IIM B EPGP hosts startups on campus

The One year full time MBA (EPGP) at IIM Bangalore (IIM B) recently held its first start-up event Connexions. The event served as a platform to connect start-ups and students. A total of six start-ups participated in the event to discuss their business models, share insights and conduct interviews for students who would like to work in a challenging start-up environment.

Startups are the flavour of the season in India. From Billion dollar valuations for Flipkart to the acquisition of Indian firm Little Eye Labs by Facebook: the buzz around startups is palpable.

IIM B students, recently organised the first Startup Connexions on campus to connect with these young but fast growing companies. Oneyearmba.co.in was on campus for the event and interacted with students and participating companies.

One of the start-ups present at IIM B was NextGen, a pioneer in carbon footprint and sustainability management in Asia. The company was previously incubated at IIM B’s N. S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning and at BITS-Pilani’s Technology Business Incubator. It works on carbon neutrality for products and companies, 360-degree sustainability strategies, and renewable energy policies.

Two start-ups from the healthcare industry also attended the event. “Even though it is quite challenging to work with small companies, I am happy to see the interest from candidates who want to be a part of our company. The whole event looks very positive,” said Hari Vasudevan, Managing Director of Ostrich Mobility Instruments, in a press statement. The company designs affordable personal mobility equipment and hospital furniture. Achira Labs, a medical diagnostics company, was another participant from the healthcare industry. Achira is developing a proprietary lab-on-chip platform that is looking to enter under-served markets.

Sapta IDC, a design innovation and consulting company, was also present. The company conducts design research to gauge design impact and provide customised solutions.

In total, six upcoming startups interacted with around 75 students on campus.

The fact that most of these startups have been incubated in Bangalore makes working for them attractive for students as many call the city their hometown. Many of the students have long been residents of Bangalore and have worked for global MNCs such as Amazon, IBM, Accenture, many of which are headquartered in the city. For these students, startups present a young and exciting environment to work in.

Over the coming years, Bangalore seems set to be the epicenter of startup activity in India. The Startup Ecosystem Report 2012 pointed at the availability of technical talent and the fact that many Venture Capital funds operate out of the city as some of the key reasons behind Bangalore’s success in creating an environment that’s ripe for launching a venture.

The same report ranked Bangalore No. 19 on the Top 20 cities for starting a company. Below is snapshot of the ranking.