Startup Skills Summit 2026
Chief Guest & Keynote Speakers
DR. SANDEEP S. KAURA
Advisor, National Skill Development Corporation, Delhi | Chancellor, Shaheed Udham Singh Entrepreneurship and Skill Development University, Punjab
Dr. Sandeep Singh Kaura is a distinguished educationist, skill-development strategist, policy adviser, entrepreneur and institution builder with more than 26 years of experience in shaping India's skilling, technical education and employability ecosystem. He currently serves as Adviser to the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) for the Skill India International Mission, under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India, and has also served as an Adviser to the Government of Punjab on Skill Development and Technical Education. A Chevening Fellow of the University of Oxford and a Doctoral Research Fellow at the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, Dr. Kaura has worked extensively at the intersection of government, academia, industry and international workforce development. His professional journey has been marked by several pioneering initiatives aimed at creating industry-aligned education, strengthening employability, enabling international mobility of skilled Indian talent and building pathways for youth towards meaningful employment and entrepreneurship. He has played a prominent role in the development of Lamrin Tech Skills University, Punjab, where he served as Chancellor and promoted an industry-integrated model of higher education built around skills, technology, innovation and employability. His work has also involved developing strategic partnerships with national and international institutions and advancing India's position as a global source of skilled human capital. He is now spearheading the Udham Singh Shaheed Skill Development & Entrepreneurship University, Punjab, as its Founder Chancellor (Designate)—a landmark initiative envisioned around the convergence of skill development, entrepreneurship, technology, industry and future-ready higher education. The university is being developed at Kapurthala on a 32-acre campus, with an ambitious vision encompassing emerging fields and strong industry and international partnerships. Dr. Kaura's work reflects a distinctive philosophy that education must move beyond conventional degrees to create skills, enterprise, employability and global opportunities, particularly for India's young population. Through his leadership across government advisory, national skilling, higher education and entrepreneurship, he has emerged as an influential voice in India's transition towards a skill-driven, innovation-led and globally connected knowledge economy.
Mr. Brahm Alreja
President, TIE Chandigarh, Founder & CEO, Evangelist
President, TiE Chandigarh | Founder & CEO, Innovative Incentives & Rewards Pvt. Ltd. | Shaping the Future of Loyalty & Engagement About Brahm Alreja is an entrepreneur, ecosystem builder, and business leader with over 15 years of experience helping organizations build stronger relationships with their customers, channel partners, employees, and communities. As Founder & CEO of Innovative Incentives & Rewards Pvt. Ltd., he leads a team that designs and delivers technology-led loyalty, engagement, and rewards platforms for some of India's leading brands — combining strategy, technology, behavioural insights, and execution to drive measurable business outcomes and lasting customer advocacy. Alongside this entrepreneurial work, he serves as President of TiE Chandigarh, one of the leading chapters of TiE Global, where he focuses on connecting founders with mentors, investors, corporates, academia, and policymakers — viewing ecosystem-building as just as meaningful as building businesses. Industry Experience: FMCG, manufacturing, automotive, building materials, financial services, retail, and consumer brands — helping organizations shift engagement from transactional programs to meaningful, data-driven relationships. Philosophy: He describes himself as passionate about combining technology with human behaviour — whether designing scalable engagement platforms, enabling digital transformation, mentoring entrepreneurs, or building strategic partnerships — anchored in the belief that sustainable growth comes from creating value before capturing it. Mission: "Build organizations that people trust, create ecosystems that help entrepreneurs succeed, and leave every institution stronger than I found it."
Dr. Radhika Trikha
CEO, IIT Ropar Technology and Innovation, (iHub - AWADH)
Dr. Radhika Trikha, Chief Executive Officer of IIT Ropar Technology & Innovation Foundation (iHub–AWaDH), is a distinguished innovation leader working at the intersection of deep-tech, entrepreneurship, science policy and technology-driven development. A PhD in Biotechnology and recipient of University Gold Medals in both graduation and post-graduation from Panjab University, Dr. Trikha brings over eight years of experience in Science, Technology & Innovation (STI) policy research, including her association with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. She has contributed to India’s Fifth National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy and has extensive experience in public–private partnerships, industry–academia collaboration and innovation management. At IIT Ropar, she leads iHub–AWaDH, a DST-supported technology innovation hub focused on AI, IoT, deep-tech, agriculture, water technologies, startup incubation and skilling. Under her leadership, the hub has supported a growing portfolio of deep-tech startups and initiatives aimed at translating cutting-edge research into scalable, real-world solutions.
Ankur Malhotra
Founder Director, Trinity
Ankur Malhotra is the Founder Director of TRINITi – Scaling New Heights, an education-focused organisation established in 2002, with over two decades of experience in designing and executing high-impact educational, leadership and knowledge-driven engagements. An alumnus of Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh, and NMIMS, Mumbai, Ankur combines a strong foundation in engineering and management with a deep understanding of education, entrepreneurship, leadership and experiential learning. Under his leadership, TRINITi has evolved from being a pioneer in campus placement training in North India into a comprehensive platform for education-based events, leadership programmes, corporate training and expert-led engagements. � Triniti +1 Ankur is the creator and driving force behind EDUTHON, TRINITi's flagship education summit focused on the future of learning and education. The platform brings together school leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, edtech professionals, policymakers, innovators and thought leaders to deliberate on emerging themes shaping education. The fifth edition of EDUTHON, held in Chandigarh in September 2025, brought together more than 500 educators, edtech leaders, principals, teachers, edupreneurs and artists from across India, reflecting the scale of the platform and Ankur's role in building meaningful conversations around the future of education. � The Tribune +1 Through TRINITi, Ankur has also been associated with the conceptualisation and execution of TEDx events, literature festivals, Model United Nations (MUNs), debating competitions, career fairs, leadership conclaves, teacher-training programmes, corporate learning initiatives and large-scale education summits. TRINITi's Speaker's Bureau connects institutions and organisations with a diverse pool of 100+ speakers, including entrepreneurs, celebrities, athletes, motivational speakers, educators and public-sector leaders. This has positioned Ankur at the intersection of education, experiential learning, thought leadership and high-impact event curation. � Triniti +1 Beyond TRINITi, Ankur contributes to the broader education and leadership ecosystem through his associations with academic and youth-focused institutions. He serves on the Board of Directors of Dass & Brown Experiential Learning School (DBELS) and has been associated with the Advisory Board of AIESEC Chandigarh, contributing to conversations around leadership development, youth engagement and future-ready learning. His professional network also extends across entrepreneurship and education platforms, including TiE Chandigarh and the Vibrant Networking Forum. He is recognised as a prominent entrepreneurial and education-sector voice in Chandigarh. � LinkedIn +1 A significant strength of Ankur's work lies in his ability to bring together people, ideas and institutions to create meaningful platforms for learning and collaboration. His work through TRINITi has facilitated engagements involving distinguished personalities from diverse fields, while his continued focus on education, innovation, leadership and human-centric learning reflects his larger vision of creating experiences that go beyond conventional classrooms and conferences. **In essence, Ankur Malhotra is an education entrepreneur, event curator, leadership facilitator and ecosystem connector who has spent more than two decades creating platforms that bring together knowledge, experience, creativity and people to shape the future of learning.**
Dr. Munish Jindal
Founder & CEO, HoverRobotix, President, MentorX
Dr. Munish Jindal is a visionary entrepreneur, technology innovator, mentor and thought leader, and the Founder & CEO of HoverRobotix, a pioneering Indian company in robotics, personal mobility and futuristic transportation. With a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence & Robotics from the USA and an MBA and CPA from Australia, Dr. Jindal has built a distinguished career at the intersection of AI, robotics, entrepreneurship and innovation. He is also the Founding President of MENTORx Global, where he works towards empowering entrepreneurs, students and innovators through mentorship, incubation and entrepreneurship initiatives. A serial entrepreneur, angel investor, corporate trainer and accomplished public speaker, he has been associated with NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission as a mentor and has mentored young innovators and startup teams across India. Through HoverRobotix, he has pioneered concepts including hoverboards, e-mobility robots and autonomous mobility solutions, with a vision of bringing futuristic technology closer to everyday life. Dr. Jindal is also a TEDx speaker and has received several national and international recognitions for his contributions to entrepreneurship, technology and social impact.
TIE Chandigarh
TIE Chandigarh Team
TiE Chandigarh is a leading chapter of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), a global network dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship through mentoring, networking, education, funding and incubation. With a strong presence across the Chandigarh Tricity and the broader North Indian startup ecosystem, TiE Chandigarh connects entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, corporates, professionals and institutions to create meaningful opportunities for business growth and innovation. The chapter actively supports startups and emerging entrepreneurs through impactful programmes, knowledge sessions, mentorship initiatives and ecosystem partnerships, while promoting a culture of entrepreneurship, collaboration and innovation. TiE Chandigarh continues to play a significant role in nurturing the next generation of high-growth businesses and strengthening the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
IMPunjab
Innovation Mission Punjab (IMPunjab) is a public-private partnership and a catalyst organisation dedicated to building a stronger, more connected and globally competitive startup and innovation ecosystem in Punjab. Conceptualised in 2020 and headquartered in Mohali, IMPunjab brings together the Government, entrepreneurs, startups, investors, mentors, incubators, academia, industry and other ecosystem stakeholders to create meaningful opportunities for innovation-led entrepreneurship. Its core focus is to help founders and aspiring entrepreneurs build, empower and scale by providing structured acceleration and incubation support, mentorship, access to investors and capital, infrastructure, market opportunities, capacity-building programs and industry networks. Through initiatives spanning startup acceleration, investor and mentor networks, campus entrepreneurship, incubation, CSR and ecosystem development, IMPunjab works across the entrepreneurial journey—from validating an idea and developing a prototype to accessing markets, raising capital and scaling a venture. With a vision to position Punjab among India’s leading innovation ecosystems, IMPunjab seeks to ensure that Punjab’s talent not only innovates, but also builds globally competitive enterprises from within the state.
Webipher Inc.
Webipher is a practical, industry-focused Digital Marketing, AI and IT training academy based in Amritsar, Punjab. Established in 2022, Webipher is committed to bridging the gap between academic education and industry requirements through hands-on, career-oriented skill development. The academy offers programmes across Digital Marketing, Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, Full Stack Development, Web Development, Python, AI Tools and other emerging technologies. With a strong focus on practical learning, industry exposure and career development, Webipher works with students, fresh graduates, working professionals, entrepreneurs and career switchers to build future-ready digital skills.
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