IIM Bangalore’s innovation and entrepreneurship hub NSRCEL celebrates silver jubilee with ‘SummitUp 2025’
India’s innovation leaders chart the road ahead, during the milestone celebration
21 November, 2025, Bengaluru: NSRCEL, the incubator for start-ups at IIM Bangalore, celebrated its completion of 25 years of supporting entrepreneurs with its flagship event, SummitUp 2025, which brought together India's most prominent founders, investors, policymakers and thinkers, to envision the future of innovation. The event celebrated NSRCEL's growth and expansion, from being one of India's original academic incubators to one of India's national platforms facilitating entrepreneurial change.
During the past year, NSRCEL has supported 662 ventures across 82 towns, some of which span districts well beyond the major metro areas, which further reinforces NSRCEL's aspiration to advance varying levels of entrepreneurship deeper into Bharat. NSRCEL continues to have impact in newer, emerging sectors including climate tech, health tech, deep tech, mobility and social impact. NSRCEL is also expanding additional support programs for women-led ventures and student entrepreneurship.
Leadership Reflections on India’s Innovation Decade
At the event, Prof. U Dinesh Kumar, Director In-charge, IIM Bangalore, discussed the importance of innovation for India's economy. “India’s next decade will be shaped by founders who combine ambition with disciplined execution. Our goal at IIMB is to support organizations, not just start-ups, that have the potential to make significant long-term social and economic impact. For 25 years, NSRCEL has shown this, and its upcoming phase will be even more crucial for India.”
Anand Sri Ganesh, Chief Executive Officer, NSRCEL, spoke about the incubator's growing national footprint and importance of inclusivity in the entrepreneurship space. “Some of our most exceptional founders, now come from towns that most people cannot even find on a map – and that is the India we strive to serve. Our intention is to remain the safest, most trusted platform for any innovator, anywhere, and at any time, to build, iterate and scale. As we get ready to celebrate our 25th year, expect us to double down on development in emerging sectors and work to create a multi-Bharat innovation network."
A key moment at the summit was the launch of ‘Start Right’, co-authored by Prof. Srivardhini K Jha, Chairperson, NSRCEL and faculty of the Entrepreneurship area. “First time entrepreneurs live in chaos and uncertainty. ‘Start Right’ has collated years of learning into easy-to-digest, practical advice that is for founders in India. If Start Right gives clarity, confidence and direction to new entrepreneurs, it would have achieved its purpose.” she stated.
High-impact Panels and Entrepreneur Conversations
The summit also featured impactful dialogue by experts who described India’s changing consumer behavior, technology adoption and market evolution. Rafiq Aslam, ex-CMO at Zoho, and Nischay AG, Co-founder of Jar, discussed how Bharat-first brands can build trust, relevance and aspiration across tier 2 & 3 markets.
A panel on climate and sustainability innovation in India highlighted bottoms-up entrepreneurs building livelihoods, circular economy solutions and clean-tech solutions.
Founders of emerging mobility, AI and fintech companies shared insights on doing business amidst macroeconomic volatility and shifts in global markets.
Investors and policymakers explored India's deep tech ecosystem and the strategic opportunities spawned by the national R&D Innovation Fund.
All the sessions reaffirmed a key theme: the future of innovation rests on India’s capability to innovate for both global markets and for its own rapidly transforming economy.
Vision for the Next 25 Years
As NSRCEL gears up for its next phase, priorities remain building and scaling incubation networks across India, deepening sectoral expertise, and helping founders navigate an uncharted and uncertain future with confidence. NSRCEL aims to do so with a legacy of trust, excellence and inclusion, focused on the generation of next wave entrepreneurs building for India – and the globe.
Please click here for photo gallery
IIM Bangalore’s innovation and entrepreneurship hub NSRCEL celebrates silver jubilee with ‘SummitUp 2025’
India’s innovation leaders chart the road ahead, during the milestone celebration
21 November, 2025, Bengaluru: NSRCEL, the incubator for start-ups at IIM Bangalore, celebrated its completion of 25 years of supporting entrepreneurs with its flagship event, SummitUp 2025, which brought together India's most prominent founders, investors, policymakers and thinkers, to envision the future of innovation. The event celebrated NSRCEL's growth and expansion, from being one of India's original academic incubators to one of India's national platforms facilitating entrepreneurial change.
During the past year, NSRCEL has supported 662 ventures across 82 towns, some of which span districts well beyond the major metro areas, which further reinforces NSRCEL's aspiration to advance varying levels of entrepreneurship deeper into Bharat. NSRCEL continues to have impact in newer, emerging sectors including climate tech, health tech, deep tech, mobility and social impact. NSRCEL is also expanding additional support programs for women-led ventures and student entrepreneurship.
Leadership Reflections on India’s Innovation Decade
At the event, Prof. U Dinesh Kumar, Director In-charge, IIM Bangalore, discussed the importance of innovation for India's economy. “India’s next decade will be shaped by founders who combine ambition with disciplined execution. Our goal at IIMB is to support organizations, not just start-ups, that have the potential to make significant long-term social and economic impact. For 25 years, NSRCEL has shown this, and its upcoming phase will be even more crucial for India.”
Anand Sri Ganesh, Chief Executive Officer, NSRCEL, spoke about the incubator's growing national footprint and importance of inclusivity in the entrepreneurship space. “Some of our most exceptional founders, now come from towns that most people cannot even find on a map – and that is the India we strive to serve. Our intention is to remain the safest, most trusted platform for any innovator, anywhere, and at any time, to build, iterate and scale. As we get ready to celebrate our 25th year, expect us to double down on development in emerging sectors and work to create a multi-Bharat innovation network."
A key moment at the summit was the launch of ‘Start Right’, co-authored by Prof. Srivardhini K Jha, Chairperson, NSRCEL and faculty of the Entrepreneurship area. “First time entrepreneurs live in chaos and uncertainty. ‘Start Right’ has collated years of learning into easy-to-digest, practical advice that is for founders in India. If Start Right gives clarity, confidence and direction to new entrepreneurs, it would have achieved its purpose.” she stated.
High-impact Panels and Entrepreneur Conversations
The summit also featured impactful dialogue by experts who described India’s changing consumer behavior, technology adoption and market evolution. Rafiq Aslam, ex-CMO at Zoho, and Nischay AG, Co-founder of Jar, discussed how Bharat-first brands can build trust, relevance and aspiration across tier 2 & 3 markets.
A panel on climate and sustainability innovation in India highlighted bottoms-up entrepreneurs building livelihoods, circular economy solutions and clean-tech solutions.
Founders of emerging mobility, AI and fintech companies shared insights on doing business amidst macroeconomic volatility and shifts in global markets.
Investors and policymakers explored India's deep tech ecosystem and the strategic opportunities spawned by the national R&D Innovation Fund.
All the sessions reaffirmed a key theme: the future of innovation rests on India’s capability to innovate for both global markets and for its own rapidly transforming economy.
Vision for the Next 25 Years
As NSRCEL gears up for its next phase, priorities remain building and scaling incubation networks across India, deepening sectoral expertise, and helping founders navigate an uncharted and uncertain future with confidence. NSRCEL aims to do so with a legacy of trust, excellence and inclusion, focused on the generation of next wave entrepreneurs building for India – and the globe.
Please click here for photo gallery