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Keynote and Jury Member at the National AI Innovation Challenge

TSM TECHNOVA 2026, a National AI Innovation Challenge hosted by Thiagarajar School of Management (TSM), Madurai, brought together emerging innovators for two days of ideas, learning, and competition. Mr. Shyam Sekar S, Founder & CEO of Startup Xperts, delivered a keynote on “Student Startups in Today’s Startup Ecosystem: Challenges and Opportunities” and served as a Key Jury Member for the National Grand Finale.

With over 100 finalists competing across eight categories, the event showcased how young innovators were using AI to address real-world challenges. The finalists had progressed through zonal rounds held across Chennai, Madurai, and Coimbatore.

Drawing from his startup experience, entrepreneurial mentoring, and his book Startup Alchemist, Mr. Shyam Sekar S shared five key messages with aspiring student entrepreneurs: solve real problems, recognise that a prototype was only the beginning, engage with customers to establish product-market fit, seek evidence before pursuing funding, and embrace continuous learning, experimentation, and improvement.

A key message from the keynote was that a startup’s biggest competitor might not be another business, but its own assumptions.

Appreciation was extended to Director Dr. Murali, Dean Dr. N. Manjula, Ms. Subha, and the entire TSM team for bringing together a promising group of young innovators.

The event reinforced the importance of turning ideas into practical solutions, building sustainable businesses, and creating meaningful impact.

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SMB Connect Conference: Engineering the Future of Industrial MSMEs

The SMB Connect MSME Conference in Coimbatore brought together business leaders and industrial entrepreneurs for meaningful conversations around the future of the region’s MSME ecosystem. Our Founder & CEO, Mr. Shyam Sekar S, moderated a panel discussion on “Engineering the Future: How Coimbatore’s Industrial MSMEs Can Build for the World.”

The discussion went beyond conventional business conversations and explored price pressure, technology, automation, shop-floor discipline, collaboration, global customer expectations, and the transition from being a supplier to becoming a global solution partner.

The session witnessed active participation from the audience, making the conversation highly engaging and interactive. The encouraging feedback from participants further reflected the relevance of the discussions.

Later, Mr. Shyam Sekar S delivered a keynote titled “Think Big. Scale Smart.”, focusing on differentiation, customer opportunities, AI, leadership, and building systems for sustainable growth.

The key takeaway from the sessions was that growth was not simply about doing more, but about becoming better at what truly mattered.

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CXO Roundtable in Coimbatore: From Alternative to Preferred Partner

The DBS BusinessClass EXIM Connect CXO Roundtable in Coimbatore brought together around 20 business leaders from manufacturing, engineering, automotive, industrial products, chemicals, textiles, and other sectors. Mr. Shyam Sekar S, Founder & CEO of Startup Xperts, moderated the engaging discussion, which explored global trade, exports, supply chains, and the opportunities ahead for Indian businesses.

The conversation went beyond the expected discussions on global trade and focused on a fundamental question: Are Indian companies merely becoming an alternative for global customers, or are they becoming their preferred partner?

The distinction led to insightful conversations around resilience, quality, technology, compliance, productivity, working capital, geopolitical uncertainty, and trust. A key observation from the discussion was that global customers were increasingly looking beyond what companies manufactured and placing greater value on the confidence that businesses could deliver consistently, regardless of external challenges.

The roundtable also highlighted the growing opportunity for India through global supply-chain diversification and the increasing attention towards its manufacturing and engineering capabilities. The discussions emphasised that the next phase of India’s growth would require businesses to scale without compromising quality, compete beyond cost, absorb uncertainty, meet global standards, innovate faster, manage capital intelligently, and become strategic partners rather than just suppliers.

The diversity of perspectives made the conversation particularly valuable, with leaders from different industries bringing distinct views on resilience, growth, operations, technology, and finance. The discussions challenged assumptions and encouraged participants to look at global growth from multiple perspectives.

The session reinforced that the true value of a CXO roundtable was not necessarily in everyone arriving at the same answer, but in leaving with better questions and deeper perspectives.

Appreciation was extended to DBS Bank and The Talk for creating the platform and to all the participating CXOs for making the Coimbatore conversation open, energetic, and thought-provoking.

The Coimbatore session marked another significant conversation in the series, reinforcing one increasingly clear message: India does not just need to participate in global trade; it needs to become indispensable to it.

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Startup Mentor at EUREKA 2026 (IIT-B): Asia’s Largest Startup Launchpad

Eureka! 2026 is now LIVE, presenting Asia’s largest startup launchpad and creating opportunities for ambitious founders to transform their ideas into investment-ready ventures.

As part of this exciting journey, Shyam Sekar S., Founder of Startup Xperts, is contributing as a Startup Mentor, supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs with guidance and insights.

With fundraising opportunities, expert mentorship, investor and incubation access, and sponsored opportunities to represent India in the USA and Dubai, Eureka! 2026 offers a strong platform for founders looking to take their startups forward.

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The Leadership Conversation – Leadership in the Age of AI

At the Print & Packaging industry event organised by The Talk in Bengaluru, our Founder & CEO, Mr. Shyam Sekar S, moderated an engaging opening session with Mr. Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan, MD & CEO, TTK Prestige, on the theme “Leadership in the Age of AI.”

The conversation explored how the impact of AI extends far beyond technology, focusing on the role of leadership, organisational culture, and innovation in driving meaningful transformation. The discussion also covered how leaders need to evolve before organisations can change, how entrepreneurs can build businesses that grow beyond themselves, and how Indian manufacturing can strengthen its global competitiveness.

A key takeaway from the conversation was that technology can make an organisation smarter, but people, culture, and leadership are essential to making it better.

The session witnessed active audience participation, with the discussion connecting strongly with attendees and encouraging meaningful perspectives on leadership and transformation.

Appreciation was extended to Mr. Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan for the open and insightful conversation and to The Talk for the opportunity to moderate the session. The interaction highlighted how meaningful conversations can encourage leaders to look beyond immediate answers and ask better questions about the future.

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