhD from IIT Roorkee. Professionally, she has worked at Asahi India Glass, leading their Green Design Division, and at Honeywell International, focusing on building energy efficiency. Now back in academia, she teaches Sustainable Built Environment and manages the IGBC student chapter at IIT Roorkee. She helped organise Sahyog '24, an Inter-IIT Wellness workshop at IIT Roorkee.

Prof. Subramanian Sankaranarayanan Chair, Student Wellbeing, IIT Gandhinagar

Professor Sankaranarayanan is an Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar. He is skilled in Plant genetics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He is a research professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) focused on Plant Developmental Biology from The University of Calgary. He is also the Chair of Student Wellbeing at IIT Gandhinagar. He helped organise the workshop on Student Wellbeing at IIT Gandhinagar in March ‘24.

Prof. MS Sivakumar Ex-Dean Students, current HoD, AppMech, IIT Madras

Prof. M.S. Sivakumar is the head of the Department of Applied Mechanics at IIT Madras, recognized for his contributions to both academia and industry. He got his B.Tech and MS from IIT Madras. As the former Dean of Students (DoSt) at IIT Madras, he played a pivotal role in enhancing student engagement and welfare. In addition to his academic accomplishments, he is the Founder-Director of Newtomech Innovations Ltd and Biomimicry Compass Ltd, where he leads projects in applied mechanics and biomimicry, driving innovation and sustainability.

IIT Madras is well known for its Startup Ecosystem. An important aspect of making a startup succeed is the financing that is needed for it to grow. Private Equity/Venture Capital/Angel Investing plays a key part in this phase of the startup journey. This panel brings IIT-M alumni who are now successful investors themselves or manage professional venture capital firms who will talk about what they look for, both in terms of ideas as well as people, to invest in. The discussion will cover what is it about IIT-M, its alumni and the environment that has proven successful in entrepreneurship and how the right financing provides the necessary impetus along the way.

Ben Mathias Managing Partner, Vertex Ventures SEA & India

Ben Mathias is a Managing Partner at Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India. He graduated with a B.Tech from IIT Madras. Since joining Vertex in 2015, he has made multiple investments in Consumer Internet, Fintech, Enterprise Technology, and Digital Health. He was a partner at New Enterprise Associates (NEA) where he launched their India presence and opened their Bangalore office. While at NEA, he led several investments. Ben has served on the boards of companies such as Licious, FirstCry, XPressBees, Kapiva, IVF Access, CloudCherry, Hotelogix, Flutura, Synup, Active AI, and GlowRoad. He holds overall responsibility for the firm's investments in India.

Vinod Thomas Ex-Managing Partner, Lapis India Capital

Vinod Thomas is a seasoned investment professional and advisor with a diverse background. After a B.Tech from IIT Madras, he began his career as an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, serving in various roles across Kerala for nearly 13 years. In 2002, he earned his MBA from Tulane University in the USA. In 2006, Vinod moved into private equity, eventually managing substantial investment funds amounting to over US$ 1.5 billion. His tenure from 2006 to 2019 at IL&FS Investment Managers provided him with extensive expertise in real estate investments. In 2019, he joined Lapis India Capital, where he continued to manage the same real estate fund, showcasing his enduring commitment and deep understanding of the sector. He currently consults for Lapis India Capital.

Atul Shinghal Founder and CEO, Scripbox

Atul Shinghal, the Founder and CEO of Scripbox, is dedicated to helping a million families achieve financial freedom by making Scripbox the preferred partner in their wealth creation journey. He got a B.Tech from IIT Madras. With extensive leadership experience at Coats Viyella, Standard Chartered, Old Mutual, and Capital One, Atul has a distinguished track record in the financial industry. He established a digital bank in 2006 and applied for an AMC licence in 2010. Atul is a strong advocate for providing everyone with good, bias-free wealth management.

Nidhi Ghuman Founder, Vincere Partners

Nidhi Ghuman is the Founder & Managing Partner of Vinceré Partners, a private equity fund focused on growth investments in Tech, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Consumer sectors. Nidhi has spent close to two decades in financial services, including 13 years in private equity. She brings rich experience across the entire lifecycle of a private equity business and has invested close to $1bn across multiple sectors and business stages. Previously, Nidhi has worked in leadership roles at 360 One AMC and Multiples Private Equity fund. She has also served on the boards of Kauvery Hospitals, CoreEL Technologies, Hearing Solutions, Nephroplus, Bikaji Foods etc. Nidhi did her B.Tech from IIT Madras and MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur.

Dr. Srikanth Sundararajan General Partner, VentureEast

With 40 years of experience, Srikanth is a big player in startups. He got a B.Tech from IIT Madras. He invests in early ventures (Hyperverge, Ather Energy). He held leadership positions at Persistent, Cognizant, and founded his own companies. Combining industry and academic experience, he brings a well-rounded perspective to the startup ecosystem.

Kaviraj Nair CEO, Office of Institutional Advancement - IIT-M

Kaviraj Nair is the Chief Executive Officer at the Office of Institutional Advancement, IIT Madras. With over two decades of leadership experience at Tata Group and GE, he excels in corporate strategy, marketing, business development, and corporate finance. His career spans sectors such as software, FMCG, and power, where he has successfully led strategic initiatives and managed large client relationships. He specialises in collaborating with senior leadership to implement business strategies and drive growth.

The session addresses the crucial balance between rapid growth and environmental stewardship. This insightful session will bring together experts and thought leaders who will showcase their cutting-edge research expertise in various areas. Viksit Bharat undoubtedly needs development - however, when done in the most sustainable way possible for a developing nation like ours, we can proudly take our natural place among the developed nations of the world for having done it in the right way. The panel will discuss how their research, while keeping frameworks like UNSDGs, will bring about the Vikas while staying within the Guardrails.

Phani Kishan Addepalli Co-founder, Swiggy

Phani Kishan Addepalli is one of the co-founders of Swiggy-one of India's best known consumer brands and tech platforms. He has been involved in and led some of Swiggy's most critical functions, including Instamart- India’s leading quick commerce platform where he oversaw the growth and strategic direction of the business. Before joining Swiggy, Phani was a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. Phani holds a Bachelor’s degree in CS from IIT Madras and an MBA from IIM Calcutta.

Mili Majumdar Senior Vice President, US Green Building Council

Mili Majumdar, a Distinguished Alumnus of IIT Madras, has over three decades of experience in the energy and environment sector, focusing on the sustainable development of habitats. She has also completed courses in Sustainable Investing and Design Thinking from Harvard Business School (online). She got her MS from IIT Madras. She is a strategic thinker, institution builder, eloquent speaker, and innovative solution provider. She is proficient in green building, climate-resilient housing, sustainable financing, affordable housing, sustainable city planning, and urban transportation.

Prof. Manu Santhanam Dean, IC&SR, IIT-M

Dr. Manu Santhanam is a Professor in the Building Technology and Construction Management division, Department of Civil Engineering and is currently Dean for Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (ICSR), IIT Madras. His research domains cover cement chemistry and multi-scale characterization of concrete including non-destructive testing, assessment of deterioration mechanisms in concrete and masonry structures, 3D printing of concrete structures, concrete durability and use of supplementary cementing materials. He got his B.Tech from IIT Madras. He is also a part of the National Centre for Safety of Heritage Structures (NCSHS) in IITM which focuses on scientific methods for conservation of heritage structures.

Prof. Indumathi M. Nambi Professor, Civil Engineering, IIT-M

Prof. Indumathi Nambi is a Professor in Environmental Engineering and the School of Sustainability at IIT Madras, where she also serves as the Coordinator of the Carbon Zero Challenge and is the Chairperson of the Women's Forum. Additionally, she is a National Expert in Solid Waste Management for the Unnat Bharath Abhiyan. Her research focus has been primarily in the water quality sector - specifically groundwater, industrial wastewater treatment, and restoration of water bodies.

Prof. Rajnish Kumar Head, School of Sustainability, Professor, Chemical Engineering, IIT-M

Rajnish Kumar is a chemical engineer specialising in clathrate hydrates and gas hydrates. He is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. He is the Head of the School of Sustainability, and serves as a Board Member of the Energy Consortium. In 2022, he received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology. In 2018, Clarivate Analytics named him one of the World's Most Influential Scientific Minds and a Highly Cited Researcher in Engineering. Additionally, he was honoured with the NASI-SCOPUS Young Scientist Award in 2016.

The initiative of IIT Madras to open the Department of Medical Technology acknowledges the increasing role that technology is playing in modern medicine. The panel explores the transformative intersection of engineering and healthcare. This engaging session will feature experts and innovators who will showcase how advanced engineering principles are driving breakthroughs in medical technology, from cutting-edge diagnostics and wearable health devices to next-generation treatments and surgical innovations. By highlighting the collaborative efforts between engineers and medical professionals, the panel will illuminate how these technological advancements are enhancing patient care, improving outcomes, and shaping the future of medicine.

Prof. Boby George Head, Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT-M

Prof. George is the Head of the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology at IIT Madras. He received a PhD in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras. His research interests lie in sensor interface electronics, electric and magnetic field-based sensors, and biomedical instrumentation. He has published extensively in these fields, with his research work featured in numerous scientific journals and conferences.

Dr. Sundar Swaminathan Chair, Nephrology, IISc Bangalore

Dr. Swaminathan serves as the Inaugural Chair and Professor in the Department of Nephrology within the Division of Medical Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India, with additional responsibilities as Associate Faculty in the Department of Bioengineering. He also holds an Adjunct Faculty position at Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale.

Dr. Sathya Sriram CEO, Apollo Preventive Care

In her current position as CEO of Apollo Preventive Care, she is armed with a mandate to shift consumer mindset from curative to preventive care for themselves and their families. She has over 20 years of experience working in healthcare, media, governments and non-profits in India, Southeast Asia and the USA. She has also worked with insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield (Michigan, USA) and the media house, The Hindu Group. She has a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from Johns Hopkins University. She brings her understanding of the brain to develop insights about the way people behave and respond.

Prof. Renu John Biomedical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad

Prof. Renu John is a seasoned academic, serving as a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad. He received his PhD from IIT Delhi. With extensive experience in the higher education sector, Prof. John is a strong research professional with expertise in Medical Devices, Healthcare Entrepreneurship, Optics, Research, Image Processing, and Pattern Recognition.

CP Madhusudhan Director Vyuhaa Med Data

CP Madhusudhan is a leader at Vyuhaa Med Data, focused on developing technology-led solutions to eliminate cervical cancer in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad. He received a B.Tech. from IIT Madras. He co-founded Lucid Software with fellow IIT alumni, specialising in software for Nondestructive Testing (NDT) and Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE), creating solutions for X-ray, ultrasound, and computed tomography for industrial applications, and is now exploring healthcare opportunities.

Today’s world is interconnected like never before. Technology has played a big part in getting us here. Ubiquitous technologies like UPI have transformed the pace of development in all tiers of society. However, this ubiquity comes with challenges. Just examine the worldwide disruption caused by the recent Crowdstrike issue. Panelists will debate the roles of various stakeholders—be it the pioneers pushing boundaries, the regulators acting as 'sheriffs' enforcing standards, or the 'bandits' exploiting gray areas. Through this dialogue, attendees will gain insights into the balance between innovation and regulation, and the strategies for navigating the complex and evolving technology landscape.

Anil Valluri Vice President, Palo Alto Networks

Anil Valluri is the Managing Director and Vice President, India & SAARC at Palo Alto Networks. With over 36 years of industry experience, he joined Palo Alto Networks from Google India, where he led the Google Cloud business and accelerated cloud transformation for enterprises. Previously, he served as President for the India and SAARC region at NetApp for eight years, driving significant business growth. He has held leadership roles at prominent tech companies like NetApp and Sun Microsystems, with expertise in sales, services, consulting, and product management.

Sateesh Andra Managing Director, Endiya Partners

Sateesh Andra is a Managing Partner at Endiya Partners, a leading early-stage VC firm focused on deep tech. With over two decades of experience, He has invested in and guided innovative companies like Darwinbox, Kissht, Zluri, Scrut Automation, Qapita, and Myelin Foundry. Under Sateesh's leadership, Endiya Partners has been instrumental in shaping India's tech landscape. The firm's investments in AI, Data Security, Semiconductors, Robotics, and Biotech have contributed significantly to advancements in these fields. Sateesh's commitment to bring technological innovation is evident in his deep engagement with these companies, supporting India's mission towards Viksit Bharat.

Prof. Satya Chakravarthy Co-Founder of Agnikul Cosmos, Prof. Aerospace Department, IIT Madras

Satya Chakravarthy is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Madras. He heads NCCRD, the largest combustion research center globally, and also leads DRDO's Centre of Propulsion Technology. He founded The ePlane Company, developing hybrid aerial vehicles. He serves as Director for Agnikul Cosmos, Aerostrovilos, and advises GalaxEye & NewTrace. As a faculty mentor for Team Avishkar Hyperloop, he works on commercialising hyperloop technology.

Srinivasa Rao Mahankali CEO, THub

Mahankali Srinivas Rao (MSR) is the Chief Executive Officer of T-Hub and leads its mission of driving results and collaboration for entrepreneurs’ success. An accomplished serial entrepreneur, MSR has built and scaled businesses across geographies over his 35-year stint in the IT industry. At T-Hub, MSR is committed to pivoting around the 6Ms (Money, Market, Motivation, Manpower, Mentors, Methodologies) and 2Ps (Partnerships & Policy advisory), positioning the organisation to become a stronger innovation ecosystem enabler with high-quality outcomes. MSR served as Chief Executive Officer of GAME (Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship), a social impact entity, where he was responsible for the implementation of the organisation’s programs and expansion plans in its mission to catalyse 10 million mass entrepreneurs by 2030.

N. Bharath Daka Skyroot

Naga Bharath Daka is one of the Co-founders of Skyroot Aerospace and is currently serving as its Chief Operating Officer (COO). He got his Dual Degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras. He is also responsible for Avionics and GNC development at Skyroot. Before starting Skyroot, he worked as a flight computer engineer at VSSC ISRO and later worked briefly in the semiconductor industry.

Swadeep Pillarisetti Startup Chair, Sangam IIT MAA, Managing Partner, Blue Ocean VP

Swadeep Pillarisetti, an entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience, builds impactful companies across education (VidyaVed), electric vehicles (EVs), consumer internet, health tech, and social causes (Covid India Campaign). He raised funds for essential medical supplies during the Covid crisis. An IIT Madras alumnus, he holds Masters & PhD-level research experience at top US universities (Georgia Tech, UChicago, Northwestern). He advises and mentors early-stage ventures, guiding them towards growth and fundraising.

While another panel explores the institutional response to enhancing student wellbeing, this panel shows one of the ways that alumni have contributed to this issue at IIT Madras. Through this very popular and successful course, students are taught about simple habits and frameworks that make them happier so that they can be more successful at achieving their goals. Condensed versions of two modules, one on a concept called the River of Life and another on responding to Failure, are presented by experienced alumni facilitators who teach this course at IIT Madras. It hopes to inspire alumni to get more involved in helping with student wellbeing.

Kasthuri Shankar Actor, Lawyer, Activist

Kasthuri Shankar is an Indian actress, lawyer, and activist known for her work in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada films. She was crowned Miss Chennai and Femina Miss Madras in 1992 while still in college, where she began her modelling career driven by her passion for the industry. Beyond her achievements in modelling and acting, she was also a finalist in the BBC's Mastermind India 2000 quiz.

Sridhar Boovaraghavan Secretary, IITMAA, Sangam 2024 Chair

Sridhar Boovaraghavan bridges finance and engineering with an MBA in Finance from Wisconsin School of Business, B.Tech. from IIT Madras, and MS from SUNY Buffalo, both in Civil Engineering. He co-founded a cybersecurity startup and held leadership roles in global companies. He serves as the Secretary, IIT Madras Alumni Association and is the chair of Sangam 2024. He is passionate about student well-being and teaches the "Happiness, Habits and Success" course at IIT-M. He is also pursuing a (MA, Sanskrit Grammar) with the (Central Sanskrit University).