Focus on Reinventing Business Through Innovation
Lucknow – TiE Lucknow, in collaboration with Jaipuria Institute of Management, successfully hosted the second edition of its flagship conference ‘U.P. ON THE RISE’, under the theme ‘Reinventing Business Through Innovation’. Held at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Gomti Nagar, the event brought together a distinguished gathering of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and innovators, offering a vibrant platform to explore new-age business opportunities and innovation-driven growth.
Opening the Gateway to Innovation
The conference began with a welcome address by Pranav Aggarwal, President, TiE Lucknow, who emphasized the immense potential of Uttar Pradesh in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. This was followed by an insightful keynote by Murali Bukkapatnam, Chairman, TiE Global, who highlighted TiE Global’s contributions towards entrepreneurial development across the world and its vision to empower local economies through innovation and mentorship.
Revolutionising Food Businesses – Innovation, Growth & Government Support
The first session of the day centered on innovation within the food processing sector and the vital role of government support in fostering growth. B.L. Meena, Additional Chief Secretary, Food Processing Department, U.P., delivered the keynote, presenting significant advancements in potato farming, aquaponics, sericulture, and food exports. He emphasized technological innovations in agriculture that are opening up lucrative business opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors alike.
A group discussion followed, moderated by Sachin Sahni, Former President of TiE Lucknow. The panel included Rakesh Ladhani, Director of Amrit Bottlers; Vasudev Chawla, Director of Mahesh Namkeen; and Ankit Sahni, Founder of The Hazelnut Factory. The discussion provided practical insights into the real-world innovations, challenges, and the government’s supportive policies that are shaping the food business landscape in the region.
MYuva – Empowering Startup Founders
The second session focused on empowering young entrepreneurs through government-led initiatives. Shivani Singh, Assistant Commissioner (Industries), MSME Department, Government of U.P., presented the CM-YUVA scheme, a pioneering initiative designed to foster youth entrepreneurship by providing interest-free loans up to INR 5 lakhs. The scheme aims to create one lakh entrepreneurs annually, thereby fueling startup growth and self-reliance among the youth of Uttar Pradesh.
Unlock Endless Opportunities with Artificial Intelligence
In an era defined by rapid technological change, Amit Jadhav, an AI expert, took the stage for the third session, delivering an engaging presentation titled “AI Revolution: Transforming Businesses for Tomorrow.” He explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping industries ranging from logistics to customer service, and demonstrated AI’s ability to create scalable, efficient, and future-ready business models. His insights painted a compelling picture of AI’s transformative potential in both traditional and emerging sectors.
Keynote Address by Vishal Jindal, Founder – Biryani by Kilo
Vishal Jindal, founder of Biryani by Kilo, delivered the fourth session’s keynote address, sharing his entrepreneurial journey and the challenges and triumphs of building a successful food brand in a competitive market. He emphasized the importance of innovation, customer-centric approaches, and persistence, highlighting how these factors helped scale Biryani by Kilo into a recognizable and respected brand in the Indian food industry.
Unstoppable Lucknow: Startups Defining the Future
The fifth session was a dynamic panel discussion that celebrated the growing startup ecosystem in Lucknow. The panel featured Rohit Manglik, Founder of EduGorilla; Syed Faiz Hasan, Managing Director of Imperier Holdings; Varul Mayank, Founder of Knocksense; Neelesh Kapoor, founder – Entreprenext and Prateek Rastogi, Founder of Better Nutrition. Each panelist shared their experiences in building innovative ventures, the evolving business climate in Lucknow, and the support systems that have enabled them to thrive. The discussion underscored Lucknow’s emergence as a significant hub for entrepreneurship in North India.
Turning Passion into a Thriving Career
The final session explored how passion and creativity can be transformed into sustainable and impactful careers. The panel included Kopal Khanna, Founder of Tape a Tale; Maroof Umar, a popular video content creator; and Saumya Khandelwal, an accomplished photojournalist. Their candid discussion offered valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities within creative industries, and how digital platforms have created unprecedented avenues for independent creators to reach global audiences.
A Resounding Success
The event concluded with vibrant networking sessions that facilitated collaboration among attendees, startups, investors, and industry experts. ‘U.P. ON THE RISE – 2’ left participants inspired and equipped with actionable insights, reinforcing its commitment to fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth in Uttar Pradesh. The conference served as a powerful catalyst for knowledge exchange and business development, marking another milestone in the region’s journey toward becoming a leading entrepreneurial hub.
