CHENNAI: As India’s startup map expands beyond metros and deep-tech ventures gain momentum, building capable entrepreneurs, not just technologies, has emerged as the missing link in scaling innovation, speakers said at the sixth annual GDC Symposium organised by IIT-Madras (IIT-M) on January 17.

Hosted by the Gopalakrishnan-Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GDC), the symposium, themed ‘Democratising Innovation and Entrepreneurship in India’, brought national focus on the entrepreneur as the central driver of India’s innovation-led growth, aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.

Held against the backdrop of rising participation from Tier II and Tier III cities and women founders, discussions underlined a critical gap in the ecosystem, sustained development of entrepreneurial mindset, decision-making and resilience, particularly for deep-tech ventures with long gestation cycles. “Scientists and researchers can be entrepreneurial in more ways than one,” said Lakshmi Narayanan, co-founder and former vice-chairman of Cognizant Technology Solutions. “Solving complex challenges within large corporations or government projects is also an entrepreneurial success that institutions like IIT-M should encourage.”

Joining virtually, ANRF CEO Shivkumar Kalyanaraman said the foundation was shifting towards impact-driven funding. “Our focus is excellence and merit-based capacity development. We want to govern for impact, not merely distribute funds,” he said.

IIT-M director V Kamakoti said, “Our online BS programme and GDC initiatives are enabling students and entrepreneurs from across India to access world-class education, labs and mentorship.”

The symposium featured policy, founder-led and grassroots innovation panels, alongside a showcase of 15 deep-tech startups, reinforcing IIT-M’s role as a national catalyst for lab-to-market entrepreneurship.