Madurai, July 18: Organised under the theme, ‘Entrepreneurship Beyond Boundaries,’ YiFi 2026, the two-day national financial entrepreneurship summit of Young Indians , an integral part of the Confederation of Indian Industry , is being held in the city on July 17 and 18, attracting 450 young entrepreneurs and changemakers representing Yi chapters from over 50 cities across the country.
Delivering the Special Address at the inaugural session, Mr. J. Murugavel, Vice Chairman, CII Tamil Nadu State Council, and Founder & CEO, BharatMatrimony Group, said,
“Entrepreneurs need to constantly upgrade their aspirations to continue growing in business. Instead of being content with their dominance in the category they created through their first product or service, they should continue creating new categories.”
Mr. Murugavel cited the example of BharatMatrimony, which created India’s online matchmaking category, which has since expanded into multiple categories catering to customers from different languages, communities, premium and affluent, as well as the bottom-of-the-pyramid population. It has also diversified into wedding services.
Mr. Murugavel said that achieving financial independence or creating wealth alone would not solve all of life’s problems. Entrepreneurs, therefore, should focus on other important dimensions of life as well. They should consciously allocate time to areas such as health, while also prioritising the most important tasks in their business. This, he said, is the essence of effective time management.
Commenting on increasing geopolitical tensions, he cautioned that just as trade has been weaponised, technology too could be weaponised in the future. “India currently relies on foreign companies for artificial intelligence and social media platforms. There is no guarantee that these technologies would not be used as instruments of geopolitical or economic influence,” he said and added that the time had come for India to develop its own technology platforms and strengthen its technological self-reliance.
In his address, Mr. Arun Rathod, National Chairman, Yi, said the organisation has more than 8,000 members across 72 chapters and is rapidly expanding to more cities with the objective of nurturing entrepreneurs who contribute to nation-building. He added that Yi is providing platforms and programmes that enable aspiring entrepreneurs to experience entrepreneurship firsthand by fostering critical thinking, helping them identify opportunities, and equipping them to make informed decisions.
Mr. Anuj Agarwal, National Vice Chairman, Yi, said India possesses all the key enablers for economic success, including a young demographic, a supportive policy ecosystem, and a growing entrepreneurial culture. These strong fundamentals are driving the country’s rapid economic progress and creating immense opportunities for young entrepreneurs to participate in India’s growth story.
Ms. Namrata Bhatt, Chair-Entrepreneurship, Yi, said India has tremendous potential to emerge as a global economic powerhouse driven by technological innovation and entrepreneurship. She said forums such as YiFi bring together startup founders, investors, industry leaders, and young changemakers to exchange ideas, build meaningful networks, and explore collaborative opportunities that can accelerate entrepreneurial growth.
Mr. Vikranth Karmegam, Chair – Yi Madurai, said Madurai has the potential to evolve into a leading heritage tourism destination while strengthening its position as a growing information technology hub. He added that the city is also emerging as an important node in the Defence Industrial Corridor in south Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Anind Ben Roy, Co-Chair – Entrepreneurship, Yi, proposed the vote of thanks. Following the inaugural session, the summit featured a special session titled Building Billion-Dollar Businesses: The Mindset, Money & Mistakes, delivered by Mr. Chinnakannan Sivasankaran, Founder of Aircel and Mentor at AIWO.