Kolkata, Jan 19: Techno India Group, in collaboration with Make Calcutta Relevant Again, successfully hosted Startup Carnival 5 – Fifth Edition, a day-long thought-leadership forum focused on “Building Bengal’s Next Growth Story: Startups, Policy & Culture.” The event brought together policymakers, startup founders, industry leaders and cultural entrepreneurs to spotlight West Bengal’s rapidly evolving startup ecosystem.
Startup Carnival 5 explored how progressive policy frameworks, cultural economies and new-age entrepreneurship are collectively shaping Bengal’s next phase of economic growth. Through high-impact conversations, expert panels and live startup pitches, the forum positioned Bengal as a dynamic and opportunity-rich destination for innovation-led enterprises.
The event opened with a Welcome Address by Professor Manoshi Roy Chowdhury, Co-Chairperson, Techno India Group, who reaffirmed the institution’s long-standing commitment to fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and strong industry–academia collaboration.
A keynote session titled “Policy as a Partner: Leveraging Government Support in the Startup Ecosystem in West Bengal,” delivered by Sanjay Kumar Das, highlighted how state-level initiatives and enabling policy frameworks are supporting startups in scaling, innovating and competing at national and global levels.
One of the highlights of Startup Carnival 5 was the flagship panel discussion, “The ₹70,000 Crore Opportunity: Durga Pujo & the Bengal Startup Ecosystem,” moderated by Mr Devadeep Purohit. The panel featured Mr Aijit Maitra, General Secretary, Samaj Sebi Sangha; Mr Samrat Sengupta, VP – Brand Building, UltraTech, MsPramita Saha Khan, VP, Karukrit; Mr Aashutosh Bhattacharyya, Assistant Secretary, Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha Puja Committee; Ms Insiyah Chawala, Senior General Manager – Marketing, Eveready and Mr Gourav Sinha, Regional Marketing Manager (East), Xiaomi India. The discussion examined how Durga Pujo one of India’s largest cultural economies continues to create significant opportunities across tourism, branding, events, food, logistics and digital experiences.
Food entrepreneurship took centre stage in the session “Built to Taste: What It Takes to Build a Successful Restaurant Today,” moderated by Mr Indrajit Lahiri Founder Foodka Consulting & Foodka Academy. The panel included Mr Shiladitya Chaudhury, Co-Founder & Director, Oudh 1590, Chapter 2 and Chaudhury & Company; Mr Murali Krishnan, Co-Founder & CMO, Wow! Momo Foods, Nishant Sinha, Founder, Roastery Coffee, Colocal Chocolate and PSCheese, Mr Sunil Saha, Founder, Blue Tea, and Kamalini Paul, Managing Director, De Sovrani, who shared practical insights on brand-building, scalability and navigating the competitive food and hospitality landscape.
The programme also featured a fireside chat on starting one’s own supper club, with Ms Sohini Banerjee, Smoke and Lime, Chef & Food Curator in conversation with Mr Indrajit Lahiri, highlighting passion-led, community-driven food ventures.
Startup Carnival 5 concluded with a Startup Pitch Marathon, offering emerging startups a platform to present their ideas to industry experts, followed by an award ceremony and vote of thanks.
“Bengal has always been a land of ideas, culture and enterprise. With the right policy support and a renewed entrepreneurial mindset, we are witnessing the rise of a powerful startup ecosystem rooted in our cultural and economic strengths. Startup Carnival 5 created meaningful dialogue between policymakers, industry leaders and young entrepreneurs, reinforcing the belief that Bengal is not just a legacy market, but a future-ready growth engine driven by innovation, creativity and collaboration”, said, Professor Manoshi Roy Chowdhury, Co-Chairperson, Techno India Group,
Through dialogue, networking and live pitching, Startup Carnival 5 – Fifth Edition successfully connected policy, culture and enterprise, marking another important milestone in Bengal’s startup journey.