1 May, 2025
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From April 25–27, 2025, the IIM Calcutta campus buzzed with startup energy as the Startup Garage Hackathon took centre stage. Organised by IIM Calcutta, in collaboration with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) and supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the hackathon welcomed the incoming MBA-Ex Batch 19 with an unforgettable plunge into the world of entrepreneurship.
This dynamic 3-day event was designed around the theme “Job Seekers to Job Creators: Re-imagining Contemporary India”, encouraging students to think beyond traditional career paths and build the businesses of tomorrow.
The hackathon kicked off with over 90 students submitting startup ideas. From these, the top 30 were shortlisted, who entered an intense investment simulation round where they pitched to secure virtual “funding.” By the end of Day 1, the top 12 ideas were selected to form teams and start building real prototypes overnight.
On the second day, the Startup Garage transformed into a full-fledged accelerator. The teams underwent intensive mentorship by IIM Calcutta alumni, real-world pitching simulations led by the IIMCIP CEO, Dr. Subhrangshu Sanyal, business plan validation and mock fundraising sessions, pushing their ideas towards market feasibility. Each team received focused feedback—all in a high-pressure, time-sensitive format that pushed them to think fast and iterate even faster.
The finale brought in a jury of distinguished entrepreneurs and investors who judged each pitch on the basis of innovation, scalability and problem-solving depth. Post the pitching, three teams emerged winners, viz., InteliMend (Winner), Neuro Edge (Runner Up) and Green X (Second Runner Up).
The Startup Garage wasn’t just a competition — it was a live experience of what building a startup feels like: sleepless nights, sharp pivots, mentorship breakthroughs and the thrill of creating something from scratch!
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