The first day of the three-day ASEAN-India Start-up Festival 2024 opened at IIT Kanpur, marked with the formal inauguration, promising interactions, displays, and connections on the road to regional innovations and consolidation of the ecosystems of startups in India and ASEAN countries. Organized by IIT Kanpur’s Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) in collaboration with the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the festival brings together a diverse mix of over 100 startups, industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators.

The event was inaugurated by an inspiring keynote by Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, who highlighted the transformative potential of such collaborations. “At IIT Kanpur, we are honored to host this platform that unites visionary minds from across borders, igniting an entrepreneurial spirit that drives sustainable growth and technological innovation. The ASEAN-India Start-up Festival 2024 embodies the transformative power of collaboration in building a brighter, more inclusive future,” said Prof. Agrawal.

Advancing Innovation Through Discussion and Debate
The opening day consisted of two highly engaging panel discussions on “The Role of Cultural Intelligence in Market Expansion” and “Emerging Trends and Techniques in Cybersecurity,” reflecting the commitment of the festival to address diverse challenges being faced by startups. Experts discussed how cultural intelligence can enable businesses to efficiently expand into new markets by respecting and understanding local nuances while the cybersecurity panel explored some of the cutting-edge solutions to safeguard the rapidly growing digital economy.

These dialogues reflect the joint commitment of ASEAN and India to innovate their way to solve regional challenges. Cultural intelligence and cybersecurity are critical in helping startups thrive across borders and continue growing in an increasingly interconnected world,” noted a panellist.

A Common Vision for Regional Growth

The festival reflects the vision of ASEAN and India for an inclusive and sustainable future. His Excellency Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN, spoke strongly on the regional theme in his speech. “This festival represents the common vision of the future for ASEAN and India-indifferent to the future that should be ‘inclusive’ and ‘sustainable.’ It brings to life our increasing ability to meet challenges at the regional level by being inventive, thus no longer seeking to look into the glasses of the West but can chart its own course powered by collaboration and regional strengths,” he said.

Satvinder Singh has further lauded the festival as a celebration of the partnership of ASEAN-India, which is continuously progressing in response to critical needs that range from technology assimilation, market penetration, to social and economic development.

A Platform for Startups and Innovators

The ASEAN-India Start-up Festival 2024 has 100 start-ups to display their solutions, network with investors, and engage in cross-border collaborations. The participants are drawn from a wide range of sectors, including fintech, health tech, green technology, and artificial intelligence.

The festival is more than a platform; it’s a movement to create a shared ecosystem where startups from ASEAN and India can thrive together, learn from each other, and contribute to global innovation,” said a representative from SIIC, IIT Kanpur.

Driving Sustainable Innovation

One of the festival’s main themes is sustainability; it encourages startups to develop solutions that support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The festival hopes to inspire entrepreneurs to think beyond the profit motive and toward long-term impact by fostering technological innovation that benefits society and the environment.

The ASEAN-India Start-up Festival 2024 will continue over the next two days with workshops, mentoring sessions, and exhibitions. Delegates will engage in thematic discussions on digital transformation, green innovation, and cross-border partnerships, creating a roadmap for future collaborations.

As the festival moves ahead, it is expected to deepen relations between India and ASEAN countries in boosting regional innovation while serving as a model for international collaboration in entrepreneurship. Such efforts by India and ASEAN, apart from addressing immediate challenges, lay a sustainable foundation for an inclusive future built on the power of shared innovation and entrepreneurial zeal.

The ASEAN-India Start-up Festival 2024 is a landmark event, which has shown that cooperation across borders can ignite transformative ideas, spur regional growth, and place India and ASEAN at the forefront of global innovation.