Kanpur, February 04, 2026: The E-Summit’25, organized by the Entrepreneurship Cell of IIT Kanpur, unfolded as a three-day confluence of innovation, leadership, and youthful ambition, bringing together industry leaders, creators, policymakers, and aspiring entrepreneurs from across the country. Anchored in the spirit of Aegis of Ascendence, the summit emphasized resilience, growth, and the courage to rise amid uncertainty - setting the tone for a transformative entrepreneurial journey.

Day one set a strong foundation for E-Summit’25 with an inauguration that reflected academic excellence and entrepreneurial vision. Held at the Main Auditorium, the opening ceremony featured Ms. Puja Upadhyay, Deputy General Manager, PFRDA, Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, Prof. Ankush Sharma, Faculty Advisor, Entrepreneurship Cell, and Prof. Deepu Philip, Professor-in-Charge, SIIC. Prof. Manindra Agrawal reiterated the Institute’s commitment to innovation and impact-driven entrepreneurship. Prof. Ankush Sharma highlighted the role of student-led initiatives in shaping the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and Prof. Deepu Philip emphasized structured incubation and industry collaboration in scaling ideas into sustainable ventures. The inauguration concluded with the announcement of the PFRDAHackathon by Ms. Puja Upadhyay, marking a step toward policy-driven, real-world problem-solving.

From the ceremonial lamp lighting to ideas igniting at the Go-To-Market Hackathon powered by Overlayy, the journey of innovation officially began. Participants immersed themselves in intense ideation and execution, translating concepts into tangible solutions under time-bound constraints - perfectly reflecting the summit’s ethos of ascent through action. The momentum was building, and this ascent had only just begun.

The second day opened with the inauguration of the Startup Expo, creating a vibrant space for startups and innovators to showcase cutting-edge solutions while engaging directly with students and professionals. A major highlight was the Industry Panel on Deep Tech and Artificial Intelligence, led by Mr.Sarvesh Gujarati, Manager at QWR, who shared grounded insights into the evolving AI ecosystem, scalability challenges, and the realities of building deep-tech ventures. This was followed by a keynote session by Mr. Harshavardhan, Co-founder of FRND, who spoke about community-first platforms and the importance of trust in the digital age. Adding further momentum, entrepreneur and youth icon Mr. Prafull Billore, MBA Chaiwala, delivered a compelling address on resilience, adaptability, and embracing unconventional paths.

The Creators’ Conclave, featuring Mr. Deepak Wadhwa, Mr. Vibhu Varshney, and Mr. Yash Pratap Singh, explored content creation, digital influence, and sustainable personal branding. The academic dimension was strengthened through sessions by NPTEL and Swayam Prabha, emphasizing accessible learning and skill development. Competitive events such as Decrypt, MUC, and The Upstart Finale reached decisive stages, testing participants on innovation, analytical depth, and execution. The Upstart Finale witnessed rigorous evaluations by an eminent panel of venture capitalists and angel investors, including Ms. Mahima JinahKim (Unicorn Incubator, Korea), Mr. Abhishek Mallik (TF Capital), Mr. Ashok Agrawal (Angel Investor), Mr. Ankit Jain (Spotlight), Mr. Divyam Salarpuria (Campus Fund), Mr. Abhijeet Bhandari (Angel Investor), Mr. Ankur Gupta (SucSEED Ventures), Mr. Puru Modani (BM Capital Family House), Mr. Krish Limbani (GrowX), and Ms. Monika Pande (YourNest Venture Capital), offering founders valuable insights, critical feedback, and exposure to diverse investment perspectives. The YEC Finale further tested participants on strategic thinking and execution. Hands-on workshops like “Product in the Era of AI” by Ms. Chetna Das from Microsoft and “Rising Above the Markets” by Mr.Deepak Wadhwa offered practical industry exposure.

The final day focused on leadership, scale, and long-term vision throughBlueprints of Ascendence, featuring an eminent panel comprising Mr. Saurabh Jain (Advisor, Paytm), Mr. Vaibhav Tewari (Co-founder, Portea Medical), Mr. Kaleeswaran (Group CFO & Head of Strategy, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals), and Mr. Sankar Bora (founding team member, Myntra). Their discussion delivered unfiltered insights into scaling organizations, navigating uncertainty, and building enduring enterprises. The day also featured a highly engaging session by Ms. Shraddha Khapra, which strongly resonated with the student community. Workshops conducted by Google further enriched the learning experience, while flagship competitions, including Upstart Campus, Be an Angel Finale, Sell Your Soul Finale, and CM YUVA culminated, celebrating entrepreneurial excellence.

The summit concluded with a grand closing ceremony at the Open Air Theatre, featuring Mr. Neeraj Walia, EzSnippet, whose address encapsulated the spirit of E-Summit’25 - urging young innovators to think boldly, act decisively, and rise with purpose. Through its integrated blend of thought leadership, competitions, workshops, and experiential learning, E-Summit 2025 at IIT Kanpur reaffirmed its role as a catalyst for building resilient, future-ready entrepreneurs under the true aegis of ascendence.

About IIT Kanpur

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, established in 1959, is recognized as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India. Renowned for excellence in science, engineering, and interdisciplinary education, IIT Kanpur spans a 1,050-acre lush green campus and comprises 20 departments, 27 centres, three interdisciplinary programmes, and three specialized schools. With over 570 faculty members and more than 9,500 students, the institute continues to lead in innovation, research, and holistic development.

For more information, please visit: www.iitk.ac.in.