CII Chandigarh Startup Conclave 2025: India will be defined by its startup ecosystem, says Guv

The CII Chandigarh Startup Conclave 2025 witnessed an inspiring call for innovation-led growth as Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor – Punjab and Administrator, UT Chandigarh, underscored the transformative role of startups in shaping India’s future. Speaking at the inaugural session, Kataria said, “The answer to what India will be in 2047 lies in India’s startup ecosystem.”  He emphasized that the Chandigarh Startup Policy 2025 will empower youth not just to earn, but to generate employment opportunities for others, thereby addressing the challenge of job creation. He further urged startups to focus on strengthening India’s agricultural backbone by innovating in sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and dairy, and drew parallels between the current start-up movement and India’s liberalisation policy which propelled rapid economic growth in the 1990s.

Nishant Kumar Yadav, Secretary – Industries, Chandigarh Administration, reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting start-ups through a progressive policy that provides 360° support from ideation to commercialisation. Taranjeet Singh Bhamra, Chairman, CII Chandigarh UT and CEO & Founder, Agnext Technologies Pvt Ltd, highlighted the need for active handholding of start-ups. The conclave deliberated on a number of themes, including sessions on cultivating a startup mindset, capital strategies for early-stage start-ups, bridging innovation gaps and a special session on ‘Defence-Startup Synergy’. In conversation with Ritika Singh, Air Vice Marshal Ashish Srivastava, Assistant Chief of Air Staff, laid down the process of co-creating solutions with startups for a safer Bharat.

The CII Chandigarh Start-up Conclave 2025 brought together policymakers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to deliberate on the roadmap for building a dynamic and globally competitive startup ecosystem in the region.