Author Archives: Janani

A CXO Roundtable held in Chennai brought together senior finance leaders for an enriching and insightful discussion on the evolving role of treasury functions in today’s dynamic business environment.

Our Founder, Mr. Shyam Sekar S, chaired and moderated the session, facilitating in-depth conversations among CFOs and finance leaders. The discussions extended beyond traditional cash management to focus on intelligent investing, liquidity agility, risk-aware decision-making, and the increasing importance of digital platforms in enabling real-time visibility and regulatory compliance.

A special highlight of the roundtable was the perspective shared by Mr. Ganesh Ram, Managing Director & CEO, MF Utilities, who spoke on how digital, transaction-led platforms are transforming treasury operations—from manual processes to real-time, transparent, and compliant ecosystems. His insights on automation and platform-led efficiency resonated strongly with the participants.

Equally impactful were the insights from Mr. Devang Shah, Head – Fixed Income, Axis Mutual Fund, who offered a practical viewpoint on navigating the current interest-rate environment. His guidance on balancing liquidity management with yield optimisation, while maintaining strong governance discipline, was particularly relevant to the audience.

The roundtable was marked by open and candid exchanges among all panellists, making the session highly engaging and value-driven. The dialogue reinforced the importance of collaborative thinking in shaping the future of treasury and finance leadership.

The Global Startup Summit 2025 in Chennai proved to be a significant milestone, bringing together founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders for a day marked by high energy, meaningful dialogue, and impactful moments.

Our Founder, Mr. Shyam Sekar S, played a key role at the summit as a Jury Member for the ‘Pitch Battle’, one of the event’s most intense segments. The session witnessed founders presenting months and years of hard work within a limited timeframe, demonstrating exceptional grit, passion, and resilience. Beyond evaluating business models, the jury engagement underscored the importance of encouraging and recognising risk-takers who step forward to build innovative ventures.

The summit also marked a personal and professional milestone with the official launch of the book Startup Alchemist by Mr. Shyam Sekar S, launched alongside Mr. Mohit Sureka, Founder of the Global Startups Club. The moment reflected a shared vision for founders and entrepreneurs, with the book capturing insights, experiences, and lessons distilled from years of engagement within the startup ecosystem.

In addition, Mr. Shyam Sekar S participated in a panel discussion on startup funding, where conversations focused on what makes investment pitches impactful, the challenges founders continue to face, and the mindset required to sustain long-term entrepreneurial journeys. The discussion reinforced the value of open dialogue and collective learning in strengthening the ecosystem.

Beyond the formal sessions, the summit stood out for its strong sense of community—from applause for emerging founders and warm responses at the book launch to meaningful interactions across the venue.

The Global Startup Summit 2025 reaffirmed that such platforms go beyond networking, serving as catalysts for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and mutual growth, while celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship that drives innovation forward.

The official launch of Startup Alchemist was held at the iconic IIT Madras Research Park. The book was unveiled by Dr. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, in the presence of Mr. Natarajan Malupillai, CEO of IIT Madras Research Park, and Mr. Mahesh Ramachandran, Entrepreneur and Venture Capitalist, who joined as Guests of Honour.

Authored by our Founder and CEO, Mr. Shyam Sekar S, Startup Alchemist reflects his extensive experience in building, mentoring, and scaling startups across the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The book draws from real-world journeys and strategic insights gained through years of hands-on engagement with founders, boards, and innovators.

Startup Alchemist goes beyond being a book—it represents a journey through ideas, execution, and transformation, capturing the process of turning entrepreneurial vision into reality.

Designed as a practical and inspiring guide, the book blends startup strategy, real-world insights, and timeless Indian wisdom drawn from the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and Thirukkural. It is intended to support aspiring entrepreneurs, student innovators, and founders who seek to build purpose-driven and impactful ventures.

The book is now available on Amazon:
👉 https://www.amazon.in/dp/9361856758

The launch marked a significant milestone, made possible by the encouragement and support of mentors, leaders, and the wider startup ecosystem. As the startup movement continues to gain momentum, this moment reinforces a shared commitment to innovation, leadership, and building with purpose.

The Entrepreneurship Cell of IIT Bombay organised a Masterclass under the ILLUMINATE theme—an Entrepreneurship Workshop conducted by our Founder, Mr. Shyam Sekar S, at St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology, Chennai.

Every successful startup begins with a simple spark—an idea. However, identifying whether that spark has the potential to grow into a sustainable and scalable venture is a critical challenge for aspiring entrepreneurs.

As part of the Pratham Lecture Series, an address is scheduled for 200+ startups and aspiring founders at IIT Madras (Indian Institute of Technology, Madras). The session will focus on one of the most fundamental yet often overlooked aspects of entrepreneurship: Problem (Idea) Identification and Validation.

The session aims to highlight how early-stage ideas, when guided by the right frameworks and insights, can evolve into impactful ventures. The interactive discussion is expected to engage some of the brightest minds contributing to the future of innovation and entrepreneurship.