High Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation Conference Hosted by FLAME University

Pune, India –

The day-long conference on ‘High Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation’ by Pune-based FLAME University successfully took place yesterday, Tuesday, February 18th 2020. 

The conference saw a slew of sessions in which innovators, educators, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts from different sectors including IT, F&B, Healthcare, and Education brainstormed on subjects like start-up pitches, investments, building unicorns, and entrepreneurship. 

Besides the conference, The Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at FLAME University launched its most-awaited ‘Postgraduate Program in Entrepreneurship and Innovation’ (PGPEI), designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs and family business owners who are seeking to launch or grow their business ventures. Addressing the audiences, Mr Monish Darda, Co-founder and CTO, ICERTIS, said, “The ethos of a vibrant economy is deeply rooted in entrepreneurship and innovation. 

As India comes of age as a world power that influences the future of the world, it is critical that we nurture, protect and celebrate this ethos. Closer to home, Pune embodies all that is critical for the growth of India – the entrepreneur-friendly ecosystem, the inclusiveness, and the quality of education that the city provides. I am sure the entrepreneurship program that FLAME University has announced will enhance this ecosystem and create more entrepreneurs willing and eager to change the world.”

Proceedings also included an introduction to the one-year PGPEI curriculum that includes a combination of workshops by industry experts, experienced entrepreneurs, investors; global and local startup immersions in Boston (USA), Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hubli; and hands-on experience of growing or launching a business. The young aspirants at the campus of FLAME University relished the inspirational words by Mr Darshan Doshi, Director, FLAME Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. 

He said, “Businesses and start-ups that need a 10X growth over the next 3 to 5 years cannot think and operate the way they have been operating so far. To create a strong impact, people need a more entrepreneurial mindset and skillset. Moreover, the learning needs to be experiential and contextual to the founders, business leaders or family business owners and the program rightly aligns with these individual needs and not the other way around. Our program is created with this approach in mind and is suitable for the next generation family business owners, individuals, or corporate intrapreneurs who want to build scalable businesses. We are looking for hungry and determined people who are on a mission to improve the lives of millions of people.”

The conference commenced with an opening address by Dr Dishan Kamdar and keynote address by Mr Monish Darda, cofounder and CTO of ICERTIS, who gave insights on ‘Building a Unicorn from Pune.’ This was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Creating High Impact Entrepreneurs’, ‘Investing in High Impact Start-ups’, ‘Entrepreneurship and Innovation on Campus’, an address on ‘Empowering Women Entrepreneurs through Pune Ladies Community’, and lastly, ‘Pitches from five startups that graduated from FLAME Origins Program’.

The conference was concluded with a closing note by Dr Dwarika Prasad Uniyal and said, “We believe this conference on High Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation was a resounding success for two main reasons. One, our ability to bring global experts to this conference reflects FLAME’s position at the forefront of education, entrepreneurship, and experiential learning. Second, our mix of interactive sessions and discussions allowed aspirants as well as faculty members to engage freely with forerunners of their respective industries. We are glad we were able to provide a day full of high-quality learning experiences and new opportunities to the participants.”

The other panellists and speakers at the conference included Dr Aravind Chinchure – Chief Mentor, FLAME University, Mr Prasanna Krishnamoorthy – Founder, Upekkha, Mr Sashi Chimala – Entrepreneur, Mr Ravi Nigam – Founder, Tasty Bite, Ms Sonia Agarwal Konjeti – Founder, PULA Pune Ladies, Mr Abhijit Gupta – Founder, Praxify, Mr Sachin Oswal – Independent Investor, Mr Gireendra Kasmalkar – General Partner of Alacrity India, Mr Vishwas Mahajan – Founder, Whizible, Dr Bharat Damani – Chair Entrepreneurship, FLAME University, Mr Advait Kurlekar – Founder, Upohan, Ms Ashwini Deshpande – Founder, Elephant Design, Dr Amarpreet S Ghura – Assistant Professor, Entrepreneurship, FLAME University, and Mr Vineet Patni – Independent Investor.

Speaking about entrepreneurship in India, Prasanna Krishnamoorthy said, “Today in India entrepreneurship is more important than ever before – a huge number of young people are looking for jobs with a shrinking number of jobs available. The only way to get out of this trap is for entrepreneurs to build high growth businesses that can employ a large number of people across skill levels. Many small businesses don’t scale up because founders lack entrepreneurial skills that can help them identify markets/products and build for scale. FLAME University’s PGPEI is focused on highly scalable businesses that are required by our economy using frameworks such as effectuation that can help founders.”

The day-long conference came to an end with students and delegates learning and sharing success stories of entrepreneurs, the importance of entrepreneurial education, challenges, and tips for sustenance. To know more about the Postgraduate Program in Entrepreneurship and Innovation visit www.flame.edu.in. The application deadline for admission cycle 3 is March 10, 2020, and deserving applicants will receive partial to a full scholarship.