New Delhi/Kanpur, 27 November 2025: The Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur, hosted its first-ever in-person Mentors’ Meet 2025 at Taj Vivanta, Dwarka, uniting its diverse mentor community to build deeper collaboration and strengthen India’s technology-driven startup ecosystem.

This inaugural face-to-face engagement served as a pivotal moment for SIIC’s mentors—enabling them to understand each other’s expertise, align on shared priorities, and explore how a unified mentor network can deliver timely, specialized, and collective support to startups. The Meet reinforced the vision that mentors, alongside startups and investors, form the three pillars of India’s innovation journey -where synergy and coordinated effort are essential for scale and impact.

CEO SETS THE VISION FOR A STRONG, INTERCONNECTED MENTOR NETWORK

The event opened with a powerful address by Shri Anurag Singh, CEO, SIIC IIT Kanpur, who articulated the strategic direction for SIIC’s mentorship ecosystem. He emphasized that the future of deep-tech innovation depends not only on individual guidance but on a well-integrated mentor community capable of mobilizing its collective intelligence.

“Mentorship is the backbone of our startup ecosystem,” he stated.
“Today’s Meet was not just an interaction - it was a strategic step toward building a unified mentor network that operates with speed, coordination, and shared purpose. When mentors collaborate seamlessly, startups gain the confidence, clarity, and expertise they need to scale breakthroughs that matter to India and the world.”

Following the CEO’s address, Prof. Deepu Philip, Professor-In-Charge, SIIC, shared remarks that built upon this vision, highlighting SIIC’s growing innovation footprint and the transformative role a cohesive mentor ecosystem will play in accelerating technology-intensive ventures.

The day featured a compelling storytelling session on “Mentorship Experiences by Startups,” moderated by Shri Hari Hegde, where founders shared how mentors guided them through strategic pivots, regulatory complexities, technology validation, investor engagements, and critical decision-making moments. Their stories underscored the CEO’s message: the strength of SIIC lies in the depth of its mentor community.

A hands-on workshop led by Mr. Pankaj Thakkar introduced structured frameworks to enhance mentor–startup engagement, reinforcing SIIC’s commitment to building a more systematic, measurable, and collaborative mentorship model.

DRIVING COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR INDIA’S INNOVATIVE FUTURE

During the open forum, mentors and founders discussed emerging ecosystem challenges—talent retention, market access, regulatory pathways, funding preparedness—and explored how SIIC can respond using a more coordinated mentor network. These insights will directly inform SIIC’s strategy in the coming year.

The Meet concluded with networking interactions that encouraged mentors to identify ways to complement one another’s strengths, ensuring that SIIC’s startups receive the right expertise at the right time.

Reflecting on the day, Shri Anurag Singh reiterated the long-term vision: Our goal is clear—to make SIIC the gold standard for coordinated mentorship in India. When mentors work as one force, we don’t just guide startups; we accelerate national innovation.

Mentors’ Meet 2025 closed with renewed commitment, clarity of direction, and a shared belief in the CEO-led vision of a cohesive mentor ecosystem that will drive India’s next wave of deep-tech innovation.

ABOUT IIT KANPUR

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, established in 1959 by an Act of Parliament, holds the distinction of being recognized as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India. Renowned for its excellence in science and engineering education, IIT Kanpur has made significant contributions to research and development over the decades. Its expansive, lush green campus spans 1,055 acres and hosts a rich array of academic and research resources. The institute comprises 20 departments, 27 centers, three interdisciplinary programs, and three specialized schools across engineering, science, design, humanities, and management disciplines. With over 570 full-time faculty members and more than 9,500 students, IIT Kanpur remains a leader in fostering innovation and academic rigor.

For more information, please visit www.iitk.ac.in.