Surat : The three-day Surat Start-up Summit-2013 was organized by the South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Platinum Hall of the Surat International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Sarsana. Gujarat State Home and Industry Minister Harsh Sanghvi was the chief guest and inaugurated the summit.
Banchhanidhi Pani (IAS), Commissioner of Technical Education, Gandhinagar, Government of Gujarat, was also present as a chief guest. Additional CEO of Gujarat Knowledge Society, Professor Tushar Rawal, and CEO of Gujarat Venture Finance Limited, Kamal Bansal, were also present at the ceremony.
Vijay Mewawala, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce, delivered the welcome address and said that the summit was organized to promote the start-up ecosystem in Surat and to bring awareness among the entrepreneurs of Surat. He added that the entire South Gujarat region, including Surat, is a manufacturing hub, and this summit was an effort to make Surat a financial capital hub for start-ups.
About 50 start-ups participated in the summit, out of which 70% were from Surat. Startups from Ahmedabad and Vadodara also participated. All of these startups showcased their ideas at the summit.
The Chamber of Commerce provided a platform to encourage start-ups through this summit, where start-ups, angel investors, and entrepreneurs who want to invest in start-ups would come under one roof. This would allow start-ups to get investors and launch their businesses. Mewawala further said that he had requested citizens to come to the summit to learn about the innovative ideas, technology, and products presented by the start-ups. Entry was free to learn about all the startups.
Gujarat Technical Education Commissioner Banchanidhi Pani said that India is now witnessing a start-up revolution. He added that innovation is the key word for start-ups and that the start-up revolution is not possible without technology and R&D. He said that start-ups are the innovations of the new technology revolution and that a start-up can bring a new solution. Pani said that the solution to India's problems is start-ups and that the youth of India is working for that solution. He added that they will need to be provided with a platform and encouraged to do research and development. He also said that there should be testing facilities for new products.
Pani said that there are 1 lakh start-ups across India and 9000 start-ups have been registered in Gujarat. He added that many good companies have started in Gujarat and India, and that the technology revolution that is taking place through start-ups has never happened before. He gave a presentation on the Gujarat Vibrant Start-up Summit to be held on December 7, 2013, and requested everyone, including start-ups, angel investors, and venture capital managers, to participate in this summit.
Professor Tushar Rawal, Additional CEO of Gujarat Knowledge Society, gave a presentation on the Pre-Vibrant Summit to be held on December 6 and 7. He gave detailed information about start-up rise pitching, hackathon, and question-and-answer session with the government.
Kamal Bansal, CEO of Gujarat Venture Finance Limited, said that with all kinds of facilities available in Gujarat, Gujarat will have a large number of startup unicorns in the next three to four years. He added that technology plays an important role in every field and that there are risks in start-ups, but with time, research, technology, and hard work, any start-up can be made successful.
The Surat Start-up Summit-2013 was a successful event that promoted entrepreneurship in South Gujarat. The summit brought together start-ups, angel investors, and entrepreneurs who want to invest in start-ups, providing a platform for collaboration and investment. The summit also encouraged research and development, which is essential for the success of start-ups.
