IIT Madras hosts inaugural Nirmaan Demo Day 2024 to showcase student startups

chennai: iit madras held its first-ever 'nirmaan demo day 2024,' highlighting student innovations nurtured by nirmaan, the campus pre-incubator. this initiative connects students with real-world entrepreneurial support, guiding them from concept to market-ready solutions.the event, inaugurated by iit madras director prof. v. kamakoti, featured 30 startups spanning ai, healthtech, deeptech, and sustainability. these early-stage ventures presented their innovations to investors and industry experts, marking the event as a crucial milestone for the institute. prof. kamakoti emphasized the importance of fostering entrepreneurship among students, stating that demo day serves as a launchpad for aspiring startups to engage with industry leaders and investors.notable attendees included dr. srikanth sundararajan, general partner at ventureeast, and mr. navratan kataria, director at nasscom centre of excellence for ai & iot. nirmaan has supported over 85 startups, with 26 graduates collectively valued at over ₹1,000 crore, and startups like galaxeye space securing ₹17 crore from infosys.nirmaan's year-long pre-incubation program includes workshops and mentorship, enabling students to turn their ideas into viable businesses. the platform's structured support, including seed grants, market research, and product development, has been instrumental in helping startups like clueso, nexuscare, and krishaka succeed.the event aims to inspire more students to explore entrepreneurship, transforming ideas into impactful ventures.