i2I 2008 at IIM Calcutta Brings INR 1 Crore Entrepreneurial Opportunity to Aspiring Entrepreneurs

i2I 2008 at IIM Calcutta Brings INR 1 Crore Entrepreneurial Opportunity to Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Deadline for Submission of Executive Summary: December 14, 2007
Grand Finale in Kolkata: February 1, 2008

i2I 2008, IIM Calcutta’s Annual Entrepreneurship Festival, promises to provide a sustainable platform for budding entrepreneurs with access to Rs. 1 Crore worth equity apart from getting in touch with the people and ideas that matter. The event, the first of its kind, goes through three rigorous rounds, starting off on November 24th, 2007.

With seed investments to the tune of Rs. 1 Crore being made available, the event will be seeing students and professionals from across India pitching forth their business plans.

The focus for i2I 2008, is not only on assessing the business concept, but the team’s sincerity and seriousness as well. The best ideas and teams are selected by a detailed procedure starting with the submission of a business summary with a team profile and statement of purpose, followed by a 'Pitch' to a panel of investors / judges in each zone - Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Bangalore. The top-10 teams from all over the nation shall be mentored by experts, and the process will culminate into a grand finale in Kolkata on February 1st, 2008, with a panel of seed investors looking to make deals.

i2I 2008 is being held in partnership with the Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN), and Seedfund, taking the original competition to a different league of its own in terms of scale, scope and seriousness. In its new avatar, i2I moves away from the traditional business-plan competitions which end up reducing to essay competitions with the rush for the cash prizes and no inclination to really start up.

By divesting it off a potentially 'academic character' and ushering in serious business, i2I 2008 is open to students as well as working professionals. Given these specific considerations and entries from students / alumni from premier B-schools and Engineering institutions including IITs and IIMs and working professionals, i2I is sure to generate wide attention and attract serious entrepreneurial aspirants.

Seedfund, the investing partner, has funded Redbus, Printo and Carwale among others. According to Mr. Anand Lunia of Seedfund, even start-up plans that are right now only on paper stand a chance to get funded, so people in jobs thinking of leaving to start-up as well as students seriously looking at starting up right after education can take this as a serious opportunity.

The National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN), with its prominent presence across 282 member institutes across the nation and relationships with corporate leaders, is going to be extensively involved in increasing outreach as well as providing access to jury and mentors and other experts for the contest.

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