Author Archives: Janani

Startup Xperts was proud to join as an Ecosystem Partner for the flagship E-Summit 2026 Startup Expo at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, reinforcing its commitment to supporting India’s startup ecosystem.

The E-Cell IIT Madras platform continues to be a hub where ideas evolve into collaborations and startups find meaningful opportunities. The Startup Expo served as a dynamic platform for founders, builders, and investors to connect, exchange insights, and explore new possibilities.

As part of the event, Mr. Shyam Sekar S, Our Founder and CEO of Startup Xperts, delivered a thought-provoking session on “Myths Founders Should Know.” Drawing from real-world experience, he shared insights on why startups fail—not due to a lack of talent, but due to misconceptions around ideas, funding, scaling, and execution. The session highlighted the importance of execution over ideas, revenue-driven growth over funding hype, sustainable scaling, and the critical role of distribution.

The event held special significance as IIT Madras was also the venue for the launch of his book, Startup Alchemist, making this return to campus a full-circle milestone. The engaging discussions and interactions with early-stage founders reflected the growing maturity and ambition within the Indian startup ecosystem.

Startup Xperts remains inspired by the passion and clarity demonstrated by emerging entrepreneurs and continues to support founders in building meaningful, scalable ventures.

What happens when AI meets employability? It doesn’t just generate answers – it reshapes the way we think about the future of work.

Our Founder and CEO, Mr. Shyam Sekar S, moderated an insightful panel discussion on the “Future of Employment in the AI Era” in Chennai, engaging with an inspiring group of Training and Placement Officers from leading colleges and universities. The discussion explored the current landscape of student employability in India, the growing influence of AI on entry-level roles, and the practical steps institutions can take to prepare students for a rapidly evolving job market.

A key highlight of the session was the live demonstration of the InterSpect AI platform. The AI-powered employability engine showcased its ability to diagnose skill gaps, map students to relevant roles, and create personalised readiness pathways. The demonstration sparked strong interest and clearly illustrated how technology can act as a powerful bridge between academia and industry.

The session was further enriched by the valuable insights shared by Fouad Bousetouane, Ph.D., Krishnakanta Saha, Punitha Anthony, and Sarveshwaran Rajagopal, who brought practical, future-focused perspectives to the discussion.

The future of work is not approaching – it is already here. And the transformation begins with institutions, industry leaders, and technology working together.

Startup Xperts also extends its best wishes to Mr. Lawrence Paranidharan, on the launch of this impactful platform with the potential to shape careers and lives at scale.

The Blueprint B-Plan Pitching Rounds (BECon Chennai Regionals 2026), an initiative of eDC (Entrepreneurship Development Cell), IIT Delhi, brought together a powerful mix of ideas under the theme Health, Education, and Social Impact. Hosted at SRM Vadapalani, the event showcased bold, purpose-driven startup concepts focused on solving real-world challenges.

Our Founder & CEO, Mr. Shyam Sekar S, participated as part of the evaluation panel, jointly assessing the pitches alongside industry leaders. The evaluation process highlighted strong clarity, structure, and conviction among the top teams, making the selection of finalists both rigorous and rewarding.

One of the most inspiring moments of the event was a wild card entry by a school student, who confidently presented a health-focused idea – reinforcing the belief that innovation knows no age and the next breakthrough can emerge from a classroom.

With its high energy, diversity of ideas, and depth of purpose, this edition of Blueprint stood out as a meaningful platform for early-stage innovators. The future of entrepreneurship is not just promising – it is already pitching.

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.