Jaipur, Mar 09: Aarohan 3.0, the flagship startup summit of AIC–JKLU, concluded successfully at the JK Lakshmipat University campus, reinforcing its role as a catalyst for youth entrepreneurship and innovation. Held under the theme “Viksit Bharat 2047: Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Powered by Atal Incubation Centres,” the summit brought together government officials, founders, venture capitalists, corporate leaders, policymakers, and hundreds of students and entrepreneurs from across India.
The summit began with a leadership interaction and campus walkthrough led by Dr. Vijaysekhar Chellaboina, Vice Chancellor, JK Lakshmipat University, followed by the inaugural ceremony and welcome address. Setting the tone for the event, Mr. Prem Singh, President (Group HR), JK Organisation, highlighted the critical role of universities and incubation centres in nurturing the next generation of innovators.
The opening keynote by Mr. Irendra Chhabra, President – Bharuwa Solutions, explored how young entrepreneurs can contribute to India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047, encouraging students to view entrepreneurship as a pathway to national development.
“Entrepreneurs will play a very critical role in building businesses that expand access, affordability, and inclusion. When new ventures solve problems, they become nation-building institutions,” he said.
The keynote address was followed by a panel discussion on “Atmanirbhar Bharat through Student Startups: Building Indigenous Solutions with Global Competitiveness,” featuring Mr. Vikramjeet Singh, Chief of Human Resources, ILM and Administration at Bajaj General Insurance; Mr. Shaakun Khanna, Senior Advisor & Head – Leadership and HR Transformation, SHRM; Mr. Ajmer Deshwal, HR Head at Dixon Technologies; and Mr. Rajesh Sharma, CEO at Unikpharma.
Later sessions included a keynote by Mr. Satya Narayanan R, Founder-Chairman of CL Educate on “The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Lessons from 30 Years of Edu-Venturing,” and a fireside chat titled “The Founder’s Playbook for 2047,” where industry leaders shared insights on the skills and vision required for future-ready startups.
A special session by Dr. Dipan Sahu, Assistant Innovation Director, Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, AICTE on the Viksit Bharat 2047 Roadmap highlighted the next two decades of youth-led innovation in India.
The summit also witnessed participation from several ecosystem leaders and mentors across panel discussions, fireside chats, Crowd Venture sessions, and the Demo Day. They included Saksham Gupta, Director, Dr. B Lal Clinical Laboratory & Deputy Director, Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology; Pallavi Tak, Head, Acceleration & Insights, ThinkAg; Ankit Jain, Co-Founder, EF Polymer; Amit Singal, Founding Partner, Indicorn Angels; Abhishek Kakkar, VP Investments, IAN Group; Malhar Rajiv Potnis, Co-Founder, Arthayan; Sundeep Tibrewal, Partner, AirDhan Capital Advisors; Krishn Pal Jadon, CEO, CURAJ Incubation Foundation; Kunal Jain – Founder, Aravali Incubation; Santosh Nair – Executive President – Global, NIMS University; Saksham Saxena, Director, Platforms, Social Alpha; Amit Srivastava, Chief of Staff, Campus Fund; Jerry Joshy, Startup Fellow & Regional Incharge at Ministry Of Education’s Innovation Cell, AICTE HQ; Puneet Madaan, Managing Consultant and Startup Mentor at iStart Rajasthan; and Manoj Kumar Agarwal, Managing Partner at SEAFUND.
The summit concluded with a panel discussion on “From Incubation to Independence: How Ecosystem Support Shapes the Founder’s Entrepreneurial Journey.”
The event also provided extensive networking opportunities for students and founders to engage with experienced mentors and investors.
Speaking about the summit, Vijaysekhar Chellaboina, Vice Chancellor, JK Lakshmipat University, stated, “The success of Aarohan 3.0 reaffirms our vision of nurturing entrepreneurial talent. Seeing students and startups engage so enthusiastically with industry leaders is a testament to the potential of India’s next-generation innovators.”
Mr. Prem Singh, President (Group HR), JK Organisation, said,
“Aarohan 3.0 has successfully connected emerging entrepreneurs with experienced mentors. The interactions and insights shared here will have a lasting impact on the startup community.” He further added, “Platforms like Aarohan are essential for inspiring young innovators and enabling them to transform ideas into impactful ventures.”
Aarohan 3.0 further strengthened AIC-JKLU’s mission to empower founders, enable innovation-led growth, and contribute meaningfully to India’s evolving startup ecosystem.
