The past weekend saw some of the most innovative minds come together with the mission to get ideas into action and launch their start-ups in 54hrs over the weekend. In spite of the heavy monsoon downpour, the IIMC campus was buzzing with activities and excitement.

Organized for the first time in Eastern India, the Startup Weekend was hosted by IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the region.  IIMCIP brought in some of the key stakeholders in the startup ecosystem in the likes of TiE, Calcutta Angels, Nasscom, CII and Innokul.

"All ideas presented addressed a critical social problem or a market gap. We were impressed by the tremendous enthusiasm exhibited by the teams and their achievements in just 54 hours" shared Subhrangshu Sanyal, CEO, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park who was also part of the jury.

The Startup Weekend was witness to three engaging days at the campus coupled with some serious brainstorming and non-stop activities.

The event was judged by an eminent panel comprising of different stakeholders of the startup ecosystem. The ideas were evaluated with respect to the business model, customer validation and execution and design.

Startup Weekend had three winners – ComBuyN, Hephaestus Technoand Yello!. Two social enterprises received special recognition in the event  iJustice and Garbage to Gold for its sheer ingenuity.

"Startup weekend was a great experience for me. Being an under graduate it was quite an atmosphere which I encountered. Meeting new people, working under clock ticking pressure cooker was intense as well as fun. An awesome job done by the organizer! “ said Sharad Jindalwho was part of Team iJustice.

The Entrepreneurship cell of IIM Calcutta will support all the teams to shape their ideas and firm up their business model and the top teams will also get an opportunity to pitch for incubation at IIMCIP.

The event ended with a bang, with smiles and great outcomes. It encouraged and inspired young people to bring their idea into action and take the first step towards their entrepreneurship journey. It was indeed an event to witness, to participate, to learn and to grow.