CHENNAI: Young Indians (Yi), the youth wing of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), on Thursday announced a strategic MoU with IIT Madras to strengthen student innovation and early-stage startup development.

The agreement, signed at the IIT-M campus, integrates young entrepreneurs with the institute's cutting-edge innovation ecosystem, including the Centre for Innovation and Nirmaan.

The collaboration coincides with the National YUVA Entrepreneurship Summit in Chennai, bringing together over 700 young innovators.

Eighteen shortlisted startups from the Bharat Billion Impact Challenge participated in an intensive bootcamp led by IIT-M faculty to refine business models ahead of the national finals.

The top three teams will receive pre-incubation support at Nirmaan, while others will be guided by ecosystem partners. The two-day summit also features pitch sessions, workshops and talks by leading entrepreneurs and industry experts.