mc² + IGNITE: strengthening the startup ecosystem

mc² + IGNITE — India’s flagship energy innovation accelerator — concluded at IIT Guwahati, bringing startups, students, entrepreneurs, policymakers, PSUs, industry leaders, investors and academia onto a single platform. The IITG Technology Incubation Centre (IITG-TIC) and IIT Guwahati were partners in the initiative, connecting innovation, academia, industry and entrepreneurship.

A vision for the ecosystem

The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, spoke to the potential of entrepreneurship and technology-led innovation, and to the need for a stronger, more collaborative ecosystem to drive growth and create opportunity — a vision that sits close to IITG-TIC’s own work of helping ideas become sustainable, scalable ventures.

PSUs, founders and industry

The participation of Oil India Limited and other energy-sector PSUs underlined the role industry plays in supporting startups — through real-world challenges, technology validation, pilot opportunities and deployment. At the Startup Expo, the Chief Minister met founders and explored their innovations directly.

A panel of founders from Quant Solar, MadVR Solutions and Ecoet Technologies discussed opportunities, challenges, investment, the role of incubators and pathways to scale. Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala of IIT Madras spoke on how startups and innovation can address India’s large, complex challenges, and Prof. Senthilmurugan Subbiah shared practical notes on founder commitment, product development and the work of incubation.

The response

With more than 1,500 participants, over 100 startups and around 1,000 students, the turnout reflected the growing entrepreneurial energy in the region. For IITG-TIC, mc² + IGNITE reaffirmed a simple commitment: nurture ideas, support founders, connect academia with industry, and help startups scale.